As tension continues to prevail at the border with China for the past three years, Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Thursday said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh is “stable” but “sensitive”. He asserted that Indian troops are maintaining a “high state” of preparedness to deal with any challenge.
He also mentioned a decrease in overall incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. However, he expressed concern about an increase in such incidents in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. Pande pointed out that terror infrastructure continues to thrive across the border, making an apparent reference to Pakistan’s support for various terrorist groups.
Addressing these points during the annual press conference ahead of Army Day on January 15, the Army Chief said India and China are engaged in talks at both the military and diplomatic levels to resolve the remaining differences. Trouble began in May 2020 when Chinese troops attempted to alter the status quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
Expanding on India’s readiness, Pande emphasised that our operational preparedness remains at a high level. He also mentioned that the Indian Army is maintaining adequate reserves to confront any security challenges in the region.
Indian and Chinese troops have been in a confrontation for over three years at certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, even as both sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.
“Regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army Chief mentioned that the ceasefire understanding with Pakistan is holding along the Line of Control (LoC), despite infiltration attempts. He said, “We are successfully thwarting infiltration attempts along the LoC.”
General Pande also noted a decrease in overall incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. However, he pointed out that such incidents have increased in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. Expressing concern, he said, “The situation and terrorist activities in Rajouri and Poonch in the last 5-6 months are troubling because, as peace is being restored in the valley, our adversaries are fostering proxy tanzeems in the area.”
This was an apparent reference to Pakistan.
He also noted that terror infrastructure continues to thrive across the border, making an apparent reference to Pakistan’s support for various terrorist groups.
“If you look back, before 2003, terrorism in that area was eradicated, and peace prevailed until 2017/18. However, due to the situation normalising in the Valley, our adversaries have become active there,” he added.
The Army chief highlighted the increase in proxy wars, pointing out that in the last three years, 45 terrorists were eliminated in these areas. “Last year alone saw five foiled infiltration attempts, resulting in the elimination of six terrorists. Additionally, about 14 terrorists were neutralised in the hinterland,” he further stated.
When asked about talks between Bhutan and China to resolve their boundary dispute, the Army Chief mentioned that developments with a bearing on India’s security are being closely monitored. He emphasised, “We have robust military engagement with Bhutan and are closely monitoring developments.”
Describing the situation along the Indo-Myanmar border as a matter of concern, the Army Chief stated, “We are closely watching developments there.”
Expressing concern over the situation at the Indo-Myanmar border, General Pande highlighted the impact of activities by the Myanmar army and ethnic armed organisations. He reported instances of Myanmar army personnel and Bhutanese civilians seeking shelter in Indian territories.
“We also have some insurgent groups feeling the pressure, attempting to cross onto our side of the border in the state of Manipur. Coupled with the situation in Manipur, this is something we are closely monitoring. We currently have close to 20 Assam Rifle Battalions deployed at the Indo-Myanmar border, and there are discussions about further strengthening our border fence.”
In response to emerging challenges, the Army Chief outlined the induction of new technologies and the restructuring of artillery and electronic warfare units.
“As part of emergency provisions, we have successfully introduced new technologies to address various domains of warfare. This includes improved vehicles, drones, and counter-drone systems, as well as terrain-specific electronic warfare systems,” he said.
“We have restructured our artillery units and electronic warfare and electronic intelligence units. Additionally, we are in the process of replacing animals in our transport units with drones. We have devised a plan to optimise our strength significantly, aiming for a reduction of 1 lakh numbers by 2027. We have submitted this proposal to the government,” he added. He also mentioned that the integration of Agniveers into the Army is progressing well.”
