Emphasizing that the Army has maintained a strong defence posture at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Manoj Pande on Sunday ascertained that the force is ready to tackle any contingency.

The Army chief’s remarks came almost a month after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops on the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. “In the northern border areas, the situation has been normal and through established protocols and existing mechanisms, necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace. Maintaining a strong defence posture at LAC, we are ready to tackle any contingency,” Pande said while speaking at the Army Day event here at Govindaswami Drill Square ground.

“Despite difficult areas and rough weather, our brave jawans are deployed there. All kinds of arms, equipment and facilities are being given to them in adequate quantity. With combined efforts of local admin, other agencies and military there’ve been improvements in infra development,” he said.

Last year, Pandey said, the Army firmly faced security-related challenges and ensured the security of borders actively and strongly. “Army took steps to improve capability development, force restructuring and training. It also further strengthened its preparations for future wars,” he had said.

Pande also launched a scathing remark against Pakistan in a veiled attack, saying there has been a significant decline in “ceasefire violations in the border areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in the western border of the country while terror infrastructure is still intact across the border”.

“Ceasefire continues at LOC in western border areas and ceasefire violations have been brought down. But across the border, terror infrastructure still remains. Our counter-infiltration grid is continuously foiling the infiltration from there,” said the Army chief.

Addressing the gathering, the Army Chief also talked about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir saying the people have rejected violence and welcomed the positive changes by participating enthusiastically in government initiatives.

He said, “Improvements have been seen in the areas inside Jammu and Kashmir as the local population has rejected violence, and welcoming positive changes enthusiastically participated in all government initiatives.”

Noting, although there has been a decline in violence with the efforts of security forces, Pande said “several proxy terrorist outfits have resorted to the technique of targetted killings to gain visibility”, asserting that “Army, along with other security forces, is determined to foil all such attempts”.

On the security situation in the northeastern region, General Pande said Indian Army has played an important role in bringing down level of violence and making insurgents leave the path of violence. “Most insurgent groups have signed peace agreements with the government.”

Informing that the first time the Army Day parade and other events related to it are being held outside the national capital Delhi, the Army chief said “this has given a golden opportunity to Army to connect to the people”.

“I am confident this will make our relations even stronger,” Pande said.
Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year. On this day in 1949, General KM Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander in Chief of the Army.