India wants an end to border tension but not at the cost of ceding land, says Rajnath Singh
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“I can say with confidence that the courage and deeds of Indian soldiers will be written in golden letters by the historians,” the Defence Minister mentioned.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday mentioned India wants an end to the border tension with China in jap Ladakh, but at the similar time asserted that Indian troopers won’t ever permit even an inch of the nation to be taken away by anybody.
The Defence Minister made the remarks after performing “Shastra Puja” — the customary worship of weapons — at the Sukna-based headquarters of the Indian Army’s 33 Corps in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on the event of Dussehra.
The Defence Minister was scheduled to carry out the puja at Sherathang, a high-altitude border space close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Sikkim, but may not go there due to inclement climate, officers mentioned.
“India wants an end to the ongoing border tension with China and restoration of peace. This is our objective. But at times, some nefarious incidents keep happening. I am very confident that our soldiers will never allow even an inch of our land to be taken away by anyone,” Mr. Singh mentioned after performing the “puja“.
Chief of Army Staff Gen. MM Naravane and several senior officers of the Army were present on the occasion when the Defence Minister performed the “puja” at the key army base, which is chargeable for guarding the LAC in the Sikkim sector.
After performing the puja, Mr. Singh inaugurated a brand new street in Sikkim by means of a video-conference from Sukna.
“I can say with confidence and on the basis of concrete information that the courage and deeds of Indian soldiers, during whatever has happened at the India-China border in Ladakh recently, will be written in golden letters by the historians,” the Minister mentioned with out elaborating.
Twenty Indian soldiers laid down their lives whereas valiantly preventing a gaggle of Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in jap Ladakh on June 15, an incident that had considerably escalated the border tension between the two nations.
China is but to disclose the quantity of its troopers killed and injured in the conflict, although it has formally admitted to have suffered casualties. According to Indian officers, China suffered “heavy casualties” in the incident.
Indian troops additionally occupied a quantity of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rezang La and Magar hill areas round the southern financial institution of the Pangong lake in jap Ladakh, after the Chinese army tried to intimidate them in the space on the intervening evening of August 29 and 30.
Both sides held a collection of diplomatic and army talks to resolve the row that started on May 5, following a violent conflict in jap Ladakh. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to end the standoff.
The Defence Minister’s “Shastra Puja” at the strategically essential army base was a message to India’s adversaries, a army official mentioned.
Mr. Singh has been performing “Shastra Puja” throughout Dussehra for the final a number of years, together with throughout his tenure as the Union Home Minister in the earlier NDA authorities.
Almost all formations of the Indian Army alongside the LAC are on a really excessive stage of alert in view of the border row with China in jap Ladakh.
The Defence Minister arrived at the Sukna-based headquarters of the 33 Corps on Saturday.
In an handle to a gaggle of troopers at the base on Saturday night, Mr. Singh mentioned India all the time tried to preserve good relations with its neighbours, but conditions arose from time to time when its armed forces had to make supreme sacrifices to shield the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation.
The Defence Minister additionally reviewed the fight preparedness of the Army throughout a high-level assembly at the army base.
The Army has considerably bolstered deployment of troops and weaponry alongside the almost 3,500-km-long LAC, together with in the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors.
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