NEW DELHI Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday praised the Indian Army for the unmatched bravery shown by it along India’s northern frontier — from Galwan in Ladakh to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh — amid the ongoing border tensions with China. The remarks came even as India and China are scheduling further talks to discuss disengagement from the remaining friction areas in eastern Ladakh where the two sides have been locked in a standoff since May 2020.
“Whether it is Galwan or Tawang, no amount of praise can do justice to the bravery and valour shown by the Indian forces,” Singh said while addressing the 95th annual convention of Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi.
He said that India had no intention to capture even an inch of land of any country, but it will always be ready if anyone tried to cast an evil eye on it. India aims to become a superpower that works for the welfare of the world, he said.
The minister’s comments came days after Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse sector on December 9. Chinese troops attempted to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Yangtse in Tawang sector, and change the status quo along the contested border, but they were pushed back by Indian soldiers.
The minister spoke about the bravery displayed by the army in statements made in both Houses on December 13 too. Singh said the Chinese attempt at Yangtse was firmly contested by Indian troops. “The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.”
{{/usCountry}}The minister spoke about the bravery displayed by the army in statements made in both Houses on December 13 too. Singh said the Chinese attempt at Yangtse was firmly contested by Indian troops. “The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.”
{{/usCountry}}More than 300 Chinese soldiers were present in the Yangtse area where the skirmish took place, but a well-prepared Indian side mounted a swift response to repel the intruding force.
Indian troops demonstrated exceptional courage and determination during the June 2020 Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh too. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrol Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where outnumbered Indian troops fought off numerically superior rivals and inflicted heavy casualties on PLA.
The situation along LAC and further talks to cool tensions found mention in the defence ministry’s year-end review released on Saturday.
“As part of the engagement mechanism, a total of 16 rounds of corps commander level meetings, and 12 related Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meetings have been held till date, and subsequent talks are being scheduled to discuss disengagement in the balance friction areas in eastern Ladakh,” the review said.
Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the sector. Problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table.
In his address, Singh enumerated the reforms initiated by the government to strengthen the defence sector, including increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit to 74% under automatic route and 100% under the government route, and earmarking 68% of the capital procurement budget for domestic industry in 2022-23 to increase the participation of the private sector. He asked the domestic industry and foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in the defence sector and become integrated with the global supply chain.
Singh said India was now among the top five global economies. “It took us 31 years from 1991 to become a $US 3 trillion economy. I am confident that the next three trillion dollars are going to be added in the next seven years,” the minister said.
He said efforts were in full swing to increase defence production from $US 12 billion to $US 22 billion by 2025. “It is a golden period for the defence sector as it has demonstrated its capabilities by manufacturing fighter aircraft, aircraft carriers, main battle tanks and attack helicopters,” he added.
The year-end review highlighted the ministry’s achievements including the introduction of the Agnipath recruitment model, the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the induction of Prachand light combat helicopter, the foundation stone-laying of the C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility and steps taken to enhance self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.
The review said that situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan had improved significantly after the Indian and Pakistani militaries announced in February 2021 that they had begun observing a ceasefire, but the neighbouring country was still supporting terror activities.
“Pakistan continued to retain proxy war infrastructure and intent to prosecute proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. Functionality of training camps, presence of terrorists in launch pads and continuing infiltration attempts vindicate persistent intent of Pakistan,” it added.