Indian Army Chief briefs on Ladakh standoff; says 'China intends to keep tensions alive'

In a fresh development concerning the India-China border standoff, the new Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande has stated that Beijing seems to be interested in keeping the border tensions "alive". He also asserted that the Indian troops are ready to deal with any situation along the frontier. 

While speaking to the reporters on Monday, General Manoj Pande went on to question China's intention towards resolving the India-China borders tensions by arriving at an agreed framework and further going for a settlement for the delineation and demarcation of the boundary between the two countries, even though he said that the Army's aim is to restore the status quo ante prior to April 2020 and that guidance has been given to the troops deployed along the border to remain firm and resolute in their tasks.

“The basic issue remains the resolution of the border and now it seems that China’s intent has been to keep the boundary issue alive. As a country, we need a ‘whole of nation’ approach and in the military domain, this will prevent and counter any attempt to alter the status quo at the line of actual control (LAC),” said Pande, who recently took over as the Army Chief. 

Further, he also referred to the ultimate settlement of the boundary question, apart from just resolving the ongoing border standoff issue in eastern Ladakh. 

Notably, the army chief's comments come at a time when the Ladakh standoff has entered its third year and talks are underway with no final resolution in sight. Though both sides have managed to partially disengage their soldiers from the borders. 

Ladakh standoff

These come in the backdrop of the clash between the Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020 which resulted in the loss of lives on both sides. The conflict erupted following the transgression of China's Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the Galwan Valley. Following this, notably, India and China have so far held 15 rounds of military talks on the eastern Ladakh standoff including the last one being held on March 11. So far, both sides have agreed to continue talks through military and diplomatic channels for reaching a mutually acceptable resolution. They continue to remain in a state of friction since May 2020. 

Image: PTI