India has lost control of 26 patrolling Points in eastern Ladakh, according to a research paper presented at a recent police conference in Delhi. The paper stated that the Indian Army’s “play safe” approach, which limits the movement of the district administration and locals in forward areas, has turned these areas into informal “buffer zones. 

“Additionally, the Army’s restriction of graziers’ movement by installing check-posts and deploying personnel in disguise is intended to avoid confrontation with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which has placed cameras at vantage points.

The recent disengagement agreements at PP 15 and 16 have resulted in the loss of pasture lands in the Gogra hills, North Bank of Pangong Tso, and Kakjung areas. According to a research paper presented at a recent police conference in Delhi, India has lost control of 26 out of 65 patrolled areas in eastern Ladakh.

These areas were regularly patrolled before April-May 2020, when China began amassing troops near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. This led to violent clashes in June 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers.

The paper states that India’s loss of control is due to restrictive or no patrolling by Indian Security Forces (ISFs) and that China has taken advantage of this by gradually taking control of land inch-by-inch