‘Disengagement is a win-win situation’
NEW DELHI: Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday said that the ongoing disengagement process with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh was a “win-win situation” for both sides, but there was “still a long way to go” before de-escalation of conflict in the theatre and eventual de-induction of rival soldiers can be achieved through talks.
“For any agreement to last, both sides should feel they have achieved something. The talks have had a good outcome. Disengagement is a very good end result,” the army chief said, responding to a spate of questions on the border standoff after he delivered a talk on the Role of Indian army in Dealing with National Security Challenges.
Naravane’s comments came four days after Indian and Chinese generals held talks in eastern Ladakh and agreed to resolve outstanding issues at friction points on the LAC in a “steady and orderly” manner and were unanimous that last week’s Pangong Tso disengagement provided “a good basis” for resolving pending problems.
Naravane acknowledged that some issues, including Depsang, remained but strategies were in place to resolve those matters.
“We have leverage for negotiating favourable outcomes in future talks, but I would not like to mention those strategies,” he said.
Naravane said the army was progressing cautiously because of the trust deficit with PLA. “Until that trust deficit is removed, we will be wary about the developments there…But at the end of the say, we have achieved a lot,” he said.
The army is right to be cautious keeping in view what happened last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in particular at Galwan, and the fact that problems remain at Gogra, Hot Springs, Demchok and Depsang, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd).
“It’s good to hear that there are strategies to resolve the remaining areas. But their success will depend on how far we are able to restore status quo ante. That should be the ultimate objective,” Hooda added.
Asked what steps were being taken to ensure that PLA does not reoccupy strategic heights on the south bank of Pangong Tso, the army chief said systems were in place to make sure that there is no recapturing of heights and the disengagement process – like previous border agreements – are premised on the fact that the pacts will be observed in letter and spirit.
“We will trust but we will also verify,” he said.