This is an IDF analysis of what will be a historical ‘hand to hand savage clash’ between nuclear nations which began with a few and then a few hundred troops of the PLA and Indian Army in darkness in subzero temperatures in two narrow Galvan ridges on 15th June, 2020 evening.
Galvan valley is one of the few areas along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) where the difference in perception of the boundary between the two sides was minimal. China provoked it on an unsuspecting Bihar Battalion Commander Col Santosh Babu and his unarmed men, who walked up to stop them to set up a Post. Evidence shows China planned it, despite agreements not to.
www.indiadefenceforum.com has leaned on Trishul Trident Blogspot and posts this as a Salute and a Tribute to the 20 Martyrs led by Col Babu who killed 30 arm-prepared Chinese with dots joined from world media, and MEA briefings and reliable Twitters. IDF has no access to Classified material.
The bitter bashing by barbed wire baton armed PLA conscripts happened when the Chinese insisted on construction of an observation patrol post at PP 14 in India’s territory below the LAC. Col Babu, who rightly saw this as the breach of laid-down rules of disengagement and his Company Commander told his PLA counterpart to stop the OP.
Set-up in 1978 by the Indian Army near area of Shirija where 1962 war saw sacrifice of Maj Thapa’s unit, PP-14 is on a ridge that overlooks the Galwan River Valley and the Nullah, which joins the Shyok River on whose bank the DSBO road is being completed by Indian Army and BRO engineers. The 6th June meeting between the military commanders of India and China had even defined the number of troops to be present at each point leading to PP-14, which was on India’s side of the LAC.
A heated exchange ensued, more troops rushed in from both sides, and punches began. This was when their seniors were discussing disengagement. PLA as bullies of China had come prepared to played dirty, as President Xi Jinping has been baiting for a meeting with his eight time meeting friend, PM Modi. Chinese CCP leaders are under pressure at home and worried what India will do, post Covid.
The PLA, which has a base camp down from the ridge near the Galwan River, rushed in more troops in armoured personal carriers to PP-14. The PLA outnumbered Indians. The soldiers exchanged blows, and the PLA troops attacked Indian soldiers with iron rods and nail-studded clubs. This clash sadly led to the death of 20 fine unsuspecting Army Souls led by Bihar Battalion Commander himself fighting with hands on two narrow ridges. They faced a landslide above the Galvan River. Yet India’s jawans killed 30 Chinese including officers. Soldiers, from both sides, fell into the icy waters and their bodies were later retrieved on Tuesday 16th June.
The future of an un-restful poorer post Covid China, in an anti-China world, is worried of the ganging up of QUAD nations and India’s possible action in WHO investigation in the Chair, and its One China Policy for Taiwan and CPEC’s tenability in Pakistan, all worrisome. Xi’s BRI could blow if CPEC crumbles! India has not shown its cards, which has shaken CPP, who possibly looked for a diversion internally and externally like Mao did in 1962, short of war and prepared under the guise of an exercise in Tibet near Ladakh. Chinese think long and never play Cricket !
The Line of Actual Control(LAC) has 5 to 12 mile un-demarcated area near Panggon Tso and Galvan near Karakoram. These strategic places are not far from Siaichen and the Khunjerab pass corridor road built by Chinese, so vital for the Pakistan’s CPEC. This area is now accessible with India’s new infrastructure and airfield at DBO.
IDF’s last post explained India’s claims were made on POK & Aksai Chin in Parliament in August last year by HM Amit Shah with revision of Art 370. This is alive and worries Chinese leadership as Shaksgam Valley illegally ceded by Pakistan to China gets connected geographically. PM Modi has moved ahead with resolve.
Indians have to understand a frontier is the preferred heights by militaries like the McMahon line of watershed ridges, while a claim line is like what both India and China have. China claims Arunachal and India claims Aksai Chin. Only a Boundary Treaty is valid which was evasive. Hence China and India mutually decided to have a pencil line 5 to 12 km thick Line on a map called Line of Actual Control (LAC) of Peace & Tranquility hastily consummated in 1993, so gaps of perceptions persists. 22 meetings have followed with China walking back, especially on not to disturb living areas of each by changing goal posts, to say living means Post Offices ! In Hindi called Chatur. 名字的含义– 找靓女的名字… A too Clever mind.
This seems craftily planned by some Chinese Political or Military Leader, taking advantage of negotiations. Time will tell as it depicts Chinese character and is posted with maps, and should put paid to China’s guise of Peaceful Rise the world has been tricked into. The observation frontier post over the river to observe Indian troop movements towards Karakoram, and the capacity to interdict army vehicles plying on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldi (DS-DBO) road had to be denied by Col Babu.
Earlier India was weak, but no more. Historically China has nibbled areas like a rat in to Bhutan like Doklam and even took Tibet, parts of Mongolia, Manchuria and South China Seas with deceit and this has become their habit. SEE MAP.
With more than 600 troops in hand-to-hand fisticuff combat, the mountain ledge on which the fighting was taking place gave away to a landslide. This led to casualties on both sides as the troops fell into the Galwan Nullah and River, with section of Indian Army troops being isolated on the other bank of the tributary. Drenched in the ice-cold water of Galwan River and with sub zero temperatures, the Indian troops had nowhere to hide against the elements at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
Indians stood out in the open in wet clothes to prevent the PLA from taking control of PP-14.
You have become immortal Indians for time immemorial.
Your valour is etched in hearts with thanks to you,
Your story will be told and re told,
Inspiring generations to come as our Galvan Heroes tricked by the Chinese.
You may be the catalyst of changes in India’s history. Not in vain Brave Hearts.
India’s Gentlemanly Ex IFS EAM S Jaishankar red-flagged issues to Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who talked tough, and asked India to punish
its troops for breach of discipline, even though PLA officers had told Indian Army officers that the alignment of the LAC was behind PP-14. It shows rift somewhere in Political and Military brass of China or collusion as the illegal Post would give tactical advantage to the PLA with interdicting Indian Army on the soon-to-be-constructed bridge with field artillery or direct-fire, and deny Indian Army supplies to DBO.
The PLA had linked the disengagement on PP-15 (in Gogra/Hot Springs) to the Indian Army allowing the OP being built near PP-14 on the Indian side. It was the courage of Col Santosh and his men that prevented that.
On 17th June. EAM S Jaishankar on phone, told counterpart Yi that the PLA soldiers’ actions “reflected an intent to change the facts on the ground in violation of all our agreements to not change the status quo”. Jaishankar, underscored the need to implement the 6th June plan and understanding reached by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, GOC of the Indian Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps, and Maj Gen Liu Lin, Commander of the PLA South Xinjiang Military District.
The PLA was to have fallen back around 5 km to the east of the location. It had retreated a bit, but came back on 15th june to retake the positions they had temporarily vacated, despite involving Brigadier-ranked officers who met at the Galwan Valley, and the other between Colonel-ranked officers at Hot Springs–as part of continuing efforts to resolve the standoff. China as usual has been changing goals but now it seems concerned over Anti China World Wide sentiments. PM Modi has assured a befitting reply for the Jawans who died “mar mar ke.” Shan No Varuna.