India is vigilant and prepared to counter and defeat any misadventure to defend our people and the territorial integrity
BENGALURU: India has witnessed unfortunate attempts by its neighbour to employ force to alter the status quo along its unresolved borders, in the midst of a lingering border row with China in eastern Ladakh since May 5 last year, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
“India is vigilant and prepared to counter and defeat any misadventure to defend our people and the territorial integrity at all costs,” Singh said at the inaugural ceremony of Aero India-2021, the country’s premier Defence and aerospace show, at Yelahanka Air Force Station here.
“Our resolve towards this end is shown by our growing defence capabilities. Aero India 21 will showcase this commitment,” he added.
During the ninth round of military talks, on the border standoff, on January 24, the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) agreed to push for an early disengagement of their frontline troops at frictions areas along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
“They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the corps commander level meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation,” a joint statement, which was issued a day after the talks, read.
On Tuesday, the minister said India’s robust stance, calibrated response and the unrelenting spirit of its soldiers led to stabilisation of the situation along the country’s northern borders.
India has consistently pushed for comprehensive disengagement at all flashpoints and restoration of the status quo during the ongoing military talks.
Until now, the Chinese side was insisting that the Indian Army first withdraw its troops deployed on the strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.
On January 12, Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said the Indian Army was prepared to hold its ground in eastern Ladakh “for as long as it takes” to achieve national objectives in case the ongoing military and diplomatic talks with the neighbouring country are prolonged.
While the LAC in eastern Ladakh has been at the centre of the current border tensions, Indian forces are in a heightened state of alert all along the border with China stretching from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.
Last month, soldiers from both sides suffered minor injuries in a brawl in north Sikkim, an incident which put the spotlight on the eastern sector even as rival soldiers are deployed eyeball to eyeball in Ladakh. The two sides have clashed at least five times since the border row erupted last year.