FACT CHECK: Did Chinese Troops Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ Amid Ladakh Disengagement?

ByFactcheck India

Nov 1, 2024 #Fact Check India, #Factcheck_in, #FactCheckIndia, #India, #Indian and Chinese soldiers meeting Ladakh viral video, #misinformation, #TruthXIndia

Did Chinese Troops Chant 'Jai Shri Ram' Amid Ladakh Disengagement?

A viral video shows Indian and Chinese troops chanting "Jai Shri Ram"

Claim:
A viral video shows Indian and Chinese troops chanting “Jai Shri Ram” during the recent disengagement at the Ladakh border.

Verdict:
False

The Claim:
A video circulated on social media allegedly shows Indian and Chinese troops chanting “Jai Shri Ram” together. According to social media posts, this footage was captured during the recent disengagement process along the India-China border in Ladakh following the de-escalation agreement on October 25, 2024. Some posts referenced the BRICS summit outcomes, claiming this troop withdrawal at key friction points as part of the agreement.

Fact-Check Analysis:
After investigating the origins of the video, we found it unrelated to the recent India-China disengagement. The video has been on the internet since January 2024, predating the October disengagement by several months.

Official Statements or Evidence:
- Reverse image searches of key frames from the viral video led to a Facebook post dated January 22, 2024. This confirms that the video was circulating online well before the October troop withdrawal agreement.
- Additionally, a report by India TV from January 2024 indicated that the video was filmed during a meeting between Indian and Chinese troops around Diwali 2023. Although it became popular during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in January, it was not connected to recent events.
Additional Findings:
- An X post on January 22, 2024, pinpointed the video’s location to the Chepzi-Chumar border area in southern Ladakh. The geographical features visible in the video align with this region’s terrain, as verified on Google Earth.
- News outlets also reported that the video likely originated during a routine meeting between troops, where both sides exchanged snacks and beverages, rather than during a formal troop disengagement or the recent Diwali celebrations.

Context:
On October 25, 2024, India and China began disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, dismantling temporary structures on both sides. However, the viral video making rounds on social media was filmed much earlier, around Diwali 2023. The presence of soldiers interacting casually suggests a routine meeting rather than an official withdrawal event.

Geolocated @Kyangs_Thang.

Chepzi-Chumar border areas, southern ladakh.
Coordinates: 32.600858°, 78.513753. https://t.co/EknXIzff3o pic.twitter.com/DLctxZsxL4
— Nature Desai (@NatureDesai) January 22, 2024

Conclusion:
The viral video does not depict the October 2024 India-China disengagement. It was filmed earlier, likely around Diwali 2023, during a routine meeting between troops in the Chepzi-Chumar area of southern Ladakh. Thus, claims linking this video to the recent troop withdrawal are false.

Verdict: False