India will not reduce the strength of its troops deployed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh till disengagement from stand-off sites are completed and China is “amenable” to de-inducting its force, Army Chief General MM Naravane said here on Wednesday.
Making this assertion as the 14th round of military-level talks were underway at the LAC in Chushul in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday, he also said ramping up of large force by China there was the “root cause” of the ongoing tension at the border for the last two years.
The Army Chief favoured dialogue to resolve the differences and said every round of talks do not yield results. The talks give both the sides a chance to know about the differences in perception and finally come to mutually acceptable agreement, he said. “Situation, at present, is stable and under control,” he said.
Lt General Anindiya Sengupta, chief of Leh based 14 Corps, is heading the Indian delegation in the talks. The last round was held on October 10 last year when both countries blamed each other for the ongoing tension and face-offs at some friction points. Naravane said India was hopeful of resolving issues at Patrolling Point 15 (Hot Springs).
He made these remarks when asked if the Army was gearing up for permanent deployment at the LAC in eastern Ladakh in the aftermath of transgressions by China in May 2020 leading to heightened tension.
Holding China responsible for the situation at the LAC in Ladakh, Naravane said the first step is to disengage from the face-offs.
Once these processes are completed, “we can then think of de-induction,” he said, adding it depended on mutually acceptable principle of security. Till then, the Army is prepared to stay there as long as required, the Army Chief said. At present, more than 50,000 troops each from both the Armies are deployed in the front at the LAC in Ladakh.
The Army Chief said the force will continue to deal with the PLA in a firm and resolute manner in eastern Ladakh.
He said though there was partial disengagement in the region, the “threat by no means has reduced. “We have continued to maintain the highest levels of operational preparedness while at the same time engaging with the Chinese PLA through dialogue,” he said.
The Chief also said the Army is more than adequately prepared to deal with any military ramifications of China’s new land boundary law.
“We will continue to deal with the Chinese PLA in a firm and resolute manner,” he said adding necessary safeguards are in place to take care of any contingencies.
Fielding a question on China stepping up its infrastructure projects in the region, Naravane said it was not restricted to building barracks. The Chinese are constructing roads, bridges and tunnels and “we have equally matched them. No way we are lagging behind and are evenly matched,” he said.
Naravane said India has also enhanced its efforts to build roads and other infrastructure in the border areas of the country. The initiative was undertaken in a holistic and comprehensive manner, he said adding major efforts are undertaken to see what all dual-use infrastructure in the border areas can be made use of.
The Army chief said the response by his forces to Chinese attempts to unilaterally change the status quo was very robust. “We are much better prepared to meet any challenge that is thrown up at us,” he said.
