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  • Google Considering Buying Stake in Vodafone Idea: Report

    Google may take about 5 percent stake in Vodafone Idea.

    Reuters

    Alphabet’s Google is exploring an investment in Vodafone Group Plc’s struggling India business, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

    Google is considering buying a stake of about 5 percent in Vodafone Idea, the FT reported, citing one of the people. The process is at an early stage, according to the report.

    Vodafone said it does not comment on market speculation, while Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Last month, Facebook agreed to invest $5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crores) for a 9.99 percent stake in Reliance Industries’ digital arm, Jio, which competes with Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel in India’s fiercely competitive telecom market.

    © Thomson Reuters 2020

  • 17 year old girl dies of shock from electric heater

    Bandipora: A 17-year-old girl died of electrocution after she suffered a shock from electric heater in her kitchen on Thursday.
    The incident occurred at Chewa Bandipora here in North Kashmir.

    Sources told news agency KNT that Bisma Jan daughter of Muhammad Yousuf Chopan suffered burnt injuries after receiving shock from an electric heater. She was rushed to SMHS Hospital Srinagar, where doctors declared her brought dead.

    “The incident has been recorded as a case of accidental death,” said a police official. (KNT)

  • India’s trade with South Asia less than 4% of global trade; China’s up by 546%

    The study by Brookings India, released on Tuesday, noted that South Asia remains one of the least economically integrated regions in the world.

    India’s trade with countries in South Asia has remained less than 4% of its global trade since the late 1980s while China has increased its exports to the region by 546%, from $8 billion in 2005 to $52 billion in 2018, according to a new study.

    The study by Brookings India, released on Tuesday, noted that South Asia remains one of the least economically integrated regions in the world. Intra-regional trade remains well below its potential, at only 5% of the region’s global trade, because of “protectionist policies, high logistics cost, lack of political will and a broader trust deficit”.

    India’s regional trade growth from 1991 until 1999 was minimal, according to the study titled “India’s limited trade connectivity with South Asia”. In 2008, India’s trade with South Asian neighbours reached a decadal high of $13.45 billion. Following a dip in 2009 due to the global financial crisis, India’s trade with its neighbours doubled in the next five years, touching $24.69 billion in 2014.

    The slowdown in India’s exports to South Asia in 2015 and 2016 coincided with the 13% decline in India’s global trade, from $19 trillion in 2014 to $16.5 trillion in 2015. Intra-regional trade revived in 2017, reaching a peak at $24.75 billion, and picking up further in 2018 when it rose to $36 billion, according to the study.

    India’s largest export market in the region is Bangladesh, followed by Sri Lanka and Nepal, whereas the largest imports by value come from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

    All countries in the neighbourhood have a trade deficit with India, the highest in 2018 being Bangladesh ($7.6 billion), followed by Nepal ($6.8 billion).

    The study says that despite the growing trade volume, India’s trade with its neighbourhood has remained roughly between 1.7% and 3.8% of its global trade.

    Hindustan Times – Latest News

    Home / India News / India’s trade with South Asia less than 4% of global trade; China’s up by 546%
    India’s trade with South Asia less than 4% of global trade; China’s up by 546%
    The study by Brookings India, released on Tuesday, noted that South Asia remains one of the least economically integrated regions in the world.
    India,South Asia,exports
    India’s regional trade growth from 1991 until 1999 was minimal, according to the study titled “India’s limited trade connectivity with South Asia”. (Bloomberg Photo. Representative image )
    Updated: May 28, 2020 13:33 IST
    By HT Correspondent , Hindustan Times, New Delhi
    India’s trade with countries in South Asia has remained less than 4% of its global trade since the late 1980s while China has increased its exports to the region by 546%, from $8 billion in 2005 to $52 billion in 2018, according to a new study.

    The study by Brookings India, released on Tuesday, noted that South Asia remains one of the least economically integrated regions in the world. Intra-regional trade remains well below its potential, at only 5% of the region’s global trade, because of “protectionist policies, high logistics cost, lack of political will and a broader trust deficit”.

    India’s regional trade growth from 1991 until 1999 was minimal, according to the study titled “India’s limited trade connectivity with South Asia”. In 2008, India’s trade with South Asian neighbours reached a decadal high of $13.45 billion. Following a dip in 2009 due to the global financial crisis, India’s trade with its neighbours doubled in the next five years, touching $24.69 billion in 2014.

    The slowdown in India’s exports to South Asia in 2015 and 2016 coincided with the 13% decline in India’s global trade, from $19 trillion in 2014 to $16.5 trillion in 2015. Intra-regional trade revived in 2017, reaching a peak at $24.75 billion, and picking up further in 2018 when it rose to $36 billion, according to the study.

    India’s largest export market in the region is Bangladesh, followed by Sri Lanka and Nepal, whereas the largest imports by value come from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

    All countries in the neighbourhood have a trade deficit with India, the highest in 2018 being Bangladesh ($7.6 billion), followed by Nepal ($6.8 billion).

    The study says that despite the growing trade volume, India’s trade with its neighbourhood has remained roughly between 1.7% and 3.8% of its global trade.

    This has happened despite trade agreements such as the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), followed by the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, as well as the Indo-Myanmar Border Trade Agreement, the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement and the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.

    In contrast, China has consistently increased its trade with South Asia, barring a slight dip after the global financial crisis of 2008. In 2014, China’s trade reached a high of $60.41 billion, whereas India traded approximately one-third that amount at $24.70 billion.

    Though China’s trade volume with South Asia is consistently larger, excluding Pakistan reduces the gap to almost half. This gap is attributed to the China–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement signed in 2006, which increased trade significantly between both countries.

    The study’s analysis of India and China’s shares in the global trade of the South Asian countries revealed only the landlocked countries (Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nepal) had a higher trade share with India when compared to China. While exports to China from the region have been minimal, imports from China have been growing since 2012 in Myanmar, and since 2014 in the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

    In the case of Sri Lanka, there was heavy reliance on imports from India till 2013, owing to the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. However, post-2013, both India and China export at par to Sri Lanka.

    “In the last two decades, China has established itself as a major trade partner of South Asia. Beyond Pakistan, China has made inroads into South Asia by becoming Bangladesh’s top trading partner in 2015, and bolstering trade and investment with Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. This mainly reflects the region’s strategic importance for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly the smaller South Asian countries,” the study said.

    The study recommended several steps to help improve India’s regional trade, including revisiting and redoubling the focus on free trade agreements, eliminating barriers and other protectionist policies, and enhancing cross-border infrastructure such as integrated check posts.

    Data from World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) database and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) database on trade by India and China with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka was analysed for the study.

    The study focused on India’s import and export with South Asian states from 1988 to 2018 and China’s trade with South Asia, excluding India, from 1992 to 2018.

    With inputs from Hindustan Times

  • U.S. and India must develop plan to counter China’s efforts to strengthen its position in Indian Ocean

    According to the Hudson Institute think-tank, the coronavirus pandemic threatens not only lives and livelihoods in South Asia; it could also be the precursor of significant political and strategic shifts in the region.

    PTI

    The U.S. and India must develop a plan to counter a possible effort by China to strengthen its position in the Indian Ocean by deepening ties with Pakistan and Sri Lanka by taking advantage of their economic woes due to the coronavirus pandemic, an American think-tank has said.

    There have been considerable concerns in India over China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean region. India has been trying to expand maritime cooperation with countries of the region including Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore, primarily with an aim to check the growing Chinese assertiveness.

    According to the Hudson Institute think-tank, the coronavirus pandemic threatens not only lives and livelihoods in South Asia; it could also be the precursor of significant political and strategic shifts in the region.

    The Bangladesh and Indian economies will survive the devastation, but their governments will have to restore growth by protecting and encouraging investment, the think-tank said in a report jointly authored by Indian-origin Hudson research scholar Aparna Pande and former Pakistan Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani.

    “Pakistan and Sri Lanka will likely move in the direction of negative growth and will need debt relief from their international creditors. Without it, Sri Lanka faces the prospect of a sovereign debt default. Both countries are likely to look to China as their benefactor, as their leaders have tended to do for a while,” it said.

    According to the report titled “Crisis from Kolkata to Kabul: COVID-19’s Impact on South Asia”, China will most likely press its advantage by bailing out South Asia’s indebted governments, “in exchange for its pound of flesh“.

    “This would come at the expense of India’s security and US influence in the region. India and the United States must develop a plan to counter efforts China will likely make to strengthen its position in the Indian Ocean by deepening ties with Pakistan and Sri Lanka,” said the Hudson report, released this week.

    Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been a target of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road (BRI) scheme, criticised for creating ‘debt traps’ by burdening fiscally weak countries with unsustainable debt.

    The BRI is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature global infrastructure policy. First announced in 2013, the project promises to build ports, roads and railways to revive the ancient Silk Road and create new trade corridors linking China to Asia, Africa and Europe. The BRI also includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which India opposed as it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

    In December 2017, Sri Lanka handed over the control of the southern sea port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease, triggering concern over Beijing’s efforts to expand influence in the Indian Ocean region.

    Beijing has recently granted an “urgent” loan of $500 million to Colombo to help it fight the virus, which has infected over 1,465 people and claimed 10 lives in the country.

    Earlier this month, China inked a $ 5.8 billion deal with Islamabad to build a dam in Gilgit-Baltistan, a move strongly opposed by India which said that carrying out such projects in territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation was not proper.

    The IMF has recently approved a loan of $500 million to cash-strapped Pakistan to cope with the economic crisis being posed by the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected over 59,000 people and killed more than 1,220. The country has also sought additional loans from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to tide over the crisis.

    The report said India’s initiative to develop a regional response to the threat posed by COVID-19 has been undermined by Pakistan’s insistence on raising the Kashmir issue even in this challenging time.

    “Given that Pakistan has fewer resources to further its military buildup against India, it is likely to escalate the use of sub conventional warfare (terrorism) in an effort to gain the upper hand against much-larger India,” the report noted.

    Pakistan, it said, might seek relief from terrorism-related strictures on grounds that it needs space to deal with the coronavirus emergency.

    International pressure, especially Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray-list sanctions targeting Pakistan, might be needed to restrain the worst anti-Indian impulses of its civil and military leaders, the report added.

    In the past, Pakistan has used natural disasters to expand terrorist infiltrations into Kashmir and India. Indian officials are concerned that Pakistan could use the COVID-19 crisis as a distraction to do the same, the report observed.

    “Although a full-blown war in the subcontinent is unlikely, tensions between India and Pakistan will probably continue to impede efforts for regional cooperation. Such cooperation could ease the task of economic reconstruction that will almost certainly take place when the pandemic has died down. India could, and probably will, try to work with other countries in the region, but not Pakistan,” the report said.

  • India should talk directly to Taliban, says U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad

    The territory of Afghanistan must not be used against the United States, our allies and in fact the world

    India should discuss its concerns on terrorism directly with the Taliban, said U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, adding that he had discussed how India could play a “more active role” in the Afghan reconciliation process during his talks in Delhi on Thursday.

    “India is an important force in Afghanistan and it would be appropriate for that [India-Taliban] engagement to take place,” Mr. Khalilzad told The Hindu in an exclusive interview.

    The envoy said India had a “significant role” in Afghanistan’s development, but paradoxically, doesn’t play a role in the international peace efforts. “India and Afghanistan have historic ties, and I believe that dialogue between India and the Taliban is important, and it would be important that issues of concern like this [terrorism] are raised directly,” he added.

    This is the first time the U.S. has publicly suggested an engagement between India and the Taliban. New Delhi, that still considers the Taliban a terror group allied to Pakistan, has thus far distanced itself from any talks.

    During their meeting on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had raised concerns over increasing violence in Afghanistan and the need to protect minorities including Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.

    Mr. Khalilzad, the architect of the U.S.-Taliban agreement, travelled to Doha, Delhi and Islamabad, in an effort to iron out an impasse in the agreement over the release of prisoners and intra-Afghan negotiations. While recognising concerns over the Doha agreement, he told The Hindu that there “was no alternative” to it and hoped that India would engage “all forces” in Afghanistan, including the Taliban.

    It is rare for anyone to be travelling during the Coronavirus lockdown, let alone high officials. Tell us what brought you to the region, and how your meetings went?

    The mission is to encourage movement towards the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed at Doha in February. Part of the Confidence Building Measures leading to intra-Afghan negotiations, is that both the Taliban and the Afghan government have to release prisoners on both sides. Secondly that there must be a reduction in violence compared to the period before the agreement was signed, and thirdly, that in order to get lasting peace and bring the long war in Afghanistan to an end, we should open the door to negotiations for a political roadmap and a permanent comprehensive ceasefire.

    The territory of Afghanistan must not be used against the United States, our allies and in fact the world. So peace for Afghanistan, and security for the world from Afghanistan are our two goals, and I was encouraged by my meetings on this trip. International support for peace in Afghanistan is important and Indian support in particular was the focus of my mission [to Delhi].

    Is the focus on India’s role just lip service? India is not at present involved in any of the regional formats that are currently discussing Afghanistan’s future…

    That’s an excellent question, because this is a paradox, that on the one hand India has such a significant role when you look at development of Afghanistan and India has such a long history with the people of Afghanistan… But when it comes to international efforts, India does not yet have the role that it could. Part of that may have been a choice to pursue its role bilaterally, but I think as the peace process gets more serious, and the U.S.- Taliban agreement goes into the next stages, we want India to take a more active role in the peace process, and that was a key focus of our discussion in Delhi.

    Did you also discuss the possibility of India opening direct, public talks with the Taliban during your meetings, something India has rejected thus far?

    It is for India to decide its role, but I do think engagement between India and all the key players in Afghanistan, not only in terms of the government but also in terms of political forces, society and the Afghan body politic, is appropriate given India’s regional and global position. India is an important force in Afghanistan and it would be appropriate for that [India-Taliban] engagement to take place.

    Has India expressed a desire for a role beyond humanitarian assistance, economic and reconstruction, in terms of mediation, or more security assistance?

    India has a key role in the development and supported so many important projects there. We did discuss what kind of future role India might want to play. When it comes to the peace process, I can tell you India is considering a more active role, and we in the U.S. are supportive of India’s engagement in the international process.

    Specifically, could India help in the current impasse within the Afghan polity, in particular between President Ghani, and former CEO Dr. Abdullah?

    India has good relations with several leaders in Afghanistan and like the U.S., India supports the end of the political crisis in Kabul to bring about a more inclusive government. I am encouraged by the decision of the political leaders: President Ghani, Dr. Abdullah, (former) President Karzai, and other leaders to form an inclusive negotiating team. I found that India and the U.S. are on the same wavelength with regard to the resolution of the internal political crisis and the establishment of an inclusive government.

    The U.S.-Taliban deal is being seen in India as a deal for withdrawal, not a peace deal. There are concerns that this is not an Afghan owned and led agreement, there is no ceasefire, no Taliban commitment to the constitution. In fact the U.S. seems to be putting the Taliban at par with the democratically elected govt in Kabul. Your response?

    The U.S. -Taliban agreement is a necessary step to transition to the Afghan owned process. We have a specific commitment from the Taliban not to allow terrorism from territory they control, and should they join a future government that they will not allow Al Qaeda and other terror groups to launch attacks against the U.S. and its allies, and indeed the rest of the world. That’s an important achievement. So while we are not as far along as we or India would have liked, we don’t see a better alternative to this process.

    The war has gone on. The question is without a political solution how do we get to a military solution and vice versa? So it is necessary to have this first step. The US Taliban agreement is a necessary step to transition to the Afghan owned process. We have a specific commitment from the Taliban not to allow terrorism from territory they control, and should they join a future government that they will not allow Al Qaeda and other terror groups to launch attacks against the US and its allies, and indeed the rest of the world. That’s an important achievement. After all the US came to Afghanistan for this purpose, to ensure Taliban breaks from Al Qaeda and doesn’t allow it and other groups to use Afghan soil to attack us. My aim on this trip is as much to ensure that the release of prisoners is sorted out. So while we are not as far along as we or India would have liked, we don’t see a better alternative to this process. And therefore we will persist, in speaking to the government, the Taliban, neighbours and international players to achieve peace.

    For India, it is the groups in Afghanistan that target India, which are backed by Pakistan that are a worry, and the US Taliban agreement doesn’t mention those.

    Look, our strong position is that there shouldn’t be [terror] sanctuaries on either side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and I believe that for peace to come to Afghanistan, there is a need for good relations amongst the neighbours and support for peace. I believe that the Pakistani leadership has supported the peace process, and thinks that the time has come for economic strategy, for trade and development and for Afghanistan to become a platform for regional cooperation and connectivity. We encourage and support those objectives. India and Afghanistan have historic ties, and I believe that dialogue between India and the Taliban is important, and it would be important that issues of concern like this [terrorism] are raised directly.

    Is the fact that India and Pakistan are not talking to each other, an impediment to the process in Afghanistan, and did you discuss that with Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Doval?

    If we are talking about reconciliation in Afghanistan, support from Pakistan, India and the international community is very important. For peace there must be an agreement broadly accepted across Afghanistan, and both India and Pakistan have an important role to play in that. I also think both can benefit from peace in Afghanistan, in terms of security and economic development. We are focused on violence and war at present but should peace come to Afghanistan, it could actually help transform the region towards more cooperation and more connectivity for all the countries involved, and that will be good for India and Pakistan.

  • 5 killed in fire at Bangladesh coronavirus treatment tent

    Until Wednesday, Bangladesh confirmed 38,292 positive cases for coronavirus including 544 deaths.

    AP

    Fire swept through a through a unit of a hospital in an upscale area of the Bangladeshi capital to treat people infected with the coronavirus, killing five people, an official said Wednesday.

    The fire started at about 10 p.m. at the United Hospital Ltd. in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, where many diplomatic missions and corporate offices are located, said Quamrul Islam, an official with the city’s Fire Service and Civil Defense agency.

    Firefighters recovered five bodies after the blaze was controlled, Islam said. The included four men and one woman, he said.

    The cause was under investigation, but the country’s leading Bengali-language Prohom Alo daily said an explosion of an air-conditioning system occurred.

    Islam said the firefighters rushed to scene, but “unfortunately some people died.”

    Until Wednesday, Bangladesh confirmed 38,292 positive cases for coronavirus including 544 deaths.

  • Nizamuddin event: 15 more chargesheets against foreigners

    294 booked for flouting visa norms, govt. rules among others

    Delhi Police filed a second set of chargesheet before a court on Wednesday against 294 foreign nationals from 14 countries for attending a religious congregation in Nizamuddin here by violating visa conditions, indulging in missionary activities illegally and violating government guidelines issued in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

    The police have filed 15 chargesheets against the foreign nationals belonging to 14 different countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and several African nations.

    Metropolitan Magistrate Saema Jamil has posted the matter for further hearing on June 17.

    The police had on Tuesday filed 20 chargesheets against 82 foreigners from 20 countries in the case.

    According to the fresh chargesheets, besides flouting of visa rules and government guidelines, the foreign nationals have been booked for violating regulations of the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

    They have also booked been for offences under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code.

    The foreign nationals have not been arrested yet.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Vehicle-borne IED blast averted in Pulwama: Police

    The improvised explosive device IED was safely defused

    PTI

    A vehicle-borne IED blast was averted as security forces detected a car fitted with explosives in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, police said.

    The improvised explosive device (IED) was safely defused.

    “A major incident of a vehicle borne IED blast is averted by the timely input and action by Pulwama Police, CRPF and Army,” the Kashmir zone police wrote on its Twitter handle.

    According to sources, a white coloured private car was flagged by security forces at a mobile vehicle check point but the driver sped away.

    They said the security forces fired few shots at the car, which they found abandoned some distance away.

    During checking, an IED was found fitted in the vehicle, which was later defused, the sources said.

  • Google faces antitrust case in India

    Plaint says it promotes payments app in its Android store, giving it unfair edge

    Reuters

    The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is looking into allegations that Alphabet Inc’s Google is abusing its market position to unfairly promote its mobile payments app in the country, five sources familiar with the case told Reuters

    The complaint was filed in February and the CCI has kept the identity of the complainant confidential, the first source with direct knowledge of the case said.

    The complaint alleges the U.S. tech giant more prominently showcases its Google Pay app inside its Android app store in India, giving it an unfair advantage over apps of competitors, which hurts consumers, the source added.

    Google did not respond to a request for comment. Two of the sources said the watchdog informed Google about the case being filed a few days ago and the company is expected to respond in due course.

    Allegation under review

    A source said the case filing is currently being reviewed by senior CCI members. Typically, in such cases, Google will appear before the watchdog, which will then decide on the way forward.

    The CCI can direct its investigations unit to conduct a wider probe into the allegations, or dismiss the case if it finds no merit in it.

    “It is at a consideration stage,” the source said.

    The Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

    This is Google’s third major antitrust challenge in India. In 2018, the CCI fined Google $21 million for “search bias”, but a company appeal against that is pending. Last year, the CCI also started probing Google for allegedly misusing its dominant position to reduce the ability of smartphone manufacturers to opt for alternate versions of its Android mobile operating system.

    Google Pay allows users in India to do inter-bank fund transfers and bill payments. It competes with apps such as Softbank-backed Paytm and Walmart’s PhonePe in India’s crowded digital payments market, where Facebook’s WhatsApp is also planning a similar service.

  • Chinese Army Building Observation Post At Clash Site in Ladakh

    With five flag meetings between Indian and Chinese army failing to resolve the crisis over the latest PLA incursion into Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the situation continues to remain “tense”.

    Military sources told Eastern Link the “PLA intruders are now constructing an observation post” in the same location where they have set up several tents.

    The sources said that the joint patrolling team of the army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were “completely overwhelmed when an unusually large body of PLA troops, eight times the usual size of a battalion (about 1,000 combat men) took over points nearthe Pangong Lake in the Galwan Valley” of Ladakh.

    Easternlink has veried the information from two different sources in the Army and ITBP.

    “Their numbers were huge and we could not figure out that their intention would beto grab land,” the sources said, adding that “this stand-off may continue far longerthan what happened at Doklam in 2017.

    Meanwhile, reliable sources in Sikkim have told Eastern Link that since the 2017 incursion of the PLA into Doklam, close to the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan trijunction, the PLA has constructed overground and underground bunkers “which weren’t there earlier”, besides completing the half-laid road leading close to the Indian side of the border.

    Confirmation of this was not yet available from military sources but attested to by graziers and local Bhutanese villagers.

    Disclosing that both the army and ITBP have QRTs (quick reaction teams) in and around the Galwan Valley, the sources said that “whenever the PLA patrols neared our side of the border, we would show them flags and they would retreat”. In fact, the Galwan Valley area, including the Pangong Lake, was never a flashpoint in the past, especially in the last 10 years.

    The border in this area of Ladakh is mutually agreed upon and ratied with previous history of conflict or clashes, the sources claimed.

    An Indian Air Force (IAF) ‘Advanced Landing Ground’ (ALG) at Chushul is barely 6 kms from the flashpoint zone, sources said, available for use for heavy airlift transport like C-130 transport planes but not fighters. Recalling a minor clash between ITBP troops and PLA men sometime in 2012, defence sources said that “that happened in some other axis in Leh”.

    The ITBP, with six to seven battalions in Leh and the troops from the army’s 14 Corps, would jointly patrol the Pangong Lake even when it would be frozen during the winters. “The ITBP used boats to patrol the lake when the ice melted,” the sources said, adding that the current point of the stand-off is located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. “It is largely barren, though this is the time when tourists from India start visiting Pangong Lake,” the sources said.

    Revealing that some army and ITBP jawans were badly injured when they were beaten up by the Chinese soldiers, the defence sources said that the clash that preceded the “forcible setting up of tents and the construction of an observation post” was the result of “very aggressive action” by the PLA troops.

    Sources admit that the PLA soldiers did “capture” Indian army and ITBP troops before causing them physical injuries and subsequently releasing them the same day.

    The Indian and Chinese soldiers are now separated by 500-600 metres of barren land and the former have also set up tents since the incursion, the sources said. The army top brass and the national security bureaucracy are now wondering whether the PLA incursion is a precursor to a larger tactical and strategic move, close to the Nepalese move to cock a snook at India over the disputed border.

    Source: THE EASTERN LINK | THE QUINT