E-Paper
LAC situation stable, army firmly in control, says General Kalita
While Ladakh has been at the centre of the current border tensions between India and China, PLA has ramped up its activities in the eastern sector too.
Days after Indian and Chinese troops clashed in Arunachal Predesh’s Yangtse area, Eastern Army commander Lieutenant General RP Kalita on Friday said that the situation along the northern frontier with China was stable and the Indian Army was firmly in control. Chinese troops attempted to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Yangtse on December 9 and change the status quo along the contested border, but they were pushed back by Indian soldiers.
“All along the northern border, there are areas of differing perception of LAC. In one of those areas (Yangtse), Chinese PLA troops transgressed (LAC) and this was contested firmly by our forces on the ground. It led to some amount of physical violence but it was contained at the local level,” Kalita said in Kolkata.
In statements made in both Houses on December 13, defence minister Rajnath Singh said the Chinese attempt at Yangtse was contested by India troops in a firm and resolute manner. “The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the Chinese PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.”
The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides. Local commanders from the two armies held a flag meeting at Bum La on December 11 to discuss the issue in line with established mechanisms. More than 300 Chinese soldiers were present in the area where the skirmish took place, but a well-prepared Indian side mounted a swift response to repel the intruding force, as previously reported.
The Indian Army and PLA have been locked in a standoff along LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 2020. That standoff is in its third year, with a full resolution still not in sight even though the two sides have had partial success in disengaging frontline soldiers from some friction areas on LAC and talks are on to end the deadlock that has cast a shadow over the bilateral relationship.
While Ladakh has been at the centre of the current border tensions between India and China, PLA has ramped up its activities in the eastern sector too.
The Yangtse area is prone to face-offs, with PLA making efforts almost every year to change the status quo along LAC but a firm Indian military posture has thwarted the repeated attempts.
