When Modi surrendered.

Byline: Kamran Yousaf

The Indian Prime Minister chaired an all parties' conference on Friday, four days after 20 Indian soldiers including a colonel were killed in a bloody standoff with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh region.

China and India both have their own stories to tell about what happened on June 15 in Galwan Valley.

The Indian version is that a bloody incident took place when Chinese troops refused to disengage from a location that comes under Indian territory. The two sides, according to India, on June 6, after talks between the corps commanders of China and India agreed to disengage from three points including Pangoing Lake, Hot Spring and Galwan Valley. The disengagement was to start from Galwan Valley. However, the situation turned ugly, as per the Indian version, when Chinese troops refused to vacate the Indian territory, leading to the bloody fight. The killing of 20 Indian soldiers including a colonel shell-shocked the Indians as well as their PM Modi, who took two days to give his first reaction. The Indian government built the narrative that the Chinese were to blame for the military standoff. Both government as well as retired Indian generals were of the view that Chinese troops occupied the land previously under Indian control. The Indian Foreign Minister reiterated the same that Chinese troops intruded into Indian territory, triggering the fight.

China, however, contested the Indian claim and said it were the Indian troops that violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and provoked the Chinese troops. The Chinese spokesperson gave a bit-by-bit account of what led to the current tussle. The crux of his statement was that the current position held By: Chinese troops in different sectors of Ladakh region is legitimate since it is part of their territory. In other words, China has made it abundantly clear that India has to accept the status quo or else face the consequences.

When Modi chaired an all parties' conference, Indian nationalists and public in general were expecting him to come up with a robust response. Instead he...