NEW DELHI: India is trying to resolve the four-year-old military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh through talks, but at the same time it’s also maintaining a “robust and balanced” troop deployment all along the Line of Actual Control with adequate reserves to deal with any contingency, Army chief General Manoj Pande said on Wednesday.
“We are prepared in every manner.Our level of operational readiness is of a very high order. We also keep war-gaming different contingencies from time to time. So, we have our response mechanisms firmly in place,” he said.
Gen Pande, however, added that it was his “belief” that the resolution of the “balance issues” – primarily the continuing troop faceoffs at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh – will eventually take place through the ongoing diplomatic and military talks. But while engaging in talks, “we are also focussing on capability and infrastructure development along the northern borders”, he said.
On the western border with Pakistan, Gen Pande said that while infiltration attempts were continuing across the LoC, the Army has “a very strong counter-infiltration grid” to thwart them. tnn