On October 12, the Indian and Chinese military officials are set to meet in Ladakh which would be the 7^th round of talks regarding the complications between the two troops stationed at LAC. However, as per the recent development, no such intent of troop withdrawal has been shown by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The PLA has been seen putting up snow tents and stationing the gas and solar-heated troop containers on the ridge of Line of Actual Control (LAC) to defend their positions.

This arrangement is in response to the upcoming winters where 4-6 soldiers would be present in each of the containers deployed. In addition to this, better medical facilities have been provided to the troops for the ones that suffer from high-altitude pulmonary edema and altitude-sickness.

As per the views of the PLA in the latest concluded talks, they have asked the Indian Army to first extricate from the ridgeline of Rezang La-Rechin La and the south bank of Pangong Tso. Only then, shall the Chinese troops be removed from the Finger Four spur of the salt-lake on its northern bank. However, the Indian side believes that the Chinese troops should be the first to disengage rather than the Indian Army.

A senior official from the South block stated that if China is looking for incentive from India to disengage from Ladakh, then it will have to wait for another time. The LAC status was unilaterally changed at the directions of PLA Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping. It is he who has to restore the status quo ante as added by the south block official.

The Indian military commanders say that the PLA should withdraw themselves from the northern bank of Finger Four spur and go back to Finger Eight and restore their quo ante status as in April 2020. Since the Chinese troops were the first ones to solitarily change their status on the northern bank, they must withdraw first and restore the trust.

Once they withdraw from their quest near the Mukhpari region in the Rezang La -Rechin La ridgeline, then the Indian troops will withdraw themselves from the southern bank.

The standstill between the northern and southern banks have resulted in a halt in North of the lake, and the Gogra-Hot springs area, where the PLA commanders are trying their best to inhibit the ongoing Indian patrols in the Depsang Bulge area. Due to this situation, the India Army is on an alert as the Chinese troops might infiltrate into LAC’s Indian side, probably before October 15 when the snowfall begins.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness.