Indian Army chief General M.M. Naravane said on Friday Indian forces would ensure the status quo in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control with China would not be changed.
Naravane spoke to ANI on the second day of his visit to Ladakh to assess the operational preparedness of Indian Army units there that have been involved in a standoff with China since May.
Naravane told ANI, "I visited different places after reaching Leh. I talked to officers, JCOs and took stock of preparedness. The morale of jawans is high and they are ready to deal with all challenges." Naravane emphasised, "They [the jawans] are highly motivated. Their morale is high and they're fully prepared to deal with any situation that may arise. I would like to reiterate that our officers and men are the finest in the world and will make not only the Army but also the nation proud."
The Army chief acknowledged the situation along the Line of Actual Control was "slightly tense". "Keeping in view the situation, we have taken precautionary deployment for our own safety and security, so that our security and integrity remain safeguarded," Naravane told ANI. "For the last two-three months, the situation has been tense, but we have continuously been engaging with China both at the military and diplomatic level. These engagements are ongoing and will continue in the future also," Naravane told ANI.
Naravane added, "We are very sure that through this medium of talks, we will resolve whatever difference we have. We will ensure that status quo is not changed and we are able to safeguard our interests."
On Thursday, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat declared, "Of late, India has been seeing some aggressive actions by China, but we are capable of handling these in the best suitable ways."
Noting that Pakistan could take advantage of India's border row with China, the Chief of Defence Staff said it may create some trouble for New Delhi on the northern border.
"Therefore, we have taken adequate precautions to ensure that any such misadventure by Pakistan is sorted and they are not able to succeed in their mission . In fact, they may suffer heavy losses should they attempt any misadventure," he said.
