• Source:JND
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops is "almost over". While speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Bob Khathing Museum in Assam's Tezpur, Singh stated that though India wants to go "beyond disengagement", this would "take time". He said that discussions have been ongoing between New Delhi and Beijing to resolve conflicts at some areas along the LAC. India and China last week agreed on a patrolling agreement under which both sides will fall back to their pre-April 2020 positions in Depsang and Demchok.

"India and China have been holding talks at both diplomatic and military levels to resolve the differences in some areas along the LAC. As a result of the talks, a broad consensus was developed on the basis of equal and mutual security. The consensus includes the rights of patrolling and grazing in traditional areas. Based on this consensus, the process of disengagement is almost complete. Our efforts will be to take the matter beyond disengagement; but for that, we will have to wait a little longer," he said.

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Singh added that both sides have arrived at a broad consensus to restore the ground situation, and it has developed on the basis of equal and mutual security. "This consensus has developed on the basis of equal and mutual security. The agreement includes rights related to patrolling and grazing in traditional areas. Based on this consensus, the disengagement process is nearly complete," the Defence minister was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Rajnath Singh dedicated a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the nation, whose birth anniversary is being celebrated today. He also opened the Major Ralengnao 'Bob' Khathing 'Museum of Valour'. Singh inaugurated these from the army headquarters in Aassam's Tezpur after he could not travel to Tawang due to bad weather. 

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The agreement of disengagement of the troops was announced before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia for the BRICS summit, where he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping.