Lt Gen YK Joshi recalls most tense moment during India-China standoff in Ladakh | EXCLUSIVE

After nearly eight months since Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh triggered a military standoff, India and China have initiated disengagement. Satellite images and other sources of information confirm the withdrawal of Chinese PLA troops from the buffer zone along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Commander of the Indian Army's Northern Command Lt General YK Joshi said that disengagement has been smooth so far.

"We mutually agreed that disengagement will happen in four steps. Step one would be the disengagement of the armour and the mech [mechanical regiments] on the R2 (RR) complex," Lt Gen YK Joshi said.

The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC) Northern Command, Lt Gen Joshi added, "Step two will be disengagement on the North and South bank, the infantry that is there and step four would be disengagement on the Kailash ranges."

#Exclusive
Both sides have agreed to move back 1.5 km. Depsang issue is a legacy issue: Lt General YK Joshi, Northern Army Commander
(@adgpi)#IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant #Ladakh #PangongPullback #China #PLA pic.twitter.com/g9iPsuU8rc — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 17, 2021

"It has been agreed that when each step will be completed, there will be verification on the ground. We will confirm to each other that both the armies are satisfied with each other's activities and only then, we will go-ahead to the next step," Lt Gen YK Joshi told Gaurav Sawant of India Today.

He added, "Since February 10, the disengagement process has been going absolutely smoothly."

"People's Liberation Army has shown very clearly their intent, they want to disengage in a manner and they have been sort of disengaging in a smooth manner," Lt Gen Joshi added.

He went on to say, "The biggest lesson is we need to renew focus on the northern border."

'Will remove all Chinese infra'

Asked about the status quo in eastern Ladakh, Lt Gen YK Joshi said, "Finger 8 is our claim line. The PLA is moving all its forces behind Finger 8. The entire infrastructure that has come up, Finger 4, that is his [Chinese] claim line and up to Finger 8, we will be restoring the entire landform. There is a large infrastructure that has come up since he came and occupied in the month of May last year."

#Exclusive
Finger 8 is our claim line. PLA will be going behind Finger 8: It is a win-win situation for us: Lt General YK Joshi, Northern Army Commander
(@adgpi)#IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant pic.twitter.com/KkjI9JmpG6 — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 17, 2021

Lt Gen Joshi said that bunkers, dugouts, tents and helipads erected by the Chinese PLA will be totally removed.

'China won't carry out any activity in our claimed areas'

"China will not carry out any activity in our claimed areas whether military activity or civil activity will happen this side of Finger 8, which is the area claimed by us and his claim is up to Finger 4 and he is not coming up to his claim line," Lt Gen Joshi said.

"All these areas that are being vacated will not be occupied," he added.

'Win-win situation for us'

"As far as I am concerned, it is absolutely win-win situation for the nation and the Indian Army," Lt Gen Joshi said.

Referring to how five rounds of flag meetings on the core-commander level yielded no outcome, Commander of the Northern Command said the "chief" asked him to "create some leverage so that we can exert pressure on the PLA and get the negotiations into a favourable position".

#Exclusive
We will not allow the change in the Status Quo along the LAC in the manner China was wanting to do: Lt General YK Joshi, Northern Army Commander answers.
(@adgpi)#IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant #Ladakh #PangongPullback #China #PLA pic.twitter.com/yAuLPCdGsT — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 17, 2021

"Once these actions were conducted, we were able to totally surprise the PLA at the Rezang La-Rechin La (RR) complex or the south bank and even on the north bank where we occupied areas which were dominating the entire PLA deployment on Finger 4 and in the area behind Finger 4 as well right up to Finger 8," Lt Gen YK Joshi told India Today.

'Indian Army took PLA by surprise'

Confirming speculation that retaliatory action by India took the Chinese by surprise, Lt Gen Joshi said the Chinese "did not expect it". Their response went haywire, he added.

"Initially, we launched on the south bank as he [PLA] was responding to it, we launched on Rezang La-Rechin La complex. Thereafter, when he was reacting to that, the same night on August 30, we launched an operation on the north bank of Pangong Tso and even further north. He actually did not know what was happening," the GOC, Northern Command said.

#Exclusive
Indian Army's move stunned PLA: Lt General YK Joshi, Northern Army Commander
(@adgpi)#IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant #Ladakh #PangongPullback #China #PLA pic.twitter.com/uBOyImhT1z — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 17, 2021

He went on to add, "Once we launched quid pro quo actions and went and occupied Rezang La-Rechin La, the amount of armour and mechanized forces had been moved on the ridgeline and then PLA reacted."

"When their armour was moving up and we had our red lines absolutely clearly drawn, that is the moment movement was really tense. Balloon could have gone up anytime," Lt Gen Joshi recalled the time when Indian and Chinese troops were barely metres away.

'Not pressing trigger takes courage'

Complementing the bravery of the Indian Army, Lt Gen YK Joshi said, "It is the maturity of the Indian Army, the soldier who is sitting on the ground with his rocket launcher and the tank man with his gunner, when he sees adversary's tank coming up close to him, the easiest thing he can do is pull the trigger and open fire which is a no-brainer, that is what we are taught."

"To not press the trigger is what requires courage and maturity and grit and determination. That is the time we were able to stop him without opening fire," Lt Gen Joshi recalls.

#Exclusive
Why did China suddenly change and why is it disengaging? Lt General YK Joshi, Northern Army Commander answers.
(@adgpi)#IndiaFirst with @gauravcsawant #Ladakh #PangongPullback #China #PLA pic.twitter.com/KejYy0qcee — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 17, 2021

Asked about what he thinks will be the way ahead, the Northern Command chief told India Today, "We conveyed it to him [PLA] absolutely clear that we will not allow the change in the status quo along the LAC in the manner in which he was wanting to do. That will not happen. He has understood that."

"Ideally, he [Chinese PLA] should not attempt any such misadventure again. He has understood that this was a strategic miscalculation on his part," Lt Gen YK Joshi said.

"Whatever we have achieved in the last ten months, the nation should be proud of the armed forces," Lt Gen YK Joshi told India Today.

READ | Before & After: Satellite images show complete Chinese pullback from Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh | EXCLUSIVE