Kumar Bahukhandi
Troops of India and China exchange sweets at border points, signaling thaw in Sino-Indian ties post-disengagement
“Troops of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC ) on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday October 31, 2024,” Army sources said.
The traditional practice was observed a day after both countries completed the disengagement at two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh, bringing a fresh thaw in the Sino-Indian ties.
Sweets have been exchanged at Chushul Maldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh, Banchha (near Kibutu) and Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, and Nathula in Sikkim.
The patrolling deal called for removal of military personnel and infrastructure, including temporary camps, from the Depsang plains and Demchok, and withdrawal of troops to pre-April 2020 positions
The deal, hopefully, will end nearly four years of military and diplomatic tension triggered by skirmishes and violent clashes in the Pangong Lake and Galwan regions in May-June 2020.
These clashes included the death of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan in June.
On the disengagement process Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said this week the Indian military is “trying to restore trust” in its Chinese counterpart.
“This is a process of rebuilding of trust and this only happens once we are able to see each other, and convince and reassure each other, that we are not creeping into buffer zones that have been created,” the General said.
