On Saturday, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the country would not give a single inch of land to China. He further said that the remaining concerns pertaining to the eastern Ladakh border stalemate between the two nations could be settled via negotiation. Singh said that because India is no longer a ‘weak’ nation, it will respond appropriately to anybody challenging its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or unity. Regarding the opposition’s criticism of the government over the impasse in eastern Ladakh, he remarked, ‘Our political opponents keep raising certain questions without fully knowing the facts’.
Addressing an event, Singh said, ‘I do not want to go into what happened during the 1962 Sino-India war. But I want to assure the country as its defence minister that not an inch of land can go to China’s occupation when we are there (in the government)’.
He declared that the NDA administration will make no sacrifices to the honour and prestige of the nation. The defence minister said that the crisis between Russia and Ukraine has demonstrated that any war must be fought between the parties concerned and that no third nation will readily become involved.
Following bloody fighting between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Pangong Tso region, the eastern Ladakh border stalemate started in early May 2020. The two parties concluded the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake as well as in the Gogra region last year as a result of many military negotiations. However, there are some spots of friction where the conflict persists.
According to the Defence Minister, China’s perspective of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is a major cause of conflict between the two sides’ military. ‘Discussions have taken place on certain issues and we have succeeded on some of them. Discussions are underway on one or two issues. I am confident that we will achieve success on them as well. There is no need to get disappointed as yet’, he said.
Singh emphasized that India is a strong nation that will deal with anyone attempting to undermine its territorial integrity and sovereignty. ‘India has not remained a weak country like before. It has become a powerful country. India has neither attacked any country in the world nor it has captured an inch of land of others…But I can say, India will give a befitting reply if anyone attempts to threaten its unity, integrity and sovereignty’, he said.
India has been pushing for a return to the situation in eastern Ladakh as it was before the stalemate. The country has repeatedly argued that sustaining peace and tranquilly along the LAC was essential for the overall growth of bilateral relations. Singh stated that the truce with Pakistan along the Line of Control has been in effect for more than a year.
‘Earlier, Pakistan used to violate ceasefire after entering into it earlier. It has been over a year since the ceasefire came into force but Pakistan has not been able to muster the courage to violate it. It is working’, Singh said while talking about India’s stature.
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