| schema:text
| - Fact Check: Chinese troops chant 'Jai Shri Ram' amid disengagement at Ladakh? No, this video is old
This video has been on the internet since as early as January 2024. But news reports claim that the video may have been from around Diwali in 2023.
Listen to Story
India Today Fact Check
This video predates the India-China disengagement by several months. It has been present on social media since as early as January 2024.
After agreeing to de-escalate border tensions and end the standoff along the Line of Actual Control, India and China began disengagement in eastern Ladakh on October 25. Indian soldiers are reportedly retreating to the west of the Charding Nala and China’s People’s Liberation Army is heading back east, both forces dismantling tents and other structures on either side. Patrolling is expected to resume in the Depsang and Demchok regions soon.
Now a video making the rounds on social media allegedly shows troops of both nations chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. In it, Indian troops could be seen teaching Chinese soldiers how to pronounce “Jai Shri Ram” and then chanting it together.
One person shared the video on Facebook writing, “Brics summit outcomes: India & China begin troop disengagement in eastern Ladakh. Troop withdrawal has commenced at key friction points in Demchok and the Depsang Plains. Indian forces are withdrawing equipment in accordance with the agreement reached on Monday to end the border standoff.”
India Today Fact Check, however, found that this video has been on social media since as early as January 2024, and thus unrelated to the recent disengagement decision.
Our Probe
Reverse searching keyframes from the viral video led us to the same video shared in a Facebook post, dated January 22, 2024, making it clear that it predates the India-China disengagement by several months. The post, however, contained no information about the video.
Further searches led us to news reports about this video, published in January this year. According to India TV, the video went viral on social media during the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22. Per reports, the video emerged from the Line of Actual Control at a time when China and India were locked in a border standoff.
The presence of tables of snacks and beverages between the troops indicates that it was shot during a meeting between the two sides. Quoting sources, several news outlets reported the video was not shot at the time of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, but during a routine meeting between the troops three months before, around Diwali in 2023. There was, however, no official confirmation from the army regarding the clip.
We also found an X post dated January 22 that geolocated the video, stating it was from the Chepzi-Chumar border areas of southern Ladakh. The features and the mountains in the background as seen on Google Earth match the video’s terrain.
Incidentally, news reports about the video from January also mention that this video was likely from Ladakh’s Chepzi-Chumar area. Thus, it’s clear this video is not related to the recent disengagement process between India and China.
Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000
You can also send us an email at factcheck@intoday.com
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)