Indian Army, China's PLA meet at Nathu La, Ladakh
New Delhi/Jammu, Aug 15 : The Indian Army and China's People Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday held two special meetings of border personnel at Nathu La in the Sikkim sector and Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir to boost mutual trust and promote peace.
Both the meetings happened on the Indian sides to commemorate the 72nd Independence Day of India. The PLA delegations, comprising several officers and soldiers, attended the celebration following an invitation.
In Sikkim, the Defence Ministry said: "The celebration took place in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship, with an aim of enhancing mutual trust and promoting border peace and tranquility."
The two forces had held a similar meeting to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the foundation of PLA on August 1.
"Such interactions between the two armies have resulted in enhancement of goodwill and mutual understanding between the two nations," said a statement from the Ministry.
Beside interactions between the armies, programmes portraying the cultural diversity of the two countries were presented by both sides on the occasion, said the statement.
Situated at 4,310 metres above sea level, Nathu La -- a mountain pass in the Himalayas in East Sikkim district -- connects the Indian state of Sikkim with Tibet.
Indian troops deployed in remote and high altitude areas of North Sikkim also celebrated Independence Day by hoisting the national flag at different forward posts with great zeal.
Another Indian Army delegation led by Brigadier V.K. Purohit and Colonel Anil Kumar Sharma met a Chinese delegation headed by Senior Colonel Wang Jun Xian and Lt Col Li Ming Ju at Chushul-Moldo and DBO-TWD meeting points in Eastern Ladakh, said the Army's Northern Command spokesperson.
"The ceremonial was marked by saluting the national flag of India by both the delegation members. Both the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. The two sides exchanged greetings and vote of thanks and reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border," he said.
"The delegations parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," said the official.
He added that both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to uphold the treaties and agreements signed between the governments of the two sides to maintain peace and tranquility along the LAC.
The three back-to-back meetings between the two armies in the span of a fortnight follow an informal summit in Wuhan in China between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
India and China fought a war in 1962 and claim each other's territory. The two armies were also locked in a dragging military stand-off last year on the border.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
