Within a matter of just had PLA doubled its strength in the area
New Delhi: The India-China clash at Yangtse in Arunachal on December 9 that left 34 Indian and nearly 40 Chinese soldiers injured was building up since early October when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) doubled its troops along its side of the LAC. A special eport by Ajay Banerjee, in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
Acccording to a Tribune editorial, Since 2020, there has been rapid building up of infrastructure, including airbases.
Sources said just before the Communist Party of China commenced its 20th congress on October 16, the PLA had doubled the number of its troops facing Sikkim and Arunachal. India had matched the numbers for exigencies like the one that occurred four days ago.
The PLA was targeting the Indian outpost in the contested area called Yanki, a part within the Yangtse area. Parts of Yanki are claimed by both sides as the perception of the LAC varies on ground. There are multiple such disputed points along the 3,488-km-long LAC.
The Indian Army post at Yanki was attacked by some 300-strong unit of the PLA and it was not a routine patrol, sources told The Tribune. The Indian outpost faces Chinese posts that are located some 1,000 metres away.
Sources said the PLA tried to overrun the outpost with an objective to capture it. The outpost normally has 30 men. Immediate support was provided from the battalions located in the icy heights to thwart the PLA attack.
The Indian Army has had injuries to 34 of its soldiers, eight of whom have been shifted to Guwahati. About 40 PLA troops have also been injured. The Indian outpost at Yanki continues to be maintained at the same spot, which provides a commanding view to the ingress routes of the valley from the Tibetan side.
US-based policy research organisation The Center for Strategic and International Studies in March released a report “How Is China Expanding its Infrastructure to Project Power Along its Western Borders”. “China is constructing or upgrading 37 airports and heliports in Tibet and Xinjiang since 2017. The pace of this activity sped up significantly in 2020. That year alone, China began constructing seven new air facilities and initiated upgrades at seven others,” the report said.
Not allowed to raise queries, Oppn walks out
The Congress-led Opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Deputy Chairman Harivansh said clarifications could not be allowed on a sensitive national security matter such as the Tawang clash. He cited four precedents to deny Opposition MPs permission when they rose to seek clarifications after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement on Tawang in the House.
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