NEW DELHI: A day after Indian and Chinese forces had a face-off at Pangong lake in Ladakh, top officials of the two armies met for the Border Personnel Meet in Chushul to ensure “strengthening of existing mechanism for maintaining peace and tranquility”.
Sources in the Indian Army described today’s meeting as “pre-scheduled”, maintaining that issues related to past incidents were under discussion.
The marathon meeting between the sides started in the afternoon, less than 24 hours after troops of both the armies came to blows resulting into injuries of soldiers.
The incident was being seen as a serious escalation in the backdrop of a continued stand-off at the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction in Doka La (Doklam). According to media reports the PLA troops came close to at least two areas on the north bank of the lake, two-third of which is under Chinese control while the rest under the Indian Army with the Line of Actual Control crossing the picturesque water body.
China has official said it has no knowledge about any such incident. The Indian Army has also not officially confirmed the skirmish, which happened on the occasion of Independence Day.
Officials in the Indian Army insisted that “sweets were exchanged between Indian Army and PLA troops in “multiple border locations including in the area of Doklam”. They refused to comment on the reported skirmish in Ladakh.
On the occasion of Indian Independence Day, there is a of holding practice Border Personnel Meetings (BPM)at five points across Line of Actual Control (LAC) and sweets are exchanged between Indian and Chinese forces.
India Tribune, as an English weekly newspaper, was launched in 1977 in Chicago by its publisher Prashant Shah with a lofty ideal to serve the Asian Indian community in the USA. Over the years, it has grown with all vigor, and now it is being published in three editions – Chicago, New York and Atlanta. India Tribune, a journal of its kind for the family in the USA, has been a household name for many Indians for over three decades with each issue commanding a readership of over 125,000.
