Gogra, Ladakh

Last updated

Gogra
Camping ground and border outpost
India Ladakh location map UN view.svg
Red pog.svg
Gogra
Coordinates: 34°21′36″N78°52′26″E / 34.360°N 78.874°E / 34.360; 78.874
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Union territory Ladakh
District Leh
Elevation
[1]
4,750 m (15,570 ft)

Thence [the traditional customary line] passes through peak 6,556 (approximately 78° 26' E, 34° 32' N), and runs along the watershed between the Kugrang Tsangpo River and its tributary the Changlung River to approximately 78° 53' E, 34° 22' N. where it crosses the Changlung River. It then follows the mountain ridge in a south-easterly direction up to Kongka Pass. [31]

The new "1960 claim line" meant that China laid claim to the entire basin of the Changlung river, stopping just before its confluence with the Kugrang river. Even then, the "approximately" described coordinates, 34°22′N78°53′E / 34.367°N 78.883°E / 34.367; 78.883 (China's declared border point) , are problematic in that they lie within the Kugrang river valley, dropping below the watershed. The place where the "watershed between the Kugrang Tsangpo River and Changlung River" crosses the Changlung River is determined by Indians to be 34°23′N78°53.5′E / 34.383°N 78.8917°E / 34.383; 78.8917 , where a post called "Nala Jn" was established by them. [32]

1962 standoff

In the summer of 1962, sensing that China was trying to advance to its 1960 claim line, India initiated what came to be called the "forward policy", setting up advance posts in the territory between the 1960 and 1956 claim lines. The 1/8 Gorkha Riles battalion was ordered to set up a post in the upper reaches of the Galwan River. Setting out from Phobrang, the platoon first established a base at Kayam Hot Springs. A platoon of the 'A' Company then moved towards Galwan in July 1962. Along the way it set up a post near Gogra called "Nala Jn". [32] China gave the coordinates of the post as 34°23′N78°53.5′E / 34.383°N 78.8917°E / 34.383; 78.8917 (Nala Jn post) , [33] which lie along the ridge dividing Kugrang and Changlung. The date of establishment of the post was 3 July 1962. [32]

By this time, the Chinese troops already had a post at Shamal Lungpa. (Map 4, blue line) So the Nala Jn post would appear to be a defensive post meant to secure the Kugrang valley. The Gorkha Rifles likely used an alternative route through the Kugrang valley to Galwan, setting up a post in its vicinity on 5 July. [lower-alpha 5] Despite a seriously threatening posture by the Chinese troops, the post held firm and remained intact until the beginning of the war in October 1962. It was supplied by air. Despite a supply route having been established through the Kugrang Valley, it was seen that its use would be provocative. [36] [37] Indian sources claim that additional supporting posts were set up by the Indian troops: a "ration party" post at 34°34.5′N78°38.5′E / 34.5750°N 78.6417°E / 34.5750; 78.6417 (Ration Party) and observation posts at 34°34.5′N78°35.5′E / 34.5750°N 78.5917°E / 34.5750; 78.5917 (OP1) and 34°39.5′N78°44′E / 34.6583°N 78.733°E / 34.6583; 78.733 (OP2) . [38]

1962 war

The Sino-Indian War began in the western sector on 19 October 1962. The Chinese attacked all Indian posts that were beyond their 1960 claim line. The Nala Jn post, which was technically beyond the line, was also fired upon. The section of troops manning the post sustained some casualties. Their telephone line was also cut. So the commander sent two men to the Hot Springs base to report the firing, and a reinforcement of a section of troops arrived on 25 October. However, the Chinese did not attack the post, and it remained intact till the end of the war. [39]

The Line of Actual Control resulting from the war remained on the dividing ridge between the Kugrang and Changlung valleys.

2020–2022 standoff

Map 5: The Line of Actual Control near Gogra and Hot Springs: the blue line as marked by the US Office of Geographer in 2013, green line as marked by the OpenStreetMap in 2020, with the extended claim of China near Gogra during the 2020-2022 standoff. Kongka-La-snapshot-from-earthworks-stanford-edu-Gogra-Hot-Springs.jpg
Map 5: The Line of Actual Control near Gogra and Hot Springs: the blue line as marked by the US Office of Geographer in 2013, green line as marked by the OpenStreetMap in 2020, with the extended claim of China near Gogra during the 2020–2022 standoff.
Gogra, Ladakh
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
3km
2miles
Red pog.svg
Pin location context.svg
Traditional customary
boundary of China
declared in 1960
AS-rzeka-icon.svg
Kugrang
AS-rzeka-icon.svg
Changlung
Wtlogo2.png
Chinese
rear base
Red pog.svg
PP-17A
Wtlogo2.png
Chinese
Wtlogo2.png
Indian
Red pog.svg
Gogra
Invisible Square.svg
2020 standoff near Gogra [40] [lower-alpha 6]

In April 2020, Chinese forces amassed on the border of Ladakh and started intruding into previously uncontrolled territory at several points. Gogra was one of them. [41] Indian forces had their base at the Karam Singh Post ( 34°17′53″N78°53′42″E / 34.2980°N 78.8949°E / 34.2980; 78.8949 (Karam Singh Post) ) near Hot Springs, and periodically patrolled up to the location of the erstwhile "Nala Jn" post on the Line of Actual Control, now called Patrol Point 17A (PP-17A). [42] Around 5 May, clusters of Chinese forces appeared in its vicinity and soon blocked the Indian forces from patrolling up to this point. [43] The Indian Army moved troops to the border in a counter deployment effort, which was completed by early June. [44]

On 6 June 2020, the senior military commanders of the sides met at the Chushul–Moldo Border Personnel Meeting point, and agreed to a "disengagement" of forward troops, to be followed by an eventual "de-escalation". However, this was not followed through. Inexplicably, there was no pull-back at Gogra and Hot Springs. At the Galwan valley, the Chinese forces continued to remain at the disputed border point, leading to a clash between the two sides on 15 June. [44]

Following the clash, the Chinese forces doubled down at all the friction points. Near Gogra, the Chinese forces came down 2–4 km from the Line of Actual Control, and set up posts close to Gogra itself. According to Lt. Gen. H. S. Panag, "the Chinese intrusion here [near Gogra] denies India access to nearly 30-35 km long and 4-km wide Kugrang river valley beyond Gogra.". [45] It took several months and 10 rounds of talks between the military commanders to agree on the first pull-back in February 2021, viz., at Fingers 4–8 on the bank of the Pangong Lake. [46] In the 12th round of talks in August 2021, the two sides agreed to disengage at Gogra. It was reported that troops of both the sides dismantled all temporary structures and allied infrastructure and moved back from forward positions. [47]

However, a de-escalation has not yet taken place. Both the sides continue to claim the area in dispute, and continue to deploy troops in strength behind the forward lines. India has demanded the status quo ante April 2020 to be restored, while China is believed to insist upon imposing the "1959 claim line", either by physical denial or via a "buffer zone". [48] [lower-alpha 7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Alternative spellings: Gokra [2] and Goghra. [3]
  2. ↑ Alternative spellings: Khugrang, Kograng, [5] and Kugrung. [6]
  3. ↑ The depression is now recognized as a geological fault called the Longmu Co fault, part of the larger Longmu–Gozha Co fault system. [10]
  4. ↑ Alternative spellings: Shamul Lungpa, [18] Shammul Lungpa [19] and Shummal Lungpa. [20]
  5. ↑ China provided the coordinates of the post as "34 degrees 37 minutes 30 seconds north, 78 degrees 35 minutes 30 seconds east" ( 34°37.5′N78°35.5′E / 34.6250°N 78.5917°E ) and described it as "six kilometres inside Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley area". [34] The alternative route used by Gorkha Rifles was most likely through the Jianan Pass in the Chinese nomenclature, which gives rise to a tributary of Kugrang in the south, and a tributary of Galwan called Shimengou in the north. The coordinates provided by China are in the valley of Shimengou. India refers to the pass as Patrol Point 15 (PP-15). [35]
  6. ↑ Borders shown are those marked by OpenStreetMap and may not be accurate.
  7. ↑ A "buffer zone", a concept introduced in the Galwan Valley de-escalation, means that both the sides do not occupy or patrol a defined area. Indian commentators have stated that these "buffer zones" were entirely on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control and, so, amounted to a cession of territory.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aksai Chin</span> Region in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Kashmir administered by China

Aksai Chin is a region administered by China partly in Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang and partly in Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet and constituting the easternmost portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and China since 1959. It is claimed by India as part of its Leh District, Ladakh Union Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line of Actual Control</span> Disputed boundary between China and India

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. The concept was introduced by Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in a 1959 letter to Jawaharlal Nehru as the "line up to which each side exercises actual control", but rejected by Nehru as being incoherent. Subsequently, the term came to refer to the line formed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Ladakh</span> Aspect of geography

Ladakh is an administrative territory of India that has been under its control since 1947. The geographical region of Ladakh union territory is the highest altitude plateau region in India, incorporating parts of the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River and valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Ladakh</span>

Tourism is one of an economic contributor to the union territory of Ladakh in Northern India. The union territory is sandwiched between the Karakoram mountain range to the north and the Himalayas to the south and is situated at the height of 11,400 ft. Ladakh is composed of the Leh and Kargil districts. The region contains prominent Buddhist sites and has an ecotourism industry.

Marsimik La or Marsemik La, also called Lankar La, elevation 5,582 metres (18,314 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Chang Chenmo Range in the Indian union territory of Ladakh, 96 km (60 mi) east of Leh as the crow flies. Ladakh's route to the Chang Chenmo Valley traverses the pass.

The Depsang Plains, a high-altitude gravelly plain in the northwest portion of the disputed Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, divided into Indian and Chinese administered portions by a Line of Actual Control. India controls the western portion of the plains as part of Ladakh, while the eastern portion is controlled by China and claimed by India. The Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan is 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the Depsang Plains, with the Siachen Glacier in-between. Ladakh's traditional trade route to Central Asia passed through the Depsang Plains, with the Karakoram Pass lying directly to its north.

The Kongka Pass or Kongka La is a low mountain pass on the Line of Actual Control between India and China in eastern Ladakh. It lies on a spur of the Karakoram range that intrudes into the Chang Chenmo Valley adjacent to the disputed Aksai Chin region. China claimed the location as its border in a 1956 map, and attacked an Indian patrol party in 1959 killing ten policemen and apprehending ten others. Known as the Kongka Pass incident, the event was a milestone in the escalation of the border dispute between the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khurnak Fort</span> Ruined fort in eastern Ladakh

The Khurnak Fort is a ruined fort on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, which spans eastern Ladakh in India and Rutog County in the Tibet region of China. The area of the Khurnak Fort is disputed by India and China, and has been under Chinese administration since 1958.

The Galwan River flows from the disputed Aksai Chin area administered by China to the Union Territory of Ladakh, India. It originates near the caravan campsite Samzungling on the eastern side of the Karakoram range and flows west to join the Shyok River. The point of confluence is 102 km south of Daulat Beg Oldi. Shyok River itself is a tributary of the Indus River, making Galwan a part of the Indus River system.

The Chip Chap River is a tributary of the Shyok River that flows from the disputed Aksai Chin region administered by China to Ladakh in India. It originates at the eastern edge of the Depsang Plains and flows west, skirting around the Depsang Plains in the north. It discharges into the Shyok River, forming one of the upstream tributaries of the Indus River.

Lanak La or Lanak Pass is a mountain pass in the disputed Aksai Chin region, administered by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is claimed by India as its border pass.

Tangtse or Drangtse (Tibetan: བྲང་རྩེ, Wylie: brang rtse, THL: drang tsé) is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil. Traditionally, it was regarded as the border between the Nubra region to the north and the Pangong region to the south. It was a key halting place on the trade route between Turkestan and Tibet. It was also a site of wars between Ladakh and Tibet.

Heweitan is the location of a Chinese border outpost in the region of Aksai Chin that is controlled by China but disputed by India. According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, it is the highest border outpost in the country.

Hot Springs is a campsite and the location of an Indian border outpost in the Chang Chenmo River valley in Ladakh near the disputed border with China. It is so named because there is a hot spring at this location. The Line of Actual Control near Kongka Pass is only 3 kilometres (2 mi) to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chang Chenmo River</span> River in China and India

Chang Chenmo River or Changchenmo River is a tributary of the Shyok River, part of the Indus River system. It is at the southern edge of the disputed Aksai Chin region and north of the Pangong Lake basin.

Dumchele or Dhumtsele (Chinese: 都木契列; pinyin: Dōu mù qì liè, Tibetan: སྡུམ་མཚེས་ལེ་, Wylie: sdum mtshes le, THL: dum tsé lé) is a village and a grazing area in Skakjung pasture near the Line of Actual Control between Ladakh and Tibet, administered by China since October 1962 but claimed by India. The locale is in the disputed Demchok sector, about 50 kilometers northwest from Demchok and 50 kilometers southeast of Chushul. It lies on a historic trade route between Ladakh and Rutog, with an erstwhile border pass at Chang La or Shingong La to the southeast of Dumchele.

The Depsang Bulge or Burtsa Bulge is a 900-square-kilometre area of mountain terrain in the disputed Aksai Chin region, which was conceded to India by China in 1960, but has remained under Chinese occupation since the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The area is immediately to the south of the Depsang Plains and encloses the basin of the Burtsa Nala, a stream originating in the Aksai Chin region and flowing west to merge with the Depsang Nala near the village of Burtsa in Ladakh, eventually draining into the Shyok River. The area is perceived to be of strategic importance to both the countries, sandwiched by strategic roads linking border outposts. Since 2013, China has made attempts to push the Line of Actual Control further west into Indian territory, threatening India's strategic road.

Jianan Pass is a mountain pass in the eastern Karakoram Range near the Chang Chenmo Valley. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China runs through the pass dividing the Indian-administered Ladakh and Chinese-administered Aksai Chin. The pass lies on the watershed between Kugrang and Galwan river basins. The Changlung river basin is also immediately to the east of the pass. While China uses the name "Jianan Daban" for the pass, India refers to it as Patrol Point 15 (PP-15) for border security purposes. The term "Hot Springs" has also been used by Indian media through misapplication of terminology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsogtsalu</span> Indian border checkpost in Ladakh, India

Tsogtsalu or Tsolu is a pasture and campsite in the Ladakh union territory of India, in the Chang Chenmo Valley close India's border with China. It is located at the confluence of the Rimdi Chu river that flows down from Marsemik La and the Chang Chenmo River. During the British Raj, this was a halting spot for travellers to Central Asia via the 'Chang Chenmo route', passing through Aksai Chin. After Indian independence, a border outpost was established here by a border police party headed by Captain Karam Singh. It continues to serve as a base for India's border forces.

References

  1. 1 2 Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), p. 334.
  2. ↑ Geological Survey of India (1883). Lydekker: The Geology of Kashmir and Chamba Territories and the British District of Khagan. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. Vol. XXII.
  3. 1 2 Hedin, Sven (1922), Southern Tibet, Vol. VII – History of Exploration in the Kara-korum Mountains, Stockholm: Lithographic Institute of the General Staff of the Swedish Army, p. 224 – via archive.org
  4. ↑ Sandhu, Shankar & Dwivedi, 1962 from the Other Side of the Hill (2015), pp. 53–54.
  5. 1 2 Hedin, Southern Tibet, Vol. IV (1922) , pp. 11–12
  6. ↑ Kapadia, Harish (2005), Into the Untravelled Himalaya: Travels, Treks, and Climbs, Indus Publishing, p. 215, ISBN   978-81-7387-181-8
  7. ↑ Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), pp. 256, 334.
  8. ↑ Sudha Ramachandran (8 August 2021), "Indian and Chinese Troops Disengage from Gogra", The Diplomat
  9. ↑ Trinkler, Emil (1931), "Notes on the Westernmost Plateaux of Tibet", The Himalayan Journal, 3
  10. ↑ Chevalier, Marie-Luce; Pan, Jiawei; Li, Haibing; Sun, Zhiming; Liu, Dongliang; Pei, Junling; Xu, Wei; Wu, Chan (2017). "First tectonic-geomorphology study along the Longmu–Gozha Co fault system, Western Tibet". Gondwana Research. 41: 411–424. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2015.03.008. ISSN   1342-937X.
  11. 1 2 Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969), p. 106.
  12. 1 2 3 Drew, Frederic (1875). The Jummoo and Kashmir Territories: A Geographical Account. E. Stanford. pp. 329–330 – via archive.org.
  13. ↑ Ward, A.E. (1896). The Tourist's And--sportsman's Guide to Kashmir and Ladak, &c. Thacker, Spink. p. 106. The Changlung stream joins the Kugrang near Gogra
  14. 1 2 Hayward, G. W. (1870). "Journey from Leh to Yarkand and Kashgar, and Exploration of the Sources of the Yarkand River". Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London. 40: 33–37. (facing p. 33) 'Kiam' and 'Gogra' located near bottom of the map insert ... (p. 37) Chang Chenmo is now well known, being visited every year by at least half-a-dozen officers on long leave to Kashmir. The game to be found...
  15. ↑ Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969), p. 104.
  16. ↑ Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), p. 327.
  17. ↑ Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969) , p. 55: "Having completed the Sumdo-Lingzithang road the Chinese troops established a post at 79°08'00"E, 34°33'00"N in the south of Nischu and named it Road JN. From this point they advanced southward and established another post at 78°35'00"E, 34°25'00"N [sic] near HS(C) in the Changlung valley: it was named HS(C)." ["HS(C)" stands for "Hot Spring (China)"]
  18. 1 2 Mullik, The Chinese Betrayal (1971), p. 200.
  19. ↑ Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), p. 257.
  20. ↑ Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), p. 745.
  21. ↑ Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), pp. 745, 975.
  22. ↑ Mason, Kenneth (1929), Routes in the Western Himalaya, Kashmir Etc., Vol. I, Calcutta: Government of India Press, pp. 198-200 – via archive.org, Route 92. Tankse to Shahidulla, via Lingzi-Thang plains—329 miles
  23. ↑ Brescius, Moritz von (2019), German Science in the Age of Empire, Cambridge University Press, pp. 196–197, ISBN   978-1-108-42732-6
  24. 1 2 Rizvi, Janet (1999), Trans-Himalayan Caravans: Merchant Princes and Peasant Traders in Ladakh, Oxford University Press, pp. 30–31, ISBN   978-0-19-564855-3
  25. ↑ Accounts and Papers. East India. Vol. XLIX. House of Commons, British Parliament. 1874. pp. 23–33. (p. 23) From Gogra there are two routes to Shadula in Yarkand (p. 33) Every endeavour has been made to improve the Changchenmo route--serais having been built at some places, and depots of grain established as far as Gogra
  26. ↑ H.I.N. (1902). "Sport in the Changchenmo Valley, Ladakh". The Navy and Army Illustrated . Vol. 15. London: Hudson & Kearns. p. iv.
  27. ↑ Mullik, The Chinese Betrayal (1971), pp. 200–201.
  28. ↑ Mullik, The Chinese Betrayal (1971), pp. 201–202.
  29. ↑ Hoffmann, India and the China Crisis (1990) , p. 86: "The prime minister had already made up his mind not to trade territory with the Chinese."
  30. ↑ Hoffmann, India and the China Crisis (1990) , p. 92: "[The Chinese map] indicated that the Chinese had substantially enlarged their claims to territory in the Western Sector."
  31. ↑ Report of the Officials (1962), p. CR-1.
  32. 1 2 3 Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969) , p. 104: "On July 2 Captain G Kotwal (of 1/8th G. R.), 1 JCO and 31 ORs reached the nullah junction ([34°20'50" N, 78°53'30" E]) and the next day at [34°23'00"N, 78°53'30"E] and established a post at the latter (named Nullah Jn)."
  33. ↑ India, White Paper VII (1962) , pp. 81–82: (Note given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peking to the Embassy of India in China, 10 September 1962) "The fourth [strongpoint] is located at approximately 34° 23' N, 78° 53.5' E, which is northwest of the Kongka Pass and inside Sinkiang."
  34. ↑ United States. Central Intelligence Agency (1962), Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts, p. BBB1
  35. ↑ H. S. Panag, India, China’s stand on Hot Springs has 2 sticking points — Chang Chenmo, 1959 Claim Line, The Print, 14 April 2022.
  36. ↑ Hoffmann, India and the China Crisis (1990), pp. 102–104.
  37. ↑ Maxwell, India's China War (1970), pp. 238–239.
  38. ↑ Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969), p. 102.
  39. ↑ Johri, Chinese Invasion of Ladakh (1969), p. 118.
  40. ↑ Report of the Officials (1962), p. CR-1: Thence [the traditional customary boundary] passes through peak 6,556 (approximately 78° 26' E, 34° 32' N), and runs along the watershed between the Kugrang Tsangpo River and its tributary the Changlung River to approximately 78° 53' E, 34° 22' N. where it crosses the Changlung River.
  41. ↑ Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 4: "Towards mid-April the PLA, using these forces, occupied a number of areas claimed by both sides. The Chinese moved at five points simultaneously—Galwan river valley, the northern bank of the Pangong Tso lake, Hot Springs/Gogra, Depsang plains and the Charding Nala area of Demchok—and blocked Indian efforts to patrol up to what they understood to be the border.".
  42. ↑ Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 11, Figure 2.
  43. ↑ Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 4.
  44. 1 2 Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 7.
  45. ↑ Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 10.
  46. ↑ Joshi, Eastern Ladakh (2021), p. 8.
  47. ↑ India, China disengage from Gogra Post in eastern Ladakh after 12th round of talks, The Indian Express, 6 August 2021.
  48. ↑ H. S. Panag, India-China talks on Ladakh face-off have hit a wall. Only a Modi-Xi summit can resolve it, The Print, 12 May 2022.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Gogra, Ladakh
Traditional Chinese 戈格拉
Simplified Chinese 戈格拉