There has been a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the eastern Ladakh area for over a month.
New Delhi, June 27
The Congress on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly condemn China for its “brazen incursions” into Indian territory and urged the government to take “strong and quick action” to resolve the Line of Actual Control (LAC) issue.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said at a virtual press conference that the Prime Minister should address the nation and promise that anyone capturing Indian territory would be pushed back.
He said the entire nation and the entire opposition would stand behind him and his promise.
Alleging that the last six years have seen the biggest diplomatic failure under the Modi government, the former Union minister said “some quick action” should be taken to resolve the LAC issue with China.
“Some quick action is required,” he said seeking early resolution of the border dispute with China, while noting that diplomacy and economic blockade with China would not work.
“Yes, the action should be strong (against China). The quality, nature and the timing of that action has to be decided by the government,” he said when asked what “quick action” he was asking for. Sibal said it was for the government to decide and not the opposition.
The Congress leader alleged that China has erected tents and structures near PP-14 in Galwan Valley, the place where 20 Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives. He added that satellite imagery also reflects construction of new black top roads by Chinese forces on the Galwan riverbed, erection of large numbers of military tents and presence of bulldozers and other heavy equipment.
“What is our government doing about it? The PM must clear the air and condemn these brazen Chinese incursions,” he said.
Asking why the Prime Minister does not openly and publicly condemn the “brazen acts of infiltrations, incursions and occupation” of Indian territory by China, he said, “I want the PM to publicly condemn China. We will support the prime minister.”
Sibal said the situation is such that the PM’s statement that nobody intruded into India is being used by the Chinese globally.
“We want the prime minister to address the nation and promise that if anyone has captured Indian territory, we will push them back. If you say so, the public and the entire opposition will stand behind you and your promise,” he said.
There has been a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the eastern Ladakh area for over a month and a bloody clash took place between them on the night of June 15 in the Galwan Valley, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. PTI
China grabbed 45,000 sq km of Indian land post-1962 war: Pawar Says national security matter shouldn’t be politicised
Amidst a war of words between the Congress and the BJP over the face-off with China, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said national security matters shouldn’t be politicised and added one cannot forget China had captured about 45000 sq km of Indian land after the 1962 war.
Pawar’s comments came in response to a query about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surrendered Indian territory to the Chinese aggression.
Pawar also said the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh cannot immediately be labelled as a failure of the Defence Minister, as Indian soldiers were alert during patrolling.
Speaking to reporters here, the former Union Minister said the entire episode is “sensitive” in nature.
It was China which played the provocateur in the Galwan Valley, he said.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash with their Chinese counterpart in eastern Ladakh on the night of June 15.
The former Defence Minister further said India had been constructing a road in the Galwan valley within its limits meant for communication purposes.
“What happened was they (the Chinese troops) tried to encroach on our road and were pushed physically. It was not somebody’s failure. If somebody comes (within your territory) while you are patrolling, they may come at any time. We cannot immediately say it is the failure of the Defence Minister sitting in Delhi,” Pawar said.
Patrolling was on there. There was a scuffle, which means you were alert. Had you not been, you would not even have realised when they (Chinese troops) came and went.
“Hence, I don’t think it is right to make such an allegation at this juncture,” he said.
Responding to the allegation raised by Rahul Gandhi, Pawar said one cannot forget that China captured around 45,000 sq km of India’s land, after the 1962 war between the two countries.
“That land is still with China. I don’t know if they (China) have encroached on some area now again. But when I make an allegation, I should also see what had happened when I was there (in power). If such big land was encroached upon then, it cannot be ignored. It is a matter of national security and it should not be politicised is what I feel,” he said.
Pawar further hit out at the Centre over the rising prices of fuel, saying he had never seen the rates going up daily.
He noted the people are already in trouble and the economy is in crisis due to the extended lockdown.
The Centre should take decisions that will bring the economy back on track, he said.
“The rise in fuel prices does have an impact on the economy. I think the Centre is taking this decision as there already is lockdown.
“People are not speaking up during this period. Due to some other reason, there already is a feeling among the people to tolerate what is going on (and) they (the Centre) are taking disadvantage of this situation (to raise prices),” he said.
Asked about BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar’s recent remark against him, the NCP chief said the legislator was rejected by voters in the elections previously and there is no need to take note of his remark.
Padalkar had said that “Pawar was a corona that has infected Maharashtra”.
Pawar also made light of former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ claim that the NCP had wanted to join hands with the BJP two years ago.
“Right now, he has a lot of time. Hence, he keeps something or the other for publicity,” Pawar quipped. PTI
India has turned down on health and technical grounds Pakistan’s offer to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on June 29 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. New Delhi rejected the offer within hours on Saturday after Islamabad conveyed its readiness to reopen the corridor.
DELHI’S CONTENTION
Islamabad aired the proposal at a short notice of two days
Bilateral pact mandates a minimum notice of 7 days for travel
Pak hasn’t built bridge over Ravi for safe journey in monsoon
Sources here said any such decision would have to be taken in consultation with the health authorities and other stakeholders as cross-border travel had been suspended to contain the virus.
India accused Pakistan of being less than sincere in making the offer as Islamabad aired the proposal at a short notice of two days. On the other hand, the bilateral agreement provides for information to be shared by India with the Pakistan side at least seven days before the date of travel. This would need India to open up the registration process well in advance, the sources pointed out. Besides, Pakistan has not built the bridge on their side across the flood plains of Ravi river despite having committed to it in the agreement. With the advent of monsoon, it would need to be evaluated whether safe pilgrim movement was possible through the corridor. The corridor was inaugurated in November last year by Pakistan PM Imran Khan on the eve of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary. — TNS
Indian boats patrol Pangong Tso in Ladakh. Tribune photo
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 27
All along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the military postures between India and China at the north bank of Pangong Tso have hardened.
Story Highlights
The ‘finger’ troubleAt approximately 14,000 ft, Indian Army and PLA troops stand deployed around what is called the ‘Finger 4’. India has always claimed territory till ‘Finger 8’. PLA has unilaterally stopped Indian troops from patrolling crucial areas east of Finger 4. Each spur or ridgeline is identified as ‘finger’ in military parlance and each ridgeline is separated by 2-5 km
As of now positions of the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are within 500 metres of each other, or within the range of handheld rifles carried by troops on the either side.
At 135-km long glacial melt lake, which is at an altitude of approximately 14,000 ft, Indian Army and PLA troops stand deployed in good numbers around what is called the “Finger 4”. India has always claimed territory till “Finger 8”, which lies east of “Finger 4”.
The PLA has unilaterally stopped Indian troops from patrolling crucial areas east of “Finger 4”. Eight mountain spurs of the Chang Chenmo range end at the north bank of this lake. Each spur or ridgeline is identified as “finger” in military parlance and each ridgeline is separated by 2-5 km. On the intervening night of May 5-6, troops of both sides clashed, resulting in injuries and damage to patrol boats of both sides. The PLA removed some Indian structures and the Indian Army repaid.
Two other brawls were reported on May 14 and May 31, but were not as serious as the one on May 5-6.
It is not that 2020 started these clashes. Things had been changing in the past few years. The PLA had been edgy about Indian patrols and often a face-off would occur in the disputed area – between Finger 4 and Finger 8 – a source said, adding the first physical clash happened in August 2017. This was when the two armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off at the Doklam plateau at the edge of South-eastern Sikkim, troops of the either side clashed north of Pangong Tso. The two locations are separated by more than 2000 km.
After a lull of one year, aggressive patrolling from both sides resumed in 2019. In the latter half of 2019, China started objecting to India patrolling to east of Finger 4. With the snow season commencing in October-end, the patrolling was restricted.
In latter part of February and early March, patrolling parties of both sides once again had a few face-offs. Indian troops found another route to complete their patrols east of Finger 4, which the PLA blocked. The Indian Army at its meetings with PLA has asked for restoration of status quo ante.
Supreme Hero Of Galwan :Valour of Martyr Young Sikh Solider :
Only 23 years of age, playful, the usual fun-loving Sikh , his boyish looks concealing the steely soldier who will never shy away from an unequal fight. Meet Gurtej Singh of 3rd Punjab’s ‘Ghatak Platoon’who reinforced the beleaguered , outmaneuvered fighters of 16th Bihar regiment at Galwan valley on the evening of 15 June. But first take a ticket to heaven, where rests ‘chota phai Gurtej’ , blessed by the Almighty. He is not here with his paltan anymore and will not return to his family for his favourite ‘sarson da saag’ and ‘makkai di roti’. Honestly , it is very difficult for an emotional Bengali like me , also a military school product, to hold back tears as I write the amazing story of ‘chotaphai Gurtej’. As the fierce 3rd ‘Ghataks’ and the Sikh gunners of Medium Arty regiment rushed into the fight with very little time to plan and prepare on that Monday evening in the picturesque but blooded Galwan Valley , they were only carrying thei
Only 23 years of age, playful, the usual fun-loving Sikh , his boyish looks concealing the steely soldier who will never shy away from an unequal fight.
Meet Gurtej Singh of 3rd Punjab’s ‘Ghatak Platoon’ who reinforced the beleaguered , outmaneuvered fighters of 16th Bihar regiment at Galwan valley on the evening of 15 June. But first take a ticket to heaven, where rests ‘chota phai Gurtej’ , blessed by the Almighty.
He is not here with his paltan anymore and will not return to his family for his favourite ‘sarson da saag’ and ‘makkai di roti’.
Honestly , it is very difficult for an emotional Bengali like me , also a military school product, to hold back tears as I write the amazing story of ‘chotaphai Gurtej’.
As the fierce 3rd ‘Ghataks’ and the Sikh gunners of Medium Arty regiment rushed into the fight with very little time to plan and prepare on that Monday evening in the picturesque but blooded Galwan Valley , they were only carrying their customary kirpan and an assortments of sticks, rods and sharp knives.
Fellow fighters recall Gurtej being attacked by four Chinese soldiers. The strong Sikh, shouting his ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ war cries in a thunderous roar, swung round two of them and as two others tried to pin him down, he dragged all four of them towards the cliff.
“All four Chinese were flung to death but Gurtej lost his balance and also slipped , but was stuck in a boulder , hence avoiding a free fall. Badly injured in the neck and head, Gurtej rewrapped his turban and in a inhuman effort pulled himself back into the fight,” said a military source quoting a fellow fighter.
Gurtej slashed some Chinese with his kirpan before he could snatch a sharp weapon from a Chinese soldier.
“Not only that one but seven other Chinese soldiers perished at the hands of Gurtej before one stabbed him from behind. Even as he went down , he slashed his killer with his kirpan,” said the military source.
At the end of the bloody fight, Gurtej lay dead but so were the 12 Chinese killed by them. As they say, ‘Ik Ik Akali Sikh sawa lakh de barabar” ( an Akali Sikh is as good as 1,25,000)
Gurtej’s body was dragged back by the surviving ‘Ghataks’. I have no access to his village to recount his cremation but knowing Sikhs so well from my childhood in Punjab, I am sure his proud parents will have tears in their eyes for him — but more tears of pride than tears of sorrow.
Gurtej Singh , the latest martyr or ‘Shaheed’ in an enormously crowded pantheon of Sikh heroes starting from Banda Bahadur , is a hero India is yet to know but will never forget once it did .
Asia lost a decade to counter China. But India and Quad can lead new strategy nowAsia has a spaghetti bowl of regional security structures. A new pan-Asian strategy with India in the lead can help counter China’s belligerence.
File photo of President Xi Jinping | Flickr
Deng Xiaoping’s ascent to the pinnacle of Chinese power inaugurated a high-growth economic transition, which also kick-started the modernisation of the moribund People’s Liberation Army in 2000. The trigger came in the form of the Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-96.
In the next 20 years, China’s defence budget would grow from $14.6 billion or 121 billion Yuan at the turn of the millennium to $178 billion or 1.268 trillion Yuan by 2020. Given the opacity of Chinese defence numbers, independent estimates believe the figure to be much higher. In comparison, India will spend $65.86 billion, and Japan $47 billion in the current fiscal.
A full decade
The Chinese defence ramp-up to protect its undefined core or fundamental interests set alarm bells ringing in influential Asian capitals in the early 2000s itself.
Influential Western think-tanks commenced Track- 1 exercises in 2002 to explore whether an Asian NATO could be brought into existence. The aim was to contain China without using the word ‘containment’. The lynchpin of such an exercise had to be the United States, the prevailing global hegemon after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its vassal states in Eastern Europe.
However, the US was distracted and deeply involved in the War against Terror post-9/11. Subsequently, its energies got further consumed with the invasion of Iraq and the growing entanglement in Afghanistan. Moreover, those were the heydays of globalisation and China was the factory of the world. So, there was a diffidence about pushing a security architecture that could affect global supply chains, which were filling the coffers of American and European conglomerates.
The security of North and East Asia since the end of Second World War was guaranteed by the US through a multitude of hub-and-spoke security alliances from Japan all the way down to Australia. Moreover, Asia was not a homogeneous territorial entity like Europe. From Vladivostok to the Strait of Bosporus, Asia is a potpourri of disparate regions — West Asia, South Asia, East Asia and North Asia — if you take India as the geographical reference point. Each of these regions has its own peculiar set of issues with some overlaps. In the maritime domain – the Indian, Western Pacific and the Southern Oceans were also treated as different water bodies before Indian strategists coined the term Indo-Pacific with the South China Sea as its confluence.
These inherent contradictions gave China a full decade to modernise the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) without any let or hindrance fuelled by double-digit growth in defence expenditure.
Cognisant of the increasing Chinese defence muscle, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe way back in 2006 proposed a security arrangement called the quadrilateral security dialogue, colloquially known as the Quad. It was a grouping of India, Australia, the US and Japan. However, the idea couldn’t fructify because Australia pulled out of it in 2007, apparently due to Chinese pressure during the John Howard and Kevin Rudd administrations. In 2017, however, all four came back to the negotiating table.
The first sign of China’s assertiveness came when the Chinese flexed their muscles over a fishing trawler being boarded for inspection by the Japanese Coast Guard near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea in September 2010. This group of five uninhabited islands and three islets are under the administrative control of Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan, respectively.
Realising the portentousness of the Chinese threat, the Barack Obama administration in the US made two important decisions in 2011. On the economic side, it accelerated the negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and on the security side, it joined the East Asia Summit (EAS), colloquially called the Pivot to Asia or Rebalance to Asia. Strategically, it did not mean much as 50 per cent of American naval assets were already deployed in the Western Pacific Ocean.
By then it was too late as China increasingly started asserting its claim on the South China Sea based on the ambiguous nine-dash line much to the chagrin of other littoral states of the South China Sea, which also have competing claims to many of the islands and shoals claimed by the Chinese.
This belligerence acquired a new aggression after the triple-hatted coronation of Xi Jinping between November 2012 and March 2013. He was now the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chairperson of the Central Military Commission and the President of the People’s Republic of China.
Tensions in the South China Sea have increased, compelling the US to launch repeated Freedom Of Navigation Operations — five in this year alone.
The Doklam face-off on Bhutanese territory, One Belt One Road (OBOR) or Belt Road Initiative (BRI) aimed at global hegemony, and the confrontation with India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the latest iteration of this pugnaciousness. In essence, China has become the proverbial bull in the Asian China shop and has to be reigned in. However, it would now require a Pan-Asian Security Architecture not confined to North/East of Asia alone to constrain China, given its military rise over two decades.
Asia has a spaghetti bowl of regional security structures spread across its various sub-regions. They are the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), ADMM+3, Asian Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS), Five Powers Defense Arrangement (FPDA), Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to name but a few. China is also a member of a number of these organisations, and has been the driving force behind others like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Here the Quad can emerge as the nucleus to create a pan-Asian strategic framework given that its four members share common values and have their own relationships, especially with the hydrocarbon exporting economies of the GCC.
Once it is clear to China that the Malacca dilemma can be extended to the Strait of Hormuz also and, therefore, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the alternative logistics route from Gwadar to Kashgar, can be rendered inoperative, it would have a salutary impact on the Chinese — given the hydrocarbon dependence of its economy. Almost 78 per cent of Chinese energy needs are still fulfilled by coal and crude oil, most of which are imported from abroad.
Coupled with that, the Vladivostok-Chennai maritime corridor needs to be made operational by India and Russia to step up our presence in the South China Sea. The first and second island chains need to be aggressively patrolled by the US, with its allies denying the Chinese navy the ability to break out into open waters.
Given the lost decade when timely action could have constrained, if not contained, China, a pan-Asian security architecture underpinned by the Quad and a combination of initiatives are now required with dispatch.
The author is a Lawyer, MP, Former Information and Broadcasting Minister GOI, National Spokesperson, INC & General Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Department AICC. Views are personal.
“Military to Civilian Transition among Ex-Servicemen from Indian Armed forces” a research for PHd by Veterans Son at IIT Roorkee :lets help him
I am Anirudh Shidganeh, Research Scholar at IIT Roorkee, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences.
My Grandfather and father were both Ex-Servicemen. This has motivated me to take up the topic of for PhD Research.
Annually, around 60,000 Military Personnel retire from Indian Armed forces. Every Ex-Servicemen experiences changes in their life after retirement in work, financial, family, health and social domains of their life.
The research output will help to empirically document the transition and associated changes experienced by Ex-Servicemen from Indian Armed forces.
The strategies that are helpful can be utilised by other existing and future Ex-Servicemen to become aware and adjust more effectively with the transition changes.
The survey in the Google form link below is an attempt to explore the changes after retirement from the Armed forces , their impact on well-being of Ex-Servicemen and the coping strategies that help or hinder the individual to deal with the transition.
I would be very grateful to you if you could please fill the form. You may share it with other Ex-Servicemen colleagues to help me in data collection for this research on Ex-Servicemen from Indian Armed Forces.
Kindy click on the link below and fill the survey :
Col S. Dinny (Retd), who commanded a battalion at LAC in 2017, says incursions were more of a message to India amid its construction activities there, and did not have any tactical significance.
Col S. Dinny (Retd), seen at the centre in this file image, with friends he made during his posting in Ladakh | @sdinny14 | Twitter
New Delhi: The Chinese domination of the area between Fingers 4 and 8 of the Pangong Lake is a blatant attempt to change the status quo of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a former Colonel who commanded a battalion there in 2017, has said.
The Chinese bid to change the status quo is “too obvious and too blatant to be allowed to remain like that”, Col S. Dinny (Retd) told ThePrint in an interview Tuesday, before it was reported that the two sides had decided to pursue step-wise de-escalation after 11-hour talks Monday.
“Pangong Tso is a hot area where the differing perception of LAC is very stark,” Dinny said, adding that it was a matter of strategy for the Chinese to never fix a claim line in Pangong.
However, Dinny added that the incursions were more of a message to India amid its construction activities in the area, and had no tactical significance. “I think the Chinese will go back eventually,” he said.
The Pangong Lake’s northern bank juts forward like a palm, and the various protrusions are identified as “fingers” to demarcate territory. While India asserts that the LAC is at Finger 8, the Chinese claim it starts at Finger 2, which India dominates.
During the Kargil battle, when Indian troops were diverted from the area to fight Pakistan, China had stepped in and built a motorable road until Finger 4, Col Dinny said. The Chinese side conducted patrols until Finger 4 in the subsequent years, but never built any structures in the area.
Since April 2020, however, the Chinese have come in by about eight km and built a number of structures between Finger 4 and Finger 8.
“The Indian stand is to get back to the status quo ante, which means that the Chinese will have to vacate. They will have to go back to their post in Sirijap as was in April,” Col Dinny said.
Asked what was the Chinese perception of the LAC, he said Beijing had never been clear about it. “At times they used to claim it was Finger 4, at times they used to claim it was Finger 2 and even Finger 3. This is part of the Chinese strategy. But they never patrolled beyond Finger 4 by land,” he said.
“There is no tactical significance to the Chinese coming down to Finger 4. It is primarily an assertion by the Chinese,” he said.
“The Chinese have mentioned infrastructure activity by India as a concern. I think the Chinese will go back eventually. They just want to assert themselves, claiming it is their area since it had built the road in 1999,” he said.
The Indians are in the process of building a road from Finger 2 to Finger 4 and the work had picked up pace in the recent past, sources said.
The India-China stand-off, simmering since early May, reached boiling point last week as soldiers on the two sides came to blows at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
Twenty Indian soldiers died in the clash, as did an unconfirmed number of the Chinese side. The two sides decided at a meeting Monday to avoid any repetition of a Galwan Valley-like clash, which marked the first time in 45 years that a soldier died at the LAC on account of clashes between the two Asian giants.
New guidelines exempt personnel from 14-day quarantine if they are asymptomatic & have not come into contact with a Covid patient in 14 days.
Representational image of Indian Army personnel in Kashmir | ANI
New Delhi: The Indian armed forces have revised the quarantine policy for members of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force amid their increased deployment in light of India-China tensions at Ladakh.
Soldiers who return from leave or temporary duties, or report for a new posting, will now be exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine unless a clear Covid-19 infection risk has been established.
According to the revised guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services Monday, exemption from quarantine may be considered if the personnel are asymptomatic and have not come into contact with a confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patient in the 14 days preceding their arrival at their base.
The guidelines cover all three branches of the military, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. They were issued exactly a week after the clash between India and China at Galwan Valley in Ladakh that killed 20 Indian soldiers. It was reported Tuesday that the two sides have resolved to avoid a repeat of the Galwan Valley violence and decided to pursue step-wise de-escalation in Ladakh.
So far, members of three branches have been mandated to serve a 14-day quarantine following their return from leave and temporary duties, and while reporting for a new posting.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior defence officer said, in the current scenario, there is always a requirement of having the maximum number of soldiers available for operational duties.
“On returning from leaves or other duties, the troops are in quarantine for 14 days. So, even though they are physically present, they are not available for operational requirements,” the officer added.
The revised policy was drafted on the recommendations of a board of officers after they reviewed the Covid-19 policies in place at a meeting. The recommendations of the board, sources said, were based on how the disease has evolved, evidence from global research, and the central government’s response to the pandemic.
The guidelines also suggest other conditions for exemption from quarantine: For example, if personnel have travelled from one station of duty to another without any halt in between, and used service transport or their own vehicle for the journey.
They can also avail of the exemption if they sign a self-declaration certificate validated by the commanding officer of their units.
The revised policy further says that testing will not be required for individuals before, during or after quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms. They state that temporary duties of less than seven days should be avoided unless absolutely urgent. Families or dependents of serving personnel will be quarantined on the basis of the policy in a given state, they add.
Another such concession was extended earlier this month to facilitate quick travel of the forces, in the days before the Galwan Valley clash. The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) allowed personnel stranded at various locations because of the limited transport available during the Covid-19 lockdown a one-time relaxation to use private airlines to get back to their units. The relaxation will be available for a month, until 10 July.
The Army chief reviewed the security situation in the region and also visited the soldiers who were injured in the clash with the Chinese army at Galwan Valley.
Army chief M.M. Naravane interacts with the troops while reviewing operational situations on the ground in Eastern Ladakh on 24 June | PTI Photo
New Delhi: Army Chief Gen M M Naravane on Wednesday visited various forward areas in eastern Ladakh and took stock of the Army’s combat preparedness in the region in the wake of the bitter border standoff with China, officials said.
Gen Naravane, who arrived in Leh on a two-day visit to the region, also awarded Commendation Cards to a number of soldiers who fought valiantly during the recent face-offs with Chinese Army in the region, people familiar with the matter said.
The Chief of Army Staff reviewed the overall security situation in the region with Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Yogesh Kumar Joshi, commander of the 14 Corps Lt Gen Harinder Singh and other senior Army officials on Tuesday afternoon.
“General M M Naravane #COAS visited forward areas in Eastern #Ladakh and reviewed operational situation on the ground. #COAS commended the troops for their high morale and exhorted them to continue working with zeal and enthusiasm,” the Army said in a tweet.
Soon after arriving in Leh, Gen Naravane visited an Army hospital where 18 soldiers injured in the clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 are undergoing treatment.
Twenty Indian Army personnel were killed and 18 were seriously injured in the violent clash with Chinese military in Galwan Vally.
When asked about conferring of “Commendation Cards” by Gen Naravane, an Army source said “whenever the Chief of the Army Staff visits formations or units, it is a norm to award on the spot Commendation Cards to personnel who exhibit exceptional devotion to duty.”
“In the instant case also, personnel have been awarded for devotion to duty,” the source said. It is learnt that soldiers who have been awarded the “Commendation Cards” fought valiantly in the Galwan Valley clash.
The Leh-based 14 Corps is tasked to take care of security situation along the Line of Actual Control in the Ladakh region.
On Monday, Lt Gen Singh held a nearly 11-hour meeting with Commander of the Tibet Military District Maj Gen Liu Lin.
In the meeting, the two sides arrived at a “mutual consensus” to “disengage” from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh.
The first round of the Lt Gen talks were held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley.
However, the situation along the border deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the 3,500-km de-facto border.
On Sunday, the government gave the armed forces “full freedom” to give a “befitting” response to any Chinese misadventure along the LAC.
The Army has already sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the border in the last one week.
The IAF has also moved a sizeable number of its frontline Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to several key air bases including Leh and Srinagar following the clashes.
The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on May 5 and 6. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9.
Prior to the clashes, both sides had been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
