The Indian Weekender, 13 November 2020

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INDIA
Friday, November 13, 2020 The Indian Weekender
Winter here, no thaw in
India-China talks, another round soon
THE DEADLOCK between India and
China over the military standoff in eastern
Ladakh continues, with the eighth round
of meetings between senior military commanders
from both sides failing to achieve any breakthrough.
Both sides, however, “agreed to have another
round of meetings soon”.
After the latest meeting on November 6, which
was also attended by diplomats from India and
China, both the governments issued a joint
statement, which said that they will “push for
the settlement of other outstanding issues, so as
to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the
border areas”.
The statement said the “two sides had a candid,
in-depth and constructive exchange of views on
disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in
the Western Sector of India-China border areas”.
It said both agreed to “earnestly implement
the important consensus reached by the leaders
of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops
exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding
and miscalculation”.
“Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and
communication through military and diplomatic
channels, and, taking forward the discussions
at this meeting, push for the settlement of other
outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace
and tranquillity in the border areas,” it said.
The latest joint statement, with no major
deviation from the two issued after two earlier
rounds, does not suggest a major breakthrough
in the standoff that is now in its seventh month.
Before the eighth round, there were some “feelers”
from China for a possible thinning of troops from
some of the friction areas. However, no such
understanding was reached in Friday’s meeting.
This was the first meeting in which the Indian
delegation was led by Lt General P G K Menon,
who took over as commander of XIV Corps in
mid-October. The delegation also included Naveen
Srivastava, joint secretary handling East Asia in
the Ministry of External Affairs. The Chinese
delegation was led by Major General Liu Lin,
commander of the South Xinjian Military Region.
In the last two rounds of talks, China had insisted
that India vacate the heights occupied by it in late
August on the north and south banks of Pangong
Tso, and the Chushul sub-sector. However, India
has been pushing for a status quo ante, for troops to
go back to April-end positions — not just from the
frontlines but also depth areas.
Speaking at a seminar Friday, Chief of Defence
Staff General Bipin Rawat had stated that India
will not allow any change in the Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
Both sides have positioned around 50,000 troops
along with artillery, tanks and air defence assets
in the region, and are prepared for deployment
through the brutal winter. At several heights in the
Pangong Tso area and in the Chushul sub-sector,
the troops from both sides are just a few hundred
metres apart.
The Indian troops are in a dominating position
in the Chushul sub-sector, at heights on Magar
Hill, Gurgun Hill, Rezang La and Rechin La,
which allows them a direct view of China’s Moldo
Garrison and to dominate the strategically sensitive
2-km wide valley, Spanggur Gap.
On the north bank of Pangong Tso, Indian troops
are at heights that puts them in a more advantageous
position over Chinese troops positioned on the
ridges connecting Finger 3, and Finger 4, which
is 8 km west of India’s perception of the LAC at
Finger 8.
China has been blocking Indian soldiers at the
bottleneck in the Depsang Plains from accessing
Patrolling Points (PP) 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13.
The area is close to the strategically important
Daulat Beg Oldie post in the north near the
Karakoram Pass.
Arnab Goswami
released from jail, returns
to Republic TV office
Republic TV Managing director and
Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami was
released from the Taloja Central Jail in
Raigad late on Wednesday night.
The development came hours after the
Supreme Court granted him bail following his
arrest on November 4 in a case of abetment to
suicide of Mumbai architect Anvay M. Naik
and his mother Kumud Naik on May 5, 2018
in Alibaug. Returning from the jail, flashing a
'V' sign and punching in the air several times
enroute his car, Goswami termed his arrest
as "illegal" and said no forces could stop a
journalist and his TV channel.
He was accorded a rousing, hero's welcome
by the Republic TV staff as he entered the office
late on Wednesday with plans to go on air.
Goswami told mediapersons that he was
Four years since
demonetisation, what
PM Modi said on the
outcomes of the move
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said the demonetisation
move, when Rs 1,000 and Rs
500 notes were scrapped in a sudden
announcement four years ago, helped
reduced black money and increased
tax compliance and was “greatly
beneficial” towards the progress of
the country
“Demonetisation has helped
reduce black money, increase tax
compliance and formalization
and given a boost to transparency.
These outcomes have been greatly
beneficial towards national progress.
#DeMolishingCorruption,” PM
Modi tweeted.
On November 8, 2016, PM Modi,
in an unexpected move, announced
the scrapping of the existing Rs
500 and Rs 1,000 notes with
immediate effect.
The sudden withdrawal of notes
led to liquidity shortage, with long
queues outside banks. It had also
roiled the economy, with demand
falling, businesses facing a crisis,
and GDP growth declining close to
1.5 per cent. Many small units were
hit hard, with many reporting huge
losses even after nine months.
About 115 people reportedly died
standing in queues to withdraw
money from their bank accounts.
The RBI gradually introduced Rs
500 and Rs 2,000 notes in place of
the notes withdrawn, but the pace of
remonetisation was very slow.
Kejriwal should focus on Delhi pollution, not Goa: CM
Instead of interfering in Goa
politics and commenting on
the Covid-19 scenario in the
coastal state, Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal should focus
on tackling pollution levels in
Delhi where people are desperate
to breathe fresh air, Goa Chief
Minister Pramod Sawant said.
"No state is as polluted as
Delhi. They (AAP) should look
at that first. People in Delhi are
desperate to breathe fresh air.
You can go to Delhi and check,"
Sawant told a press conference
held at his official residence in
Panaji, soon after his two-day
visit to the national capital.
"I want to tell Kejriwal to
worry about Delhi first and not
Goa," he said.
The comments by Sawant
come on the heels of severe
criticism of the BJP-led
coalition government's Covid-19
management in Goa, where 651
persons have died after testing
positive for coronavirus. In all
45,389 people have tested positive
for Covid-19 in Goa so far.
"absolutely fine" and looking forward to
work amid a thunderous applause outside his
office building.