All Quiet on the Fronts

Smruti D

In his last press conference, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. M.M. Naravane, due to retire on 30 April, said that there were positive developments along our northern and western borders. India has continued to maintain the highest levels of operational preparedness on the northern borders, at the same time engaging in dialogue with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), resulting in mutual disengagement at many locations.

Even as the virtual press conference was going on, 14^th round of Corps Commander-level talks were under way between India and China in Chushul-Moldo on disengagement at Patrolling Point 15 (Hot Springs) in eastern Ladakh. Gen. Naravane said that while partial disengagement had taken place, the threat by no means had reduced, though the force-levels were nearly the same. Threat assessment and internal deliberations resulted in reorganisation and realignment of forces in view of PLA’s forces and infrastructure. Up-gradation and development of infrastructure along the northern borders is being carried out in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This includes roads, tunnels, all-weather connectivity, strategic railway lines, additional bridges across the Brahmaputra River, storage facilities for fuel, lubricants and supplies. He called this an ‘all-round, holistic development’. Efforts are also being made to ensure the availability of dual-use infrastructure in the civil domain.

Along the Line of Control (LC) on the western front, the understanding between the Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan in February 2020, has resulted in marked improvement. Still, “there is an increase in concentration of terrorists in various launch pads and repeated attempts at infiltration across the LC, exposing the nefarious designs of our western neighbour. But we show zero tolerance for terror and have committed ourse