New Delhi: India and China have taken the first step to repair bilateral ties by starting the process of disengaging troops at two of the seven friction points in the region to restore patrolling rights of each there. The disengagement process began Tuesday in the Depsang Plains and Demchok — a day after India announced that an agreement on patrolling had been reached between the two sides — and is likely to be completed by October 28-29.
However, sources said that there could be no strict timeline there given the altitude and the weather conditions in these areas. The current agreement, notably, is only on restoring patrolling rights in the Depsang Plains and Demchok areas and disengagement is taking place at only these two friction points — the problems there are called legacy issues and predate the 2020 Chinese incursions.
The Chinese PLA had cut off Indian access to patrolling points (PPs) 10 to 13 in the Depsang Plains. In the Demchok area, Chinese troops had been squatting at the Charding Nullah.
