Indian and Chinese troops exchanged Diwali sweets at five points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including two locations in Ladakh. This gesture came shortly after both sides completed the military disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok areas, following last week’s mutual patrolling agreement.
The sweet exchanges took place at Chushul Maldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh, as well as at Banchha near Kibuthu, Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, and Nathula in Sikkim.
This recent agreement between the two nations mandated the removal of military personnel and temporary infrastructure from the Depsang plains and Demchok areas, restoring troop positions to the pre-April 2020 status. This move is expected to ease the nearly four-year-long military and diplomatic tensions that began with violent clashes near Pangong Lake and Galwan Valley in May and June 2020, resulting in the tragic loss of 20 Indian soldiers.
According to Indian Army sources, a verification process is ongoing to ensure that both parties have withdrawn their troops as agreed. To avoid any future miscommunication, ground-level commanders from both sides will now notify each other before conducting regular patrols. Both nations will retain surveillance capabilities in the Depsang and Demchok areas.
Last week, satellite images showed the first signs of disengagement, with photos from Depsang’s ‘Y Junction’ displaying the removal of Indian military tents and vehicles, and Demchok images indicating the dismantling of temporary Chinese structures.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi commented on the disengagement process, noting that India is making efforts to restore trust with China. “This trust-building will occur gradually, as we gain confidence in each other’s commitment to respecting the established buffer zones,” General Dwivedi stated.
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