Pangong disengagement results in Naku La easing

NEW DELHI: The impact of the disengagement by the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China on Pangong Tso has apparently led to an easing of tensions on Naku La, which saw friction and a face-off between the two militaries since May 2020. Situated south-west of the Kanchenjunga peak, the over 14,000-feet-high pass in north Sikkim had seen fisticuffs between the two armies on May 9, 2020, and as late as January 20, 2021, with injuries to troopers on both sides.

While the Narendra Modi government is tight-lipped about Naku La, Hindustan Times, after talking to top military commanders and diplomats, has learnt that the just like the Pangong Tso disengagement, the easing of tensions on Naku La has been dictated by the highest levels in Beijing with a renewed effort to build trust and normalise rela

tions. The decision-making authority in the PLA’S case is the Central Military Commission headed by President Xi Jinping, who is also the commander-in-chief of China’s defence forces.

“The speed at which the PLA has moved its troops beyond Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso towards Srijap plains and beyond as well as withdrawal of no less than 220 Chinese light tanks from south banks of Pangong Tso clearly shows that the instructions have come from the highest level in Beijing,” said a former

army chief. It is understood that Chinese disengagement is more or less complete on the north bank and the exercise on south banks is to move from the lake to the Kailash Range.

According to a top Indian diplomat, Beijing’s decision to disengage from Pangong Tso starting on February 10 was not because its military positions were not tenable but to stop the downward spiral in bilateral relations since former Western Theatre Commander, General Zhao Zongqi, went on aggressive mode at Pangong Tso last May.