PLA attempted to change the status quo, but was repulsed by Indian troops: Singh on Tawang clash

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that on December 9, Chinese troops attempted to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse sector and unilaterally change the status quo along the contested border.

“The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops firmly and resolutely,” Singh said in a statement to the Lok Sabha. The ensuing clash resulted in a physical brawl in which the Indian Army valiantly prevented the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from invading our territory and forced them to return to their posts.”

The minister stated that the matter had been raised with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels.

The clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers occurred amid ongoing border tensions in the sensitive Ladakh sector between the Indian Amy and the PLA.

The scuffle, according to Singh, resulted in a few injuries on both sides. “I would like to assure this House that there have been no fatalities or serious casualties on our side.” PLA soldiers returned to their positions as a result of timely intervention by Indian military commanders.”

He stated that local commanders from the two armies met in the area on December 11 to discuss the issue. “The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and to keep the border peaceful and tranquil.” He stated that Indian forces are dedicated to defending India’s territorial integrity and will continue to foil such attempts.

Since May 2020, the Indian Army and PLA have been locked in a standoff along the Ladakh-Arunachal border in eastern Ladakh. That standoff is now in its third year, with no end in sight, even though the two sides have had partial success in disengaging frontline soldiers from some friction areas on LAC and talks are underway to end the deadlock that has cast a shadow over the bilateral relationship.

“PLA troops made contact with the LAC in the Tawang sector, which was fiercely contested by own troops.” This clash resulted in minor injuries on both sides,” the army said in a statement on Monday.

While Ladakh has been at the centre of current border tensions between India and China, the PLA has increased its presence in the eastern sector as well.

Last year, scores of Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a tense standoff in the Yangtse region. When rival patrols came face to face near Yangtse in October 2021, the soldiers asked each other to retreat to their respective sides. The conflict lasted a few hours before being resolved at the level of local commanders.

The Indian Army, which had been focused on counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast for decades, has undergone a broad reorientation of its forces to sharpen its focus on LAC, even as induction of new weapons and systems, capability building, and a strong infrastructure push form the bedrock of its strategy to counter challenges along the border with China.