Graziers confront Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh

The incident happened on January 2 near Patrolling Points (PPs) 35 and 36, says a councillor who shared a video of the skirmish; official team including Army and ITBP personnel visits site later on January 12

“It is heartening to see the positive impact made by Fire Fury Corps IA in border areas of Eastern Ladakh in facilitating the graziers and nomads to assert their rights in traditional grounds along the north bank of Pangong,” says Ladakh councillor Konchok Stanzin in a X post.

Indian graziers were stopped by Chinese soldiers in Kakjung area of Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) earlier this month, according to a video shot by locals that was shared on X by Chushul councillor Konchok Stanzin on January 30.

In the video, the herders can be seen confronting the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers when the latter ask them to go back claiming it to be Chinese territory.

The locals, who can be heard speaking in a Tibetan language, are throwing rocks at the Chinese soldiers.

The incident occurred on January 2 near Patrolling Points (PPs) 35 and 36 at Kakjung under Nyoma constituency in Ladakh, Mr. Stanzin said.

While Chinese soldiers with their vehicles can be seen in the video, there is no presence of Indian security forces.

Ishey Spalzang, Councillor, Nyoma, told The Hindu that the area is within India’s perception of LAC.

Officials visited site

He said after the face-off with locals, the sarpanch, sub-divisional magistrate, Indian Army and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officials visited the grazing site on January 12. “It is a valley and is essential for winter grazing of cattle. Earlier in 2019, the Chinese had tried to stop the graziers but we had pitched tents to assert our claim. The nearest army unit is present around 5-7 km from this place. That particular day they were not present,” Mr. Spalzang said.

He added that the shepherds had started from their village around 20 days ago before they reached the location.

Mr. Stanzin said on X, “See how our local people are showing their bravery in front of the PLA claiming that the area they are stopping is our nomad’s grazing land. PLA stopping our nomads from grazing in our territory. Seems it is never a never-ending process due to different lines of perceptions. But I salute our nomads, who always stand to protect our land and stand as the second guardian force of the nation.”

He later told The Hindu that the place where the incident happened is within 1 km of the Indian claim on the line of the border with China.

‘Differing perceptions’

A defence source said the video is of an incident that happened in the first week of January where “nomad graziers (with livestock) from our side are seen in conversation with PLA soldiers.”

Such incidents are commonplace and happen on both sides whenever graziers stray across LAC on account of differing perceptions of LAC, the source said. Such incidents are dealt with appropriately as per established mechanism.

As reported by The Hindu earlier, restoration of grazing grounds for graziers on both sides is among the top of the issues on agenda at the Corps Commander-level talks between the two sides as part of efforts for disengagement at two remaining friction points — Demchok and Depsang — and the overall de-escalation along LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Restoring patrolling rights

Among issues in the ongoing discussions are restoration of patrolling rights and agreeing on new parameters for patrolling in these two areas to avoid friction.

As many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020.

There are at least 26 PPs out of 65 in eastern Ladakh that are not being patrolled by Indian troops since April-May 2020 even as the two countries have several rounds of talks to resolve the border issue. In eastern Ladakh, several areas that were being patrolled earlier have been turned into “buffer zones,” with the Chinese also not sending troops. PPs are often used to assert territorial claims along the undefined LAC. There is no mutually agreed border in several stretches.