Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on Wednesday said though India and China have been working on disengagement along the Line of Actual (LAC) in Ladakh, the Chinese threat persists in the region and is very much high.
He said the Indian Army would deal with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in a firm and resolute manner.
Addressing the annual Army Day press conference in virtual mode, General Naravane said the Indian Army had enhanced force levels in the areas where the military standoff started two years ago and continued into 2022.
“On northern borders, we have continued to maintain the highest level of operational preparedness while at the same time, engaging with PLA through dialogue,” he said.
“The 14th round of the Corps Commander level talks is underway, and I am hopeful that you shall see further developments in the days ahead. But while there has been partial disengagement, the threat has by no means reduced,” General Naravane told journalists.
He said India’s response to Chinese attempt to unilaterally change status quo along the Line of Actual Control, or LAC, was “very robust”.
On the threat from both China and Pakistan, he said: “In line with our operational realities, we have undertaken reorganisation and rebalancing of forces. Reorientation of additional forces to the northern borders has been carried out, while retaining our punitive strike capability, along the western front.’’
Along the northern borders, he said that Indian Army continues to maintain the highest levels of operational preparedness while engaging in sustained dialogue with China’s People’s Liberation Army.
“Force levels in areas where disengagement is yet to take place have been adequately enhanced. Threat assessment and internal deliberations have resulted in reorganisation and realignment of forces in keeping with the Army’s mandate of ensuring territorial integrity, and to cater for the major augmentation of PLA forces and military infrastructure. We will continue to deal with the PLA in a firm, resolute and peaceful manner, while ensuring the sanctity of our claims. Necessary safeguards are in place,” the Army chief said.
On China’s new border law, the Army Chief said, any law, which is not binding on other countries, which is not legally tenable and is not in keeping with the agreements that we have had in the past, obviously cannot be binding on us.
On the Western front, the Army Chief said, there is an increase in the concentration of terrorists in various launch pads and there have been repeated attempts of infiltration across the Line of Control. This once again exposes the nefarious designs of our western neighbour, he said.