India-China Corps Commanders Meeting Today

India and China are likely to hold a meeting of Corps Commanders at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday, media reports said. This will be the second round of dialogue between senior officers of both sides after the June 7 meeting earlier at which it was decided that both countries would undertake a process of disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

India is likely to be represented by Lieutenant-General Harinder Singh who had taken part in the previous round of talks on the LAC.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had a lengthy interaction with the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat on Sunday at which he is said to have told the top officers that in the wake of the attack on Indian soldiers by Chinese troops on June 15, local commanders are authorised to take necessary action on the use of firearms as the situation may demand.

Air Defence Systems have been deployed along the border in Ladakh.

The meeting between Corps Commanders of both sides will be the first after the June 15 violent clash in Galwan Valley which left 20 Indian military personnel martyred. Among them was the Commanding Officer of the unit, Colonel B. Santhosh Babu. Following this act of provocation on the part of China and its subsequent claims on Indian territory, forces have been deployed along the border in a state of high alert.

Defence experts observe that both countries appear prepared for a long haul on the LAC. They point out that currently there is a trust deficit between India and China and it would take time for the frosty relations with regard to the border situation to thaw.