Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 2: It is a matter of concern for India that China has deployed troops in considerable numbers across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Saturday while expressing hope that the pending issues between the two countries along the LAC would be resolved soon.
He said India had made matching deployments in terms of troops and infrastructure in its areas along the LAC and there was no way anyone would be able to behave in an aggressive manner again.
His statement came ahead of the 13th round of talks between the two countries on the Ladakh standoff and disengagement of military forces. “China has deployed in considerable numbers all across Eastern Ladakh and Northern front right up to our Eastern command. Definitely, there has been an increase in their deployment in the forward areas which remains a matter of concern for us,” Naravane said.
“We are regularly monitoring all their movements. Based on the inputs we get, we are also carrying out matching developments both in infrastructure as well in terms of troops that are needed to counter any threat. At the moment, we are quite well poised to meet any eventuality.”
The army chief reached eastern Ladakh on Friday for a two-day visit to review the operational preparedness in the region. Upon his arrival, the Army chief visited the Rezang La War Memorial, which is close to Rezang La and Rechin La, two of the points from where Indian and Chinese forces had disengaged in February.
The two forces, with their troops and tanks, had been stationed just a few hundred meters apart in this area till February. Since then, the two sides have disengaged from Gogra Post as well, but Hot Springs continues to be a friction area.
Apart from Hot Springs, Chinese troops have been blocking Indian soldiers from accessing their traditional patrolling points in Depsang Plains – close to the strategically significant Daulat Beg Oldie base in the north. In Demchok as well, “so called civilians” had pitched tents on the Indian side of the LAC.
On September 16, Union Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, had met China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Dushanbe. According to the MEA, the two leaders had “exchanged views on the current situation along” the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar had noted the disengagement at Gogra Post, “however, there were still some outstanding issues that needed to be resolved.”
The last discussion, the 12th round, had taken place on July 31, during which both sides had agreed to disengage from Gogra Post of Patrolling Point 17A. “The situation at friction points has been normal for the past six months. The talks have been going on. We had the 12th round of talks last month, and also hopeful of having the 13th round of talks, maybe by the second week of October.”
He added, “When the talks had started, people were doubtful whether talks would resolve anything, but I am of the firm opinion that we can resolve our differences with dialogue and that is what has happened in the past few months.”
Naravane had earlier said border clashes might continue till a boundary agreement was reached between the two countries. “… we have an outstanding border issue. We are again well prepared to meet any misadventure that may occur as we have demonstrated in the past… Such kinds of incidents will continue to occur till such time that a long-term solution is reached, and that is to have a boundary agreement. And that should be the thrust of our efforts so that we have lasting peace along the northern (China) border,” he had said.