There was a minor scuffle between the soldiers of the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Naku La area of Sikkim last week, people familiar with the development said on Monday.
The brawl on the night of January 20 was resolved by local commanders soon after, they said, adding that the clash took place after Chinese soldiers attempted to intrude into the Indian territory.
This is the second such incident in the same area in less than a year. Scores of Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a tense face-off along the India-China boundary in Naku La last May. Four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese troops suffered injuries during the May 9 confrontation that involved around 150 soldiers.
The January 20 clash happened four days before the ninth round of commander-level talks between the two sides was scheduled to resolve the tension in the eastern Ladakh sector along the LAC on Sunday. The meeting, held at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC, lasted for over 15 hours. However, the outcome of the meeting is not known yet. India and China have been locked in a lingering border standoff that also has impacted bilateral ties.
Earlier this month, Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane stated that India was committed to resolving the situation along the contested LAC through talks but no one should test India’s patience. “We are committed to resolving disputes through talks and political efforts. However, no one should make the mistake of testing India’s patience,” he had said.
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria too warned China saying, “If they (China) can get aggressive, we will also get aggressive. We have full preparations (to meet any eventuality).”
India has been pushing for a comprehensive disengagement at all flashpoints and restoration of status quo ante of early April during the ongoing military talks over the tense Ladakh theatre. China, however, wants the Indian Army to first pull back troops deployed on strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.
Source: Hindustan Times
