Disengagement happening as per India’s intent, not China’s 1959 claim: Ex-DGMO

By Sumit Kumar Singh New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Line of Actual Control (LAC) demarcated by India and China has had many claims and counterclaims in the past, but the latest disengagement is not happening as per the Chinese claims made to India in 1959.
“Disengagement at the LAC is not happening as per China’s 1959 claim. It is absolutely incorrect and untrue that India has given in to China’s claim on LAC,” former Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), told IANS.
He said that India wanted a status quo ante that implies what was the location, position and deployment as of April 2020, just before the Chinese forward deployment started in May 2020.
“As per that, the Chinese position has been at the east of Finger 8, a place called Sirijap on the north bank of the Pangong Lake. Our location had been a place called Dhan Singh Thapa. That was the position in April 2020, which has been a traditional position for the last many years,” he said.
Talking about China’s 1959 claim, Bhatia said that it is based on too many interpretations and perceptions.
“The disengagement is taking place from the friction points which are the most sensitive on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake,” said the former DGMO, adding that these are the friction points where tanks, infantry combat vehicles and infantry soldiers get face-to-face in very close proximity.