Indian Army Chief MM Naravane hopeful of solution to India-China standoff

However, he said there is no decrease in strength at the friction points on either side of the LAC

Indian Army is ready to hold on to their positions in eastern Ladakh including those overlooking the Moldo Garrison as long as it takes for the two nations to resolve the Sino-Indian border crisis following a principle of “mutual and equal security”, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said here on Tuesday.

Refusing to lend any credence to the Chinese People's Liberation Army's reduction of troops from the depth areas in the Tibet plateau, Gen Naravane said there was no such thinning at the friction points on the Line of Actual Control where the soldiers from the two countries were in an eyeball to eyeball situation since last May.

“The withdrawal happened in training areas that are 500-1,500 km away from the border and are well inside the depth areas. Every year PLA troops come to the training areas in the summer and go back to their garrison after the training exercise,” the Army Chief said in his annual media interaction ahead of the Army Day.

Read | Pakistan, China continue to be potent threats: Army Chief Naravane

“There is no decrease in strength at the friction points on either side of the LAC. Eight rounds of military level talks and subsequent WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs between the two foreign ministries) talks have taken place so far. We hope a solution, not detrimental to our interest, will be reached. If talks are prolonged, so be it.”

Thousands of Indian and PLA troops are in a face-off since May as the biggest Sino-Indian border crisis since the 1962 war flared up on the banks of the Pangong lake and other areas near the disputed boundary.

The talks have not yielded the desired results because of the lack of trust between the two sides with the Centre apprehending that the deployment on the LAC would be a permanent feature much like the LAC.

Army sources said India too withdrew some of its troops at the onset of the winter but would bring them back in the summer. Proper habitat has been constructed for the upkeep and maintenance of tanks, artillery guns and ammunition to withstand the harsh winter.

The Army, sources said, spent Rs 300 crore to equip its men guarding the LAC in the winter so that they get appropriate winter clothing, habitat and ration. Because of such logistical arrangements, only 0.15% of the troops suffer from cold injuries compared to last year's 0.13% notwithstanding the presence of thousands of more troops in the cold desert.

Gen Naravane said China indeed had the first mover advantage, but India also surprised them in August-September when the troops occupied six major heights in the northern banks of the Pangong lake overlooking the PLA's Moldo garrison.

Asked about China-Pakistan collusion, Gen Naravane was categorical on the potent nature of the threats. “There is no doubt that a China Pakistan collusive threat exists. This is no longer a theory, it very much exists on the ground,” he added.