Detailed Account Of Galwan Battle

At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including Colonel B Santosh Babu, were killed in the clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley on the intervening night of June 15-16, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff between the two countries. Here’s the detailed account of the battle:

A Chinese observation post, which had been set up at the vertex of the bend in the Galwan River was proven, during talks, to be on the Indian side of the LAC, and an agreement had been reached to remove it. A few days after talks the post was dismantled by the Chinese. Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar infantry battalion controlling the area Colonel B Santosh Babu even held talks with a counterpart Chinese officer on the day after the Chinese dismantled the camp. But on June 14, the camp unexpectedly re-emerged overnight.

At around 5pm on June 15, Colonel Babu decided to personally lead a team to the camp. Having spoken just a few days prior with the other side, the Commanding Officer is said to have wondered whether there had been a mistake. While young officers and jawans were raring to remove the Chinese post themselves, Colonel Babu, known to be a highly sober, cool-headed officer decided to personally go.

Colonel Babu along with a team of about 35 men, including two Majors, proceeded on foot to the post. When they reached the Chinese camp, the first thing the Indian team noticed was that the Chinese troops didn't seem familiar.

The Chinese troops were immediately belligerent once the Indian team arrived. When Colonel Babu opened the conversation, asking why the post had been re-erected, a Chinese soldier stepped up and pushed the Indian Colonel backwards hard, with expletives in the Chinese language.

The Indian team pounced on the Chinese. This was the first brawl and ended about 30 minutes later with injuries on both sides. The Indian team rounded off the sparring by smashing and then burning the Chinese post to ashes.

Colonel Babu sent the injured men back to the Indian post and asked them to send back more men. What he suspected was correct. More Chinese troops, were waiting in positions both on the banks of the Galwan as well as in positions up on a ridge to the right.

At about 9pm, Colonel Babu was struck on the head by a large stone, and he fell into the Galwan River. When the fighting stopped, several bodies of both Indian and Chinese troops were in the river, including the Indian Commanding Officer.

Colonel Babu's body and those of some of the other jawans were carried back to the Indian side, while the rest of the Indian team remained on the Chinese side taking stock of the situation. It had been brutally established that their Commanding Officer's suspicions had been proven correct. And with him killed in front of them, things were at an emotional peak.