Dharamshala, 5th October: Army chief Gen M M Singh made the remarks ahead of the next meeting of Indian and Chinese military commanders. Even as he expressed hope that the 17-month standoff in eastern Ladakh would be resolved in the coming days, Naravane expressed alarm about the surge in Chinese force deployment throughout the entire border. Even as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to consolidate its military positions along the border with heavy weaponry and upgrade its airbases facing India, which has resulted in matching deployments on the Indian side, the 13th round of corps commander-level talks between India and China is expected to take place next week.
Gen Naravane told the increase in PLA deployments in “significant numbers” in forwarding areas all along the 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control, which runs from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, remains “a source of concern for us.” He had previously stated that military clashes will be unavoidable until the two countries’ border dispute is resolved.
The Indian Army has taken precautions across the Chinese border, both in terms of force deployment and infrastructure construction. “We’ve also brought in cutting-edge weaponry. We are strong and well-prepared to deal with any circumstance that arises”.
Indian and Chinese troops disengaged in the Pangong Tso-Kailash Range region in February and Patrolling Point-17A near Gogra in August, but the military standoff over the other “friction points” at Hot Springs, Demchok, and the strategically located Depsang Plains continues.
“When the discussions began, some were skeptical that they would result in anything, but I am convinced that we can overcome our differences via dialogue, which is exactly what has transpired in the last few months,” Naravane added.