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Army aiding grazers in traditional pastures in troubled eastern Ladakh

The move is seen as a significant step to thwart the Chinese designs on the border

Representative image | Reuters Representative image | Reuters

In the backdrop of reports that the Chinese military had been exercising area access denial tactics to Indian sheep grazers near the blurry Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army in a significant development has stepped in to thwart the Chinese designs on the border.

“We are encouraging and facilitating graziers to move to their traditional grazing areas in Eastern Ladakh including those located close to the LAC,” Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, the General Officer Commanding of the vital Northern Command of the Indian Army, said on Tuesday.

Lt Gen Dwivedi was addressing the Northern Command Investiture Ceremony 2023 in Srinagar.

Disagreements between India and China as to where the LAC actually lies has given rise to spiking levels of tension since April 2020 that has seen several border brawls and fisticuffs, claiming lives on both sides.

The Northern Command faces both Pakistan and China and is a pivotal command as far as the threat of a two-front war goes.

On the developments in the cross border infiltration effort by terrorists from the Pakistani side, the GOC said: “Kashmir has witnessed a concerning rise in narco-terrorism, as Pakistan is now using this as a new tool in its proxy war. Of late, a dual strategy of sending across drugs as well as weapons through drones is being employed to keep the fire burning in an attempt to disrupt the social fabric.”

“The cross-border smuggling of narcotics provides a succor to terrorism. The LAC in eastern Ladakh is being dominated by physical patrolling and through technical means and our territorial integrity is being ensured. Restoration of peace and tranquility to enable progress in bilateral relations has been and will remain our constant endeavour,” he said.

All patrolling along the LAC is now joint and integrated with the Army joining forces with the ITBP and the BSF.

Besides the ongoing mega push to construct roads and bridges to the remote stretches in Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, the Army has in conjunction with the communication ministry has identified 144 villages for installation of 4G/ 5G towers. “Assistance in terms of sharing tower space and support infrastructure is being provided to telecom service providers, so that this critical facility reaches population residing in remote border villages,’ Lt Gen Dwivedi said.  

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