Kumar Bahukhandi
Army Chief Gen. Dwivedi stated that the LAC situation is stable but sensitive, with efforts underway to restore trust between India and China.
New Delhi: Asserting that now trust between India and China needs a new definition, Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday that a “degree of standoff” was still continuing along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and that there will no reduction in the troop deployment in the winter. The Army Chief said that while grazing has started in the Depsang and Demchok areas, the local commanders in other sectors too have been authorised to negotiate start patrolling and grazing wherever an agreement can be reached.
The Army Chief said that while the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan was holding up at the Line of Control, 60 per cent of the terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 were from Pakistan. He said that 15,000 additional troops were rushed in the Union territory last year, which has brought down the level of violence.
On the Manipur situation, Gen. Dwivedi said that external dimensions to the conflict can also not be ruled out. The Army Chief said that there was coordination among the security forces in Manipur, but they were dealing with strong tribal affiliations in the region and a scattered local police force. He said that Indian Army was in regular contact with the Myanmar Army and the exchange of information and support which is required in terms of intelligence is provided from both sides. He said the Army has put in place “enhanced surveillance” and “domination” along the India-Myanmar border to insulate the areas from a “spillover of turbulence” taking place in Myanmar. He expressed hope that new Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla will take the necessary steps for reconciliation.
He said that military relations with the Bangladesh Army was “well and perfect” and any animosity was “not in each other’s interest”.
“I’ll first dwell upon issues and to begin with the northern borders, as you are aware the situation is sensitive but stable. In October, the situation in Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh got resolved. The patrolling to traditional areas in these two sub-sectors has commenced. Similarly, traditional grazing has also commenced in these two areas. We shall continue to discuss management of others areas also along the northern borders, and towards that end I have authorised all my co-commanders to handle these issues at the ground level with respect to patrolling and grazing so that these trivial issues can be resolved at the military level itself,” said Gen. Dwivedi ahead of Army Day, which is celebrated on January 15. He said that the deployment of troops along the LAC was balanced and robust and was well poised to deal with any situation. He said that two rounds of verification have been held at Demchok and Depsang and both sides are quite satisfied about it. He said that earlier grazing was not allowed in the forward areas as the Army did not want the situation to deteriorate further.
He said that a series of meetings have been held to resolve the situation at the LAC even at the level of the Prime Minister and the Chinese President. On when the situation can be resolved at the LAC, he said: “As far as the timeline is concerned, I can only say India has adequate strategic patience”. “As far as the status of the standoff (with China) is concerned… we have to see what all has changed since April 2020. Has the terrain been doctored over a period of time? Yes, both sides have doctored the terrain. Have both sides carried out constructions? Yes. Both sides have carried out some stocking, deployment. Yes. Therefore, what it means is that there is a degree of standoff,” Gen. Dwivedi said.
“You have changed the situation after April 2020 so the trust between the two countries has to have a new definition. Therefore, there is a requirement for us to sit together and thereafter come to a broader understanding of how we want to calm down the situation and restore the trust. We are now looking forward to the next special representatives’ meeting which should take place,” he said.
Gen. Dwivedi said that there were no “buffer zones” in eastern Ladakh, rather, “temporary moratoriums” to avoid violence. “When you carry out negotiations, you look at what can be solved immediately and what will take some time to resolve. Where you see that the degree of violence can be high and the fuse is short, you create some distances. So, when we carried out these negotiations over a period of time, some places we declared as temporary moratorium. Because we felt that if we met at those places, the violence level may go high,” he said.
The Army Chief said that corps commanders have been given powers to resolve trivial issues or minor frictions so that they don’t later on become a big issue.
On troop deployment at the LAC, the Army Chief said that as of today the capability developed by China entails that we should continue to maintain this type of troop deployment. He said that any review to bring down the number of troops in summer will depend on negotiations and assurances.
The Army Chief said “cyclic” incidents of violence are still continuing in Manipur and the Army is focusing on bringing peace to the region. “The overall situation is gradually improving. In Manipur, synergized efforts of security forces and proactive government initiatives have brought the situation under control. However, cyclic incidents of violence continue. We are working to establish peace in the region. Various NGOs and our veterans are reaching out to the community leaders to give effect to a kind of reconciliation. Along the India-Myanmar border, enhanced surveillance and domination are in place that is to insulate from a spillover of turbulence which is taking place in Myanmar as of now. As far as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are concerned, based on the experience gained in 2024, we have specifically marked Rs 17 crores for upgrading our QRTs and QR medical teams,” he said.
( Source : D C )
