Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, said on Monday that negotiations with China are ongoing at the military and diplomatic levels to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and that the government would never let the integrity of India’s borders to be breached.
Speaking at a national security summit at this location, Singh said that India and China have historically had different perspectives on the border dispute. Although there have been some activity on the LAC since 2013, Singh vehemently refuted accusations that the LAC has seen any substantial modification or encroachment since the formation of our administration.
The minister paid heartfelt respect to the troops who died in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in 2020 and said that the Chinese Army disregarded the established procedure and sought to unilaterally alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
He praised the bravery and commitment of the Indian Army, which thwarted Chinese PLA efforts to alter the status quo. He said that the nation will always be grateful to the brave troops for their sacrifice and that future generations would look back with pride on their valiant action in Galwan.
“We are hurt when efforts are made to cast doubt on the troops’ gallantry in an effort to pressure the administration. The nation’s citizens take great pride in their military services, he added. He said that India wants disputes with China to be settled peacefully.
“Both military and diplomatic levels are involved in the discussions. We want to reassure you that we won’t make any concessions on India’s border, honour, or self-respect. The defence minister said, “We will never allow violation of the sanctity of our borders,” adding that the government had taken lessons from the 1962 conflict with China and had concentrated on constructing border infrastructure.
He said that the people who live along the border are the nation’s “strategic assets” and that the government wants them to dwell in the forward villages. To that end, he claimed that enormous infrastructure development projects are being carried out for their benefit from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
“Our administration built the Rohtang tunnel (on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh), completing the project that had been delayed for 26 years in only six years. This Atal tunnel is highly strategically important because it will make it easier for our soldiers to move throughout the year.
He said that significant border infrastructure development projects have also been carried out in other border regions in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, and Arunachal Pradesh. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is building roads in Ladakh, which would also assist the population of the border.
In terms of security, the border infrastructure is essential. We value the interests of the border inhabitants highly since they are one of our strategic assets. We want people to build houses, establish in the border community, and live there,” he added.
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