Eastern Ladakh And Its Geostrategic Significance

Amartya Singh, Intern at CS3 USI opines on the geostrategic importance of Eastern Ladakh and the reason for increased Chinese transgressions in the region.

On 15^th June 2020, the Galwan Valley located in eastern Ladakh saw a violent clash between troops of India and China resulting in serious casualties on both sides. Deriving its name from the river Galwan, the river originates from the Aksai Chin region which was captured by the Chinese in the 1962 Indo- Sino war. The current tensions arose primarily over the construction of a road over the Galwan nallah, this subsequently, is part of a larger framework of roads giving better access to the world’s highest landing ground which lies extremely close to the Aksai Chin region, the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), also known as Sub sector north which serves as an essential aerial supply line. This very road is constructed through a tactically threatening area for China as it extends to the base of the Karakoram range, running parallel to the LAC, thereby cutting down the travel time from Leh to DBO to less than six hours. As Lt Gen. H.S. Panag (retired) articulately commentates that China cunningly captured all the strategically required areas for the securement of the Tibet- Xinjiang national highway during the ‘62 war. China believes that for India to restore the claim line existing ante 1950, it is essential for India to retake the illegally occupied territory of Aksai Chin.

Another sector which on the night of 29^th August 2020, saw a spike in extreme tensions between the two sides was the Pangong Tso Lake. The Indian army prevented the People’s Liberation Army from unilaterally changing the status quo, by deploying troops in the previously undeployed region of the southern bank of this Lake. The essential difference between what happened on the southern bank when compared to China’s belligerent attempts in the sectors of the North Bank of the same lake, Galwan Valley, Gogra Hot Springs and the Depsang plains lies in the difference in making the first move in these sectors. In the above-named areas, China has been the one to take the initiative and alter the status quo of these sectors which resulted in placing India on a defensive note. This although, wasn’t the case with the Southern Bank area as due to the army’s preemptive deployment, India was able to take control over the Kailash crest line which lies in extreme proximity to areas of great strategic values like the Chusul Bowl. Next to the Pangong Tso lake lies barren mountains whose slopes just protrude into the lake at 8 different points officially recognized as the finger areas. India has claimed that its territory is right up till the 8^th finger, out of which currently the Chinese are patrolling up to the 4^th finger area. The Chinese ironically, claim that their territory extends up to the 2^nd finger area and as the experts rightly believed, given the opportunity, the Chinese will try to occupy the area till the 2^nd finger as well.[i]

In close proximity to these finger areas, lies the strategic heights of the Kailash Range which are Helmet, Black Top, Gurung Hill, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La and Rechin La. As mentioned earlier, due to the counter-occupation by India on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, these heights, which have been spots for intense and bloody battles in the 1962 war, are now being completely dominated by the Indian army. Whoever has control over these points, thereby has control over the Kailash Range, which results in complete domination of all routes lying in the east to west. Thereby, resulting in an obvious disadvantage for the Chinese, who are sitting at a lower height, deeming their positions to be tactically disadvantageous. The Kailash range turns into a much flatter terrain which is called the Spanggur gap on the Chinese side and the Chusul bowl on the Indian side. The Chusul bowl’s provides India with an effective launchpad for an offensive attack towards the Spanggur gap and is also of extreme importance due to their role of acting as a connector between the Kailash range and the heartland of Ladakh, Leh. Due to its flat geographical nature, this featureless surface allows the two sides to deploy tanks, BMTs, artillery and troops in the sector. But for China to deploy its armoured regiments and soldiery for an offensive against India through the Chusul Bowl, they will have to pass through the gap surrounded by the unforgiving heights, now occupied by India. This occupation in turn has resulted in China becoming easy pickings for the Indian army, hence ceasing the existence of any threat it poses to the Chusul Bowl. The Janus-faced approach adopted by PLA has resulted in the Indian, and Chinese commanders talks being inconclusive and unsettled.

[i] Shekhar Gupta “Why Indian troops secured Kailash Range crestline, and the importance of Chushul Bowl” The Print, 10 September, 2020