General Bipin Rawat said the army is on its toes in Ladakh and Sikkim to counter China.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat today said the Indian forces are ready to counter “any eventuality” in Ladakh, with China’s People’s Liberation Army carrying out developmental activities in nearby areas of Tibet Autonomous Region. “I don’t think there should be much concern. We on our side are also carrying out similar activity and I wish to assure you we are fully prepared for any eventuality we may face,” he added while speaking at a function in Kolkata.
“You are all aware that we are on a stand-off situation in Ladakh and based on that there is some activity that has been ongoing in Tibet,” General Rawat said.
“Every nation will continue to make preparations to boost its security based on its strategic interests, General Rawat said. The army, he said is on its toes in Ladakh and Sikkim to counter China. India is “fully prepared for any eventuality we may face,” he added.
Vigilance is strong at the Line of Actual Control — the de facto border between the two nations — in Sikkim too, General Rawat said, citing the 73-day face-off in between the troops of the two nations on nearby Doklam plateau.
“Yes, the People’s Liberation Army is carrying out activities. We are watching. I assure that we have also taken action to counter any cause of concern,” he added.
The situation at Doklam had evolved in 2017, the former army chief said, referring to the stand-off. The armed forces, he said, has “taken measures to ensure that the situation does not escalate”.
High resolution satellite imagery accessed by NDTV has indicated that China has not only set up a village more than two kilometers within Bhutanese territory on the eastern periphery of the Doklam plateau, it has also built a road in the area that stretches approximately 9 km inside Bhutanese territory.
It is believed that this road could ultimately give the Chinese forces an alternate route to the Jhompelri ridge, which the Indian Army had prevented Chinese forces from accessing with the face-off in Doklam.
