India, in turn, is ensuring full operational preparedness to deal with any contingency along the border.
‘Working to reduce risk of chicken neck’
Eastern Army Command chief Lt-General Manoj Pandey said India also works towards mitigating the menace of the vulnerable Siliguri Corridor or “Chicken Neck”. The government is also examining whether existing border agreements with China, including the Border Defense Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) signed in October 2013, should be reviewed in the wake of the 17-month-old military confrontation in eastern Ladakh.
Lt Gen Pandey, on his part, said the Indian Army’s efforts were to “respect bilateral agreements and protocols” and “show no aggression” in keeping with “our greater strategic guidance”, regardless of the actions or reactions of People’s Liberation. in spite of. Army. “But as a result of what happened (in eastern Ladakh) and what we need to do in future, I think it is being looked at at the highest level,” he said.
very pla reserve The formations, which were mooted last year, remain in “depth areas” along the 1,346-km border that Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim share with the Tibet Autonomous Region in the eastern region. “This year with the focus on integrated joint operations, the scale and duration of the PLA exercises have also increased. But these exercises are taking place deep in their traditional training areas,” said Lt Gen Pandey.
Feather line of actual controlThere has been a “slight increase” in the number of Chinese patrols and border defense troops in many areas such as Asphila, due to infrastructure development. “But we have enough force-levels in every area. At Eastern Command, we are ensuring that our preparedness, our ability to respond to any contingency, remains very high. We are also maximizing the use of technology for ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance),” he said.
The Siliguri Corridor, the narrow strip of land that connects the North East with the rest of India, however, remains a major concern. The 73-day face-off began in 2017 at Doklam near the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction when Indian troops blocked Chinese efforts to extend a motorable track towards the Jampheri Ridge that connects the Siliguri Corridor. ignores.
As a result, the PLA has built up military infrastructure and permanently stationed troops in North Doklam. With China keen to control Doklam, it last week signed a memorandum of understanding with Bhutan to expedite its bilateral border talks. He said, ‘Yes, the Siliguri Corridor is sensitive for us. We are looking at a ‘whole nation’ approach working closely with the armed forces, central armed police forces, central agencies and state governments to mitigate this menace,” Lt Gen Pandey said.
Both India and China are “fully aware of each other’s sensitivities” in the region. The official said he does not fully agree that there is a military asymmetry with China.
Watch India braces for threat along LAC as China builds ‘dual-use’ border villages
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