New Delhi, November 23, 2020 (PPI-OT): Military-level talks between India and China for de-escalating the present position in Ladakh have been deadlocked, for now, sending shocking waves through Indian government as well as army as harsh winter has started endangering the life of poorly-equipped Indian soldiers in the region.
The two sides have been discussing dates for a fresh round of talks over the hotline. However, no formal date for talks has been announced. The last round of talks, the eighth since June 6, was two weeks ago on November 7. With winter having set in, it was expected that the next round would be held quickly and some kind of protocol would be established. Lt General-level officers of the two sides have been meeting to resolve the crisis, which flared up on May 6.
A series of discussions took place in Moscow on September 4 and 10. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had met their respective counterparts at the two meetings. A five-point de-escalation programme was released, but it has not been followed. Also, there are fresh areas of confrontation, like the 70-km stretch along the southern part of Pangong Tso. India wants an assurance that Beijing would not occupy these heights.
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