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Both India and China “agreed to resolve the existing situation peacefully” after talks through videoconference

China has demanded a withdrawal of Indian personnel and facilities from Galwan Valley. This was conveyed at the Corps Commander talks on June 6 and June 22, officials from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)said on Wednesday.

The statements from Beijing came as both sides “agreed to resolve the existing situation peacefully,” following talks held through videoconference on Wednesday under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on border affairs.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both sides “discussed in detail the developments in the India-China border areas in particular the situation in Eastern Ladakh.” India “conveyed its concerns” on the June 20 face-off that claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and “emphasised that both sides should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control (LAC)”, it stated.

China’s statements, however, pointed to sharp differences on where the LAC lies in Galwan Valley. The valley begins from the confluence of the Galwan and Shyok rivers, and the LAC that both sides had been observing runs east of the confluence, in the valley. China, however, is demanding an Indian withdrawal from the entire valley and limiting India’s presence to the “Galwan estuary”, where it meets the Shyok. Wednesday’s statements from Beijing appeared to describe the LAC at the “estuary” of the river.

Claims untenable: MEA

The MEA said last week China’s claims over the entire valley were “exaggerated” and “untenable”.

At Wednesday’s talks, the MEA said both sides agreed to “sincerely implement the understanding on disengagement and de-escalation that was reached by the Senior Commanders” and that doing so “expeditiously” would “help ensure peace and tranquillity in border areas and the development of broader relationship between the two countries.”

The MFA, in a statement, said both sides would “actively cooperate with the armed forces of the two countries to implement the consensus from the two rounds of military leaders’ talks on June 6 and 22 , strengthen communication and coordination between military and diplomatic channels, and peacefully resolve relevant issues in border areas through bilateral dialogue and consultation.”

The talks were led by Naveen Srivastava. Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, and Hong Liang, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs of the MFA.

At the same time, the MFA and the Defence Ministry, in separate statements, accused India of breaking the agreement of June 6, and claimed India had committed to not patrolling in the valley or building facilities there. The Defence Ministry said India “should bear full responsibility for the incident that was solely and completely triggered by its breach of consensus and unilateral provocations” and “demanded the Indian side severely punish those who should be held accountable, strictly discipline its front line troops so as to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.”

MFA spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, “It is the Indian side that went against the bilateral agreement. The Indian side at first agreed to withdraw personnel from Galwan Valley which it did, and it dismantled its facilities as requested by the Chinese side. During the first Commander meeting on June 6, the Indian side committed to no trespassing of the Galwan Valley for patrolling and for building. The two sides agreed to set up observatory posts at the two sides of the Galwan river estuary, but the Indian side went against this agreement and asked China to dismantle China’s posts, and also crossed the LAC,” which, he said, led to the clash.

had been observing has been east of the confluence near Patrolling Point 14, where the clash occurred.

China’s Defence Ministry spokesperson, PLA Senior Colonel Wu Qian, repeated China’s claim that “it has sovereignty over the Galwan Valley region.” “Over the years, the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and guarding this region,” he said. “Since April this year, the Indian border troops have unilaterally built facilities along the LAC in the Galwan Valley. The Chinese side has lodged representations and oppositions to the Indian side many times. In the early morning of May 6, the Indian border troops trespassed into China’s territory, built fortifications and barricades, and impeded the patrol of Chinese border troops, in an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo of border control and management. The Chinese border troops have been forced to take necessary measures to respond to the situation on the ground and strengthen management and control in the border areas”.

At the Corps Commander level meet on June 6, he said, both sides “reached consensus on easing the situation through concrete measures”. “The Indian side promised that they would not cross the estuary of the Galwan river to patrol or build facilities, and the two sides would discuss and decide phased withdrawal of troops through the meetings between commanders on the ground. Shockingly, on the evening of June 15, India’s front-line troops, in violation of the agreement reached at the commander-level meeting, once again crossed the LAC for deliberate provocation, and even violently attacked the Chinese officers and soldiers who went there for negotiation, thus triggering fierce physical conflicts and causing casualties”.

India, however, has stressed that it its troops did not cross the LAC and that the clash was triggered by China breaking the June 6 consensus and erecting structures on India’s side of the line. India has said that it was the Chinese side that attacked Indian troops in a “premeditated” manner, following a dispute over a tent set up by China on India’s side of the LAC.

Senior Colonel Wu also claimed that the Defence Ministers of the two countries had been in communication over phone following the incident, but a Ministry of Defence spokesperson in New Delhi said “no such conversation took place.”

(With inputs from Dinakar Peri, The Hindu)

Srinagar: Lack of sanitation facilities at Shireen Bagh Super Specialty Hospital here in Srinagar is irking patients as well as attendants.

Attendants told news agency KNT that there is no water available in the washrooms of the hospitals while patients and attendants are being forced to go outside hospital for natures call.

A patient complained that their condition was like “animals” in this hospital. “They have turned us into animals? Don’t we need water? Patients and attendants are suffering because of lack of water facility.”

“After using washroom in hospital building, you have visit another place to clean your hands. This is disgusting,” said Ishtiyaq Ahmed, an attendant.

Despite repeated attempts Medical Superintendent Super Speciality Hospital could not be contacted. (KNT)

Army Chief General MM Naravane inspects forward areas in Eastern Ladakh and reviews operational situation on ground

Here are some pictures:

With inputs from Indian Express

India has stressed that it was the Chinese side that attacked its troops in a “pre-meditated” manner

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday said the June 15 clash in Galwan Valley “happened entirely on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control” (LAC) and accused Indian troops of crossing the line, saying “the responsibility entirely lies with India” for the incident.

In its most detailed comments so far on the unprecedented clash in the valley that claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers — China has not revealed the number of its casualties — the Defence Ministry in Beijing reiterated China’s “sovereignty over Galwan Valley”. The Defence Ministers of the two countries had been in communication over phone following the incident, it stated.

“What is shocking is that on the evening of June 15, the Indian front line frontier troops openly violated the consensus reached by the two parties [on June 6], went back and forth across the line, crossed the LAC again and deliberately provoked China,” said PLA Senior Colonel and Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian.

“While negotiating on the spot, Chinese officers and soldiers were suddenly violently attacked by the Indian side. This triggered intense physical clashes between officers and soldiers on both sides, resulting in casualties,” he said.

India, however, has stressed that it was the Chinese side that attacked its troops in a “pre-meditated” manner, following a dispute over a tent set up by China on India’s side of the LAC.

Senior Colonel Wu said, “The Chinese border guards have taken decisive measures to defend themselves and resolutely responded to the violent acts of the Indian side, effectively safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The incident was entirely caused by India’s violation of consensus and unilateral provocation. It happened entirely on the Chinese side of the LAC approved by both parties The responsibility lies entirely with India. The Chinese side requires the Indian side to severely punish the perpetrators and strictly control the front line troops to ensure that such incidents will not happen again.”

The LAC observed by both sides runs through the valley and east of the confluence of the Galwan and Shyok rivers. Senior Colonel Wu said the clash happened on the Chinese side of the line “approved by both parties”.

India’s assertion

India, however, has said its troops did not cross the LAC, and that the clash was triggered by China breaking the June 6 consensus and erecting structures on India’s side of the line.

While initially referring to the agreed upon LAC, Senior Colonel Wu subsequently referred to the entire valley east of the Shyok river as Chinese territory and that China had since April objected to India’s activities east of the Shyok.

He said, “China has sovereignty over Galwan Valley” and “for many years, Chinese border guards have been patrolling and performing their duties here.” “Since April this year, the Indian border defence forces have unilaterally built facilities in the region, and China has repeatedly made representations and protests on this. In the early hours of May 6, the Indian border guards crossed the line and entered the Chinese territory to construct barriers, blocking the normal patrol of the Chinese border guards, and attempted to unilaterally change the status of border control. The Chinese border defence force had to take necessary measures to strengthen on-site response and control of the border area,” he said.

At the Corps Commander level meet on June 6, he said, both sides agreed “to take practical measures to ease the situation in the border areas.” This included India “promising not to patrol and build facilities at the mouth of the Galwan River”, or the Galwan-Shyok confluence. The two sides agreed to withdraw the troops in batches through a meeting of local commanders.

India said the consensus was breached by China erecting structures on its side of the LAC.

Senior Colonel Wu said both sides had been in touch through military and diplomatic channels following the clash, and that the two defence ministers were also talking by phone. “China and India are important neighbours to each other, and maintaining peace and tranquility in the border area is in the common interests of both parties and requires the joint efforts of both parties. We hope that India and China will meet each other halfway, effectively implement the important consensus between the leaders of the two countries, strictly abide by the agreement reached by the two parties, continue to properly resolve relevant issues through dialogue and negotiation at all levels. We will make joint efforts to ease the situation in the border areas and maintain peace and stability in the border areas,” he said.

With inputs from The Hindu

‘Granting permission to new entrant surprise those already owning cinema halls’

Srinagar: As Kashmir is set to get its first Multiplex Cinema owned by Dhar’s who run Delhi Public School, almost all the cinema halls located in Kashmir are in shambles turned into security garrisons while there is little government has done, either to make them operational or declare them sick units.

Before the eruption of militancy in Kashmir, the Cinema owners did a brisk business in Valley. Regal, Naaz, Shiraz, Broadway, Khayam, Neelum, Shah, Palladium and Firdous were cinemas in Srinagar where movie lovers used to flock. In other districts of Kashmir Valley there was Samad Talkies in North Kashmir’s Sopore town, Heaven Cinema in South Kashmir’s Anantnag.

Recently, it was CRPF 40 Battalion that tried to restore the defunct cinema hall ‘Heaven’ in Anantnag. However, only troopers watched the Shahid Kapoor-Shraddha Kapoor starrer ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’ on March 6 this year.

Some of the Cinema owners who talked to news agency KNT on condition of anonymity said that government never came forward for their help. It made only hollow claims but never compensate them for the losses they incurred. “We had requested the successive governments to declare Cinema industry as ‘sick’-so that they won’t feel much burden of losses,” they said.

Almost all the cinema halls in Kashmir have been occupied by government forces. Khayam has been converted into a hospital while a shopping complex is coming up on the ruins of Regal Cinema. “It was better for the government to take those people into confidence who already own cinema halls in Srinagar before granting permission to a new entrant. You are creating a new multiplex on the rubbles of older ones. This won’t send a good message,” said a cinema owner to KNT.

Another Cinema owner wishing not to be named said that the chances of cinema industry getting back on track are bleak. “The situation in Kashmir is unpredictable. You don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. These cinema halls will always be soft target if re-opened and still if you provide a fool proof security, people won’t visit in large numbers as we have seen in case of Neelum and Broadway,” he said adding that it is better for the government for provide financial assistance to Cinema owners so that they will be able to switch off to other businesses.

After the eruption of militancy, three cinema owners tried to resume their business with government help and these were Regal, Neelam and Broadway. However, on the day Regal reopened in September 1999, a grenade was hurled inside the theatre, killing a man from Lasjan area and injuring many others. Shameem, the brother of deceased Muhammad Hafeez told KNT that though Hafeez was not a cinema lover, but that unfortunate day, the screening was free and his friends persuaded him to watch the movie. “Little did we know, he won’t return back,” he said.

Hafeez who got killed in that grenade attack had already lost his two militant brothers, Noor-ul-Islam and Abdul Qayoom in two gunfights with Army.

The Regal attack succeeded in dissuading other theatre owners from reopening. Soon, Broadway was also closed and later taken over by a telecom company.

“Let us hope for the best. If this new multiplex cinema will be a success, we will certainly think about reviving cinema culture in Valley. There is nothing wrong in opening a cinema here. These exist across globe. Even Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries have mega multiplex cinemas where movies are screened for cinema lovers,” said a man who owns a now dilapidated cinema hall in Srinagar. (KNT)

Muslim rights body seeks end to killings in Kashmir and solution to dispute based on UN resolutions

The human rights body of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) demanded Tuesday that India be compelled to “halt rights violations” in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement on Twitter, the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) “urged the OIC to compel India to halt its gross and systematic human rights violations; refrain from altering the geographic and demographic status of Jammu and Kashmir; provide access to UN/OIC fact-finding missions.”

With inputs from AA News