Five years ago, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a devastating battle at Galwan, which is still a painful memory. For example, when a film has been produced about it. What it referred to as “misrepresentation of facts” has drawn strong criticism from China. “Artistic license” is India’s response.
Behind the artistic freedom, however, are terrifying facts: a fierce battle in the dark, in below-freezing temperatures, involving batons and nailed clubs, resulted in numerous deaths—20 from India and four from China, though Indian army sources have suggested that the true number of Chinese casualties is probably higher. India and China’s bilateral ties are still not entirely normal as a result of the aftermath.
It all began on June 15, 2020, when a small group of Indian soldiers went to the Galwan river valley, which is 15,000 feet above sea level on the Karakoram mountain in Ladakh, close to the Line of Actual Control, to remove a Chinese tent.
Following negotiations on June 6, China had agreed to remove the tent and establish a buffer zone.
However, when the Chinese forces attacked Indian Colonel BL Santosh Babu, a struggle broke out. The battle intensified as both sides called in reinforcements. About forty Chinese soldiers had died by the time it was over, which was about six hours later. Twenty bravehearts were lost by India.
A number of Chinese and Indian soldiers were killed by cold after falling into the Galwan River.
However, China reported that only four troops had perished, and just one of them—Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran—had drowned.
No precise figure was ever determined. The Klaxon, an Australian investigative newspaper, revealed over two years later that “at least 38 PLA (People’s Liberation Army) troops along with Wang were washed away and drowned that night… of whom only Wang was declared among the four officially dead soldiers.”
It claimed that during the initial moments of the battle, the Chinese soldiers had fallen into the river while trying to cross it, citing “several Weibo users” as its sources.
After then, there was a harsh confrontation, conflicting declarations from China, and years of cold that had just now begun to warm.
India said that “an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo” on the border was the cause of the conflict. Beijing blamed the Indian soldiers.
The amount of fatalities was also controversial. Beijing first denied any casualties, but New Delhi formally admitted that it had lost 20 soldiers. It later stated that only four soldiers were lost.
This time, Galwan Valley is said to be on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in an article published in China’s state-run publication, Global Times. Additionally, it blamed India for the June 2020 hostilities, saying that Indian troops crossed the LAC and started a combat.
No amount of cinematic exaggeration can change history or undermine the PLA’s resolve to protect China’s sovereign land, the report stated. Bollywood films, at most, offer an emotionally charged and entertaining portrayal.
