New Delhi:

In the backdrop of a nearly four-year-old border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh, Army Chief Manoj Pande on Wednesday said the Indian Army’s preparedness level was “very high” and the force was “watching very closely” cross-border developments .

Answer questions raised in group discussions Times Now Summit In New Delhi, General Pande also said he believed the current balance of issues could be resolved “only through negotiation”.

On May 5, 2020, the border standoff in eastern Ladakh broke out after violent clashes occurred in the Pangong Lake area.

The conflict in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 marked the worst military conflict between the two countries in decades, and relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply.

“We are prepared in every aspect. Our readiness and readiness levels are very high. As far as our deployment across the entire 3,488-km border (Line of Actual Control) is concerned, I would say,” General Pande said. We also ensure that we have sufficient reserves to deal with emergencies…our response mechanisms are firmly in place. “

He was asked how prepared the Indian Army was in the context of the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

“We have two levels of talks. One is the military level, at the Corps Commander level, we have had 21 rounds of talks. At the diplomatic level, we have a mechanism, the WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination) on India-China border affairs, ” he said, adding that several rounds of WMCC talks had been held following the mid-2020 event.

The 28th meeting of WMCC will be held on November 30, 2023. “I believe that only through negotiations can the balance issue at hand be resolved. While these negotiations progress, we are also focusing on along our northern border where technology infusion and modernization are important,” the Army Chief said.

General Pande said the Army is also focusing on infrastructure development and “I believe we are moving in the right direction”.

“Our level of preparedness is very high and we are closely monitoring developments and what is happening across the border,” he added.

When asked to quantify the perception of the Chinese threat, General Pande said at times that “we keep the threat under review.”

Therefore, he added, the threats in winter may be slightly different than in summer.

“Like our Western adversaries, relative to our Northern adversaries, I can only say that our level of readiness is very high,” the Army chief asserted.

Regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he highlighted the anti-infiltration grid of Army troops deployed in the hinterland of the Union Territory and along the Line of Control.

“Infiltration attempts are still continuing in the valley area and in the southern part of Pir Pangarh area. But we have a very strong and effective counter-infiltration network and it has proven to be successful,” he said.

Addressing the criticism surrounding Project Agnipas, General Pande said it was a “transformational” change or reform “that we have had over the last so many years.”

General Pande said the feedback received from the troops was “very encouraging, very positive”, adding that it would be “misplaced” to be skeptical about what will happen to the Agniville in four years’ time.

Regarding the role of women in the army, he said, “Nearly 128 women officers have now been promoted to the rank of colonel and they are now commanders”.

The general was also asked about the role played by the Indian Army in controlling the situation in Manipur.

“On the night of May 3-4, I think it was our proactive deployment and additional troops there that we were able to control the level of violence to a great extent. Whether it was the Assam Rifles or the Army troops deployed There, I would say they did a great job for themselves,” General Pande said.

“I believe they have done an outstanding job” in ensuring their own protection in terms of preventing collateral damage to non-military personnel or civilians, he said.

Regarding the challenges there, General Pande said one of them is that weapons are still widely available.

He added that a considerable number of weapons were still available, which was “a cause for concern”.

Furthermore, the Army Chief said activities taking place on the India-Myanmar border and the use of such weapons remain a challenge.

General Pande said the situation in Manipur goes beyond the law and order situation or the land domain.

“We have to come up with a very comprehensive and detailed framework to be able to find answers to the issues that persist out there. We have a large veteran community. So we are asking them to reach out to people. Our units are helping people in various relief camps Internally displaced persons,” he said.

In his opening remarks, General Pande said he considered the Indian Army to be a “key contributor and stakeholder” in the country’s rise.

“I believe that security and progress of the country are inseparable. While economic progress is the source of growth, military strength makes it capable of meeting current and future security challenges. The Army’s commitment to India’s growth story is absolutely unwavering, “He said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)