A slight increase in the number of Chinese troops in their areas in the eastern sector
Says Ceasefire Along LoC in J&K Holding Well
New Delhi - The situation along the border with China is "stable" but "unpredictable" and Indian troops are adequately deployed to deal with any contingency even as there has been a slight increase in the number of Chinese troops in their areas across the eastern sector, he said. on Thursday, Army Chief General Manoj Pande.
In a press conference ahead of Army Day, General Pande also said that Indian troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have been able to maintain a robust posture to defeat any evil intention of the adversary in a "firm and decisive" manner.
The Chief of General Staff maintained that the preparedness level of the Indian Army remained "very high" along the LAC and that it had sufficient forces and reserves in each of the sectors to deal effectively with any situation.
"The situation is stable and under control, yet unpredictable. You are aware of ongoing talks where we have been able to resolve five of the seven issues that were on the table and we continue to engage both at the diplomatic and military levels,” he said.
“In terms of our readiness, they remain at a very high level. We have adequate forces, we have adequate reserves in each of our sectors to be able to effectively deal with any situation or crisis situation,” he added.
The army chief said the "strategic rebalancing" of troops, which was carried out some time ago, has been completed.
"We have been able to maintain a very robust defensive posture and thwart any attempts by our adversary to unilaterally change the status quo in a firm and decisive manner," General Pande said.
His comments came amid a 32-month-old military standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh.
There was a fresh rise in tensions between India and China after troops from both sides engaged in a clash along the LAC in the Yangtze in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector on December 9.
Gen Pande said that the deployment of troops by the Chinese side along the northern border is continuing in the same manner and that the number of Indian troops in the region is at par with the region.
“The number of (Chinese) troops opposite our Eastern Command has increased slightly. We are watching it closely,” he said.
The Army's Eastern Command, headquartered in Kolkata, handles security in areas along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
When asked about the situation in Doklam, General Pande said that all activities in the region are being closely monitored.
Referring to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the ceasefire agreement that was agreed in February 2021 was valid.
At the same time, Gen Pande said that cross-border support to terrorism and terrorist infrastructure remained.
“As far as the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the ceasefire agreement that came into effect in February 2021 is holding up well. However, cross-border support for terrorism and terrorist infrastructure remains,” he said.
"It is pleasing to see a significant reduction in the parameters of violence and the fact that the people there are cooperating with the government in a number of development initiatives. Regardless of all this, we have to remain alert both on the Line of Control and in the hinterland,” he said.
Regarding the situation in the North East, he said that peace has returned to most of the states in the region.
The army chief said that a proposal has been sent to the government to accept women in the artillery units.
"That's something we decided to do. We have to do (it). The proposal was forwarded to the government. We hope it will be accepted,” he said.
General Pande said that the Army has decided that 2023 will be a year of transformation and the force has set a concrete plan focused on certain outcomes that can be achieved. "This process will continue beyond this year."
Asked whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine added new complexities to India's security challenges along the LAC as it could embolden China to take an aggressive stance, he said a detailed analysis was done at the operational, strategic and tactical levels.
“We have to put these lessons into context. We have incorporated them into a larger weapons platform, cyberspace,” he said.
Asked about the impact of the Ukraine conflict, the chief of staff said there was an impact on supplies, but his forces would overcome the challenge.
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