Punjab’s farmer unions have changed their strategy of taking only the highways to the national capital. They plan to enter Haryana through other routes .meanwhile Dehli and Haryana police barricaded many routs coming to Dehli. Metro and bus services also affected badly forcing many to work from home only .

While activists of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta-Ugrahan and Sidhupur factions have been camping on the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri and Moonak, respectively, in Sangrur district since Wednesday evening, other farmer unions have changed their plans and decided to head for Delhi from other entry points.

Members of the Kirti Kisan Union, BKU Kadian and Rajewal factions plan to assemble at Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur and head for Shambhu border at 1

Thousands of farmers from  Punjab are assembling at the border of Haryana for their march and  ready for any confrontation with the security personnel .A showdown is likely with farmers from five states – Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Punjab – planning a march to Delhi today and tomorrow. The Delhi government has refused to allow any rally in the city.

Haryana has sealed borders with Punjab today and tomorrow after orders from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Massive security arrangement, complete with barricades, water cannons and riot vehicles have been made on roads from Punjab to thwart the protest march. Prohibitory orders banning large gatherings have been imposed in the state.

Haryana has also suspended bus service to and from Punjab for the next two days and diverted all traffic from the blocked roads.

Farmers from Punjab camped at the Haryana border for the night. They said they will hold a sit-down protest wherever they are stopped by the neighbouring state. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) has claimed that over two lakh farmers associated with it will enter Haryana.

The farmers have brought ration, vegetables, wood and other essentials for the march. In view of the cold weather, they have also stocked quilts, blankets and covered their trolleys with tarpaulin. “We are ready for the battle, which may last long,” said BKU (Ekta-Ugarhan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan. The farmers have said they will not return till the matter is settled

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As the two countries reached the agreement during the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday evening, government sources said the Indian side strongly raised the deployment of large number of troops and military equipment by China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and conveyed its concern. The Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops buildup, the sources said on Friday.

Jaishankar and Wang met in Moscow on the sidelines of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO). The talks–the second highest political contact between the two countries in a week–lasted two-and-a-half-hours. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe had also met in Moscow on Friday on the sidelines of a SCO meet.

Jaishankar underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquility has largely prevailed in the border areas. As a result, India-China cooperation also developed in a broad range of domains, giving the relationship a more substantive character.

While the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. The recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations.

In the meeting, the Indian side highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements and created flash points along the LAC. The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols.

The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas.

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“The J-20 fighter jets have been operating close to the Indian territory in the last few days and the move was taken by the Chinese Air Force just a few days before their Army attempted to do incursions into newer areas in Ladakh,” government sources said .

As per sources, fighter aircraft are still carrying out extensive flying near the LAC.

India released a statement saying the Army blocked Chinese attempt to carry out “provocative military movements” to “unilaterally” change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake.

The J-20s reportedly operated from the Hotan airbase in Xinjiang province of China where strategic bomber and other fighters’ operational deployment is also on, the government sources added.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding continuous meetings with persons concerned to understand the situation and it was established during the discussions that India is prepared for any eventuality. Sources added that the situation is currently under control.

On the intervening night of August 29 and 30, Chinese troops “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” but the attempt was thwarted by India, the government said.

Play Vide”On the night of 29/30 August 2020, PLA troops violated the prevus consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” the Indian Army said in a statement.

Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand said a Brigade Commander level meeting is in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues.

“Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground. The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace on the border.

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This is a big step towards self-reliance in defence. It also offers a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry to rise to the occasion to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces in the coming years.

The list is prepared by MoD after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders, including Army, Air Force, Navy, DRDO, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and private industry to assess current and future capabilities of the Indian industry for manufacturing various ammunition/weapons/platforms/equipment within India.

Almost 260 schemes of such items were contracted by the Tri-Services at an approximate cost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore between April 2015 and August 2020. With latest embargo on import of 101 items, it is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs four lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next five to seven years. Of these, items worth almost Rs 1,30,000 crore each are anticipated for the Army and the Air Force while items worth almost Rs 1,40,000 crore are anticipated by the Navy over the same period.

The list of 101 embargoed items comprises of not just simple parts but also some high technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircrafts, light combat helicopters (LCHs), radars and many other items to fulfil the needs of our Defence Services. The list also includes, wheeled armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with indicative import embargo date of December 2021, of which the Army is expected to contract almost 200 at an approximate cost of over Rs 5,000 crore.

Similarly, the Navy is likely to place demands for submarines with indicative import embargo date of December 2021, of which it expects to contract about six at an approximate cost of almost Rs 42,000 crore.

For the Air Force, it is decided to enlist the light combat aircraft LCA MK 1A with an indicative embargo date of December 2020. Of these, 123 are anticipated at an approximate cost of over Rs 85,000 crore. Hence, there are highly complex platforms that are included in the list of 101 items, of which details of three examples are given above.

The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. The aim behind promulgation of the list is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation. The MoD has adopted many progressive measures to encourage and facilitate ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by the defence Production entities. All necessary steps would be taken to ensure that timelines for production of equipment as per the Negative Import List are met, which will include a co-ordinated mechanism for hand holding of the industry by the Defence Services.

More such equipment for import embargo would be identified progressively by the DMA in consultation with all stakeholders.

A due note of this will also be made in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) to ensure that no item in the negative list is processed for import in the future.

In another relevant step, the MoD has bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year.

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Doval and Wang, who are designated Special Representatives’ on Sino-India boundary question, held a telephonic conversation on Sunday during which they had a “frank and in-depth exchange” of views and agreed that a “complete disengagement” of troops at the “earliest” was necessary for full restoration of peace in the border areas, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

Government sources said Chinese troops removed tents and are pulling back by up to 1.5 km from the area around patrolling point 14 in the Galwan Valley besides starting rearward movement of vehicles and troops in Hot Springs and Gogra.

There were reports that Chinese troops have also removed some tents from areas around Finger 4 in Pangong Tso. However, the sources said a clear picture will emerge only after a thorough verification is carried out.

Sources said the disengagement is taking place as per a decision arrived at during the military talks on June 30 that both sides will create a minimum buffer zone of 3 km in the area around Galwan river, and Indian troops are also moving accordingly.

The Indian Army will carry out a thorough verification of the Chinese pull back, said a source.

In the talks, Doval and Wang re-affirmed that both sides should “strictly respect” and observe the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo, the MEA said.

The two special representatives agreed to continue their conversations to ensure “full and enduring restoration” of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.

They also emphasised on not allowing differences to become disputes between the two countries, government sources said.

In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also issued a statement which said that Wang and Doval reached “positive common understandings” over easing the current border situation, and underlined the need to act promptly on the consensus reached by their military commanders to complete the disengagement of the front-line troops at the LAC as soon as possible.

It was the first time that Doval and Wang held talks during the ongoing stand-off. The conversation is learnt to have lasted for around two hours.

Government sources said India is strictly monitoring whether China was withdrawing its troops from the friction points, adding that global support to New Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong message during his visit to Ladakh last week may have had some impact on Beijing agreeing to move back its army.

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Indian army said there were casualties on both sides. All the deaths are from thrown stones and rods used by soldiers. The army did not comment on this.

The India China border row seems to have turned from bad to worse even as army delegations from India and China held discussions along the LAC to break the stalemate.

The Indian army suffered multiple casualties, including that of an officer, in a “violent face off” with the PLA on Monday night in eastern Ladakh, the army said in a statement. It added that there were casualties on both sides.

Commanding Officer of the Indian Army and two soldiers were  killed in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night during a violent faceoff with the Chinese troops, the Army said. They said senior military officials of the two sides are holding a meeting in Galwan Valley to defuse tension. A report in China’s state-owned Global Times said the Chinese army suffered five casualties.

While the exact nature of the violent confrontation is not known yet, sources said no firearms were used. “During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation,” the Army said

A statement released by the Indian Army said the casualties were suffered on Monday night at Ladakh’s Galwan Valley and that a meeting is underway between senior officials of both militaries to d the A statement released by the Indian Army on Tuesday said the casualties were suffered on Monday night and that a meeting is underway between senior officials of both militaries to defuse the situation. “During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation,”

Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in border skirmishes in Sikkim and Ladakh recently. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he was not aware of any incident on the border with India.

A large number of Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in Galwan Valley for the last five weeks. The incident comes days after Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said both sides have begun disengaging from Galwan Valley.

The two armies have since thinned out some forces in a positive signal but soldiers, tanks and other armoured carriers remained heavily deployed in the high-altitude region, an official had said.

India and China fought a brief border war in 1962 and have not been able to settle their border despite two decades of talks. Both claim thousands of kilometres of territory and patrols along the undemarcated Line of Actual Control – the de-facto border – often run into each other, leading to tensions.

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A week ago, Nepal was all set for a cartographic confrontation with India when it unveiled a new political map that placed Kalapani within its border.

An understanding to tackle the situation diplomatically instead of belligerence was reached at an all-party meeting held at Baluwatar, the seat of the Nepal Government, late on Tuesday evening.

While Nepal announced that it had started printing the new political maps, the ruling party ran into problems when it sought to change the image of Nepal’s map on the coat-of-arms to incorporate the new changes.
Such a step, however, required more than an administrative decision and the ruling party realised it was short of the required two-thirds majority to amend the constitution to include Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani in the image of the map on the coat of arms.

The pro-India Nepali Congress was ambiguous at the all-party meeting and sought a meeting of its policymaking body to evaluate the issue. At least 35 members of Madhesh parties also sought their pound of flesh, forcing the ruling party’s managers to press the issue at some other opportune time.

India and Nepal re-opened their differences on a triangle of land bordering China about six months ago when New Delhi published a political map to show the change in countours of Jammu and Kashmir from a single state to two UTs of J&K and Ladakh. Nepal felt the new map seemed to have included three areas which were its territory.

The issue intensified again early this month when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a blacktopped road to Lipulekh Pass that seemed to traverse areas New Delhi cautious on the development and sources in govt said

We are carefully following developments in Nepal. Border issues are sensitive by nature and require trust and confidence to be resolved to mutual satisfaction. We note that there is a larger ongoing debate on this matter in Nepal. It underlines the seriousness of this issue. It also demonstrates the value being attached to relations between Nepal and India. We continue to monitor the situation.

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