The new chief of the Indian Army, General Manoj Pandey, has once again targeted China. Describing the border dispute as a major issue in relations with China, General Pandey said that the neighboring country wants to keep the border disputes complicated. General Pandey, who recently took over the reins of the army, held his first press conference on Monday.
In fact, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey said that it seems that China wants to keep the border dispute complicated. He said that as Army Chief, his priority would be to restore the status quo on the Line of Actual Control in April 2020 and to create an atmosphere of trust and friendship between the two sides. He also said that but this is not possible with the efforts of one side only.
Gen Pandey said he wanted to assure that Indian troops were resolutely standing along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and that adequate forces were deployed there to deal with any emergency. He said that along the Line of Actual Control, our jawans are sitting in important positions and they are strictly instructed to thwart any attempt to change the status quo.
However, he also said that the process of talks between India and China is going on. We are sure that there will be a way forward but wrong actions on the border will not be tolerated. Nevertheless, the fundamental issue remains the resolution of the boundary. He said that the talks have also resolved issues in areas like North and South Pegong Lake, Gogra and Galwan Valley. He said that military diplomacy is also a part of foreign diplomacy and both are complementary to each other. They should not be seen separately.
Let us tell you that even about ten days ago, as soon as he took office, the army chief had bluntly told China. He had said that we are confident that as we continue to talk to the other side, we will find a solution to the ongoing issues. But at the same time, wrongdoing on the border will not be tolerated.