close_game
close_game

Army chief advocates ‘whole-of-nation’ approach to ensure no surprises along LAC

ByRahul Singh
Jan 15, 2025 06:08 PM IST

The Army chief’s remark comes at a time when India is pressing for de-escalation of the conflict in the sensitive theatre on the back of the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from Depsang and Demchok

PUNE: Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday advocated “the whole-of-nation approach” in dealing with China on the border issue to prevent a repeat of what happened between the rival armies in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley in 2020 and ensure there are no such surprises in the future, at a time when India is pressing for de-escalation of the conflict in the sensitive theatre on the back of the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from Depsang and Demchok.

Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi during the 9th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day celebrations, in Pune. (@adgpi)
Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi during the 9th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day celebrations, in Pune. (@adgpi)

He reiterated that things were stable but sensitive along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, and the Indian Army was fully ready and capable of dealing with any situation, referring to the force’s balanced and robust deployment along the mountain frontier.

“The northern borders (with China) are safe because the Indian Army is sitting there. And it is there in the numbers required...Why caution? That’s because we must make sure that whatever was done in Galwan should not be repeated,” the army chief said in response to a question, after reviewing the 77th Army Day parade in Pune.

Twenty Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed on June 15, 2020, in a savage brawl with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where outnumbered Indian troops fought off numerically superior rivals and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. According to India’s assessment, the PLA’s casualties were twice as many as the Indian Army’s though Beijing officially claimed that only four Chinese soldiers were killed.

The skirmish brought the India-China bilateral relationship to a breaking point. “Galwan should not be repeated. It means our eyes and ears...and the whole-of- nation approach should be focused on that --- whether it’s the diplomatic effort or the military effort or even the MHA (ministry of home affairs) in terms of the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) effort. We should all converge on this issue and make sure that we do not get any such surprises in the future,” Dwivedi added.

On January 13, he said a “degree of standoff” remains along the LAC in the Ladakh sector following developments that took place after the border row erupted in April 2020, and the two sides must reach a broader understanding on how to calm the situation down and restore the trust.

He ruled out any plans to cut troop levels along the disputed frontier during the current winter.

“As far as the standoff is concerned, we must see what all has changed after April 2020. Both sides have doctored the terrain (through deployments and construction), carried out billeting construction and there has been stocking and deployment. This means there is a degree of standoff,” Dwivedi said at his annual media briefing in Delhi two days ago.

His comments came two-and-a-half months after the Indian Army and the PLA resumed their patrolling activities in Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.

The disengagement in the two areas began on October 23, 2024, two days after India and China announced a breakthrough in negotiations to resolve their stand-off in Depsang and Demchok, the last two flashpoints in Ladakh where the two armies were eyeball-to-eyeball since April 2020.

India and China earlier disengaged from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), areas where so-called zones of separation were created to temporarily restrict the patrolling activities of both armies. This was done to eliminate the possibility of violent face-offs. The lifting of the moratorium on patrolling these areas by both sides will depend on the outcome of further talks.

To be sure, disengagement from friction areas is the first step towards cooling border tensions. De-escalation of the lingering conflict and the eventual de-induction of rival soldiers must follow to restore peace and tranquillity in the sector. Both armies still have tens of thousands of troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Get Current Updates on India News, Weather Today, Latest News at Hindustan Times.
See More
Get Current Updates on India News, Weather Today, Latest News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, February 10, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On