Even as China asserted its claim over the disputed Doklam area in the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction, India ramped up its defenses. The construction of a motorable road till the tri-junction, through the Bhutanese territory of Doklam plateau, will allow Beijing to run light battle tanks and artillery guns. Sources disclosed that this has raised heckles in the security establishment.
This is for the first time that China has adopted a provocative stance in the mid-eastern sector. All border incursions and build-ups in the last five years were in the Ladakh sector, where China feels the Indian defences are weak. Their foray in the Sikkim sector is unprecedented, prompting the top government officials to term the turn of events as "very serious".
Presently, nearly three thousand personnel are guarding the Indian side. Troops are rotated in a manner that ensures the overall strength is maintained, sources said.
China has refused to stop its construction activities in the disputed territory that it shared with Bhutan, even after strong objections were raised by both Bhutan and India.
When Army chief General Bipin Rawat held meetings with the commanders of the armed forces, the focus was on defence preparedness in the Sikkim sector.
Earlier this month, PLA personnel had breached the Line of Actual Control in the Sikkim sector and destroyed two makeshift Indian Army bunkers in Lalten area of the Doka La sector. Official sources, however, were tight-lipped and maintained that the Army chief's visit was a routine one, which was planned before the stand-off between the Indian Army and People's Liberation Army of China had even begun. The PMO is expected to take complete stock of the situation once the Army chief returns to New Delhi.
