Ladakh Standoff

Question 1

What is the current issue?

Answer 1

The current site of confrontation is fingers(AKA spurs) coming out of Chang Chenmo, an eastern extension of the Karakoram Range.

Question 2

What are these fingers? Who controls what?

Answer 2

Eight fingers are in contention here. India and China have different understanding of where the LAC passes through.

India has maintained that the LAC passes through Finger 8, which has been the site of the final military post of China.
India has been patrolling the area – mostly on foot because of the nature of the terrain – up to Finger 8. But Indian forces have not had active control beyond Finger 4.

China, on the other hand, says the LAC passes through Finger 2. It has been patrolling up to Finger 4- mostly in light vehicles, and at times up to Finger 2.

-Since May 2020,Chinese army has blocked all Indian patrols beyond finger 4,by occupying 8 km stretch between finger 4 and finger 8 by creating fortifications & bunkers

Question 3

What is Pangong Tso?

Answer 3

• In the Ladakhi language, Pangong means extensive concavity and Tso is a lake in Tibetan.Freezes during winter.Has Saline water.
• world’s highest saltwater lake.

Question 4

Where is it located?

Answer 4

Long,narrow, deep, endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh Himalayas

Question 5

Give characteristics of Pangong tso

Answer 5

• Pangong Tso literally translates into a “conclave lake”.
• about 135 km long.

-formed from Tethys geosyncline.(Geosyncline is a long, narrow and shallow water depression characterised by sedimentation and subsidence.)
(Tethys : either of 2 ancient seas)

• not a part of the Indus river basin area
• One-third of the water body, its 45 km stretch is in Indian control while the rest of the 90 km is under Chinese control.
• In the 1990s, when the Indian side laid claims over the area, the Chinese army built a metal-top road contending that it was part of the Aksai Chin.

Question 6

fingers map?

Answer 6

https: //www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/standoff.jpg
https: //www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ladakh_1.jpg

Question 7

Why China wants to encroach areas alongside Pangong Tso?

Answer 7

Pangong Tso is strategically crucial as it is very close to Chusul Valley, which was one of the battlefronts between India and China during the 1962 war.

China also does not want India to boost its infrastructure anywhere near the LAC. China fears it threatens its occupation of Aksai Chin and Lhasa-Kashgar highway.
Any threat to this highway also puts Chinese plans in Pakistan-occupied territories in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, and beyond in Pakistan.