Ever ready
Massive deployment, mobilisation of security forces has started Army chief: If situation permits number of troops can be reduced
Following specific intelligence inputs that China was planning to open up yet another front against India this time along the Himachal Pradesh border, alert Indian security forces have gone for massive mobilisation of troops to deal with any potential Chinese threat in the near future.
Top security sources in New Delhi claimed that they had specific intelligence inputs, including satellite images and even visual footage, that Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was going for massive construction activity this time close to the Samdo border in the Lahaul Spiti region of Himachal. Similar activity was also noticed along the remote areas of Kinnaur region along the Indo-Chinese border also.
Officials said the PLA was constructing roads and settlements including permanent concrete structures very close to the borders. In fact, in some areas China has even settled people from other parts in these newly constructed villages close to the border in the Himachal sector. Some of these newly constructed buildings are being used for housing of the PLA troops as well.
Following these reports, massive deployment and mobilisation of security forces has been done.
Though so far, sources added, that Chinese soldiers have not made any attempt to transgress into India territory, as a precautionary measure security has been beefed up considerably.
Security forces have been extremely alert all along the Indo-China border ever since People’s Liberation Army entered India territory in the Ladakh sector and tried to occupy it which led to clashes between security personnel from both sides and resulted into casualties during SeptemberOctober last year.
Senior security officials claimed that both ITBP and the Army had intensified patrolling the Himachal sector also. Even though the Chinese activity was going on it was largely within their own territory as of now.
“If Chinese forces try any misadventure to cross over into the Indian side now like the did in Ladakh region they would be dealt with very severely,” a senior official said.
Meanwhile, India on Thursday reiterated that the process of military disengagement with China in the Ladakh sector “remains unfinished” and that both sides should maintain stability on the ground, avoid new incidents and ensure that no action is taken in violation of the previous bilateral agreements.
Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, said on Thursday that the onus for sustaining the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors in Jammu and Kashmir lies with Pakistan.
He did not rule out the possibility of reduction in the number of troops for active deployments in the erstwhile state if the situation on ground permitted it.
General Naravane said, “There’ve been decades of mistrust between Pakistan and India and the situation can’t change overnight. If they continue to observe ceasefire, stop and desist from pushing terrorists across India then these steps will incrementally build up trust. Onus is entirely on Pakistan”.
General Naravane who was speaking to a handpicked group of reporters here before winding up his two-day visit of Kashmir during which he reviewed the security situation in the hinterland and also along the LoC, coinciding with the completion of the renewal of ceasefire pledge between the two armies, asserted that the situation both along the de facto border as well as in the hinterland has greatly improved yet he urged people of the Valley to shun the path of violence as “it will not take you anywhere.”
He said, “After being briefed by the (Army) commanders here on the prevailing situations, both along the LoC and hinterland, I’m glad to say that
all the parameters we judge the normalcy by, have seen great improvement. There have been few (militant) initiated incidents”.
He added, “There have been hardly any cases of stone pelting, any cases or nil cases of IEDs (blasts) in the recent past and all these are indicators of return of the sense of normalcy…these are all indicators that awaam (people) also want the same and that is very good thing that is happening”.
Replying to a question, he said troops reduction in J&K was possible if the situation permitted it. He said, “Ceasefire is in
place… this is a dynamic process depending on the threat perceptions… If the situation permits then we do pull out troops from active deployments.”
In the backdrop of the improvement of the security situation, General Naravane said that the Army is ready to supplement the government’s effort towards holding a peaceful and smooth Amarnath yatra and has already taken all necessary steps for it. He, however, hastened to add that the decision to conduct the annual pilgrimage to the 13,000 highly revered cave-shrine in Kashmir lower Himalayas lies with
civil administration. The yatra is scheduled to begin from both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Balal routes on June 28 but in view of the surge in the number of deaths and positive cases in the second wave of Covid, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) last month announced temporarily suspension of the registration of pilgrims for the event.
Reiterating his call for putting an end to violence and confrontation in J&K, the Army Chief said the people of the Union Territory should shun the path of violence for a better future.