Doklam stalemate may continue, says Defence Ministry officials

A new low: Indian and Chinese troops engage in fisticuffs at the Pangong Tse lake in Ladakh earlier this week. One soldier is seen fallen on the ground.

The stalemate at Doklam is likely to continue till the BRICS summit early next month, Defence Ministry officials believe.

“Though there may not be any talks on the standoff, there is likely to be some covert discussion in the backdrop of the summit. After that, we hope there will be some steps from both sides to address the situation,” a senior official said. China is hosting the 9th BRICS Summit at Xiamen in the Fujian Province from August 31 to September 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend, though India is yet to confirm it.

Officials caution

However, officials cautioned against minor incidents flaring up across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Last week, the patrol teams of the two armies got into an ugly clash at the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh when Chinese soldiers tried to enter Indian territory. A video which surfaced later showed the two sides engaging in fisticuffs and stone throwing.

To avoid any inadvertent escalation of local incidents, the Army has instructed its troops on the ground not to respond to provocations. “They [China] could attempt things locally. The alert levels are high and we know the potential areas where such incidents can occur,” the official stated.

Major areas

There are 12 major areas of dispute along the over 4,000-km LAC. The two armies have been engaged in a standoff at Doklam near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction since June 16.