Tawang Clash - Angst Over Yangtse

It's face-off season once again, as China tries to one-up India strategically through border skirmishes

- Sanjib KR Baruah

THE WISE SAY THERE is method in madness, or even in mayhem. For about 45 minutes on December 9, it was pure mayhem as punches and melee weapons like clubs flew free in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. It was a brutal hand-to-hand combat between a company of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and a company of the Indian Army, comprising soldiers from the Sikh Light Infantry, Jat Regiment and Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. A company usually consists of about 80-100 soldiers. But reinforcements rushed in, and the brawl only got more ferocious, resulting in significant injuries on both sides.

A reliable source told THE WEEK that the clash began with a war of words when the PLA patrol team transgressed into a well-manned Indian Army post. It eventually led to fisticuffs and a physical brawl using clubs. The Indians had an upper hand for most of the fight. “When the PLA beat a hasty retreat, a few PLA soldiers and an officer were made to remain with the Indian soldiers for a few hours. Later on, of course, they were allowed to leave,”the source said. It took a flag meeting between local commanders on December 11 to ease the tension.

The sparring spot is a usual suspect: Yangtse, which has the Bom 6 peak—about 17,000ft high—and ridges that provide commanding views of both Indian and Chinese territories. But more importantly, a few of these ridges offer a clear view of the tracks that lead to Tibet’s Cona County. This is not the first time Yangtse has witnessed a clash—on September 28, 2021, the PLA had tried to occupy the peak but was beaten back by an alert Indian Army.