Army Day: Won't allow unilateral change of status quo at boundary, reiterates Army Chief

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, January 15

For the third time in four days, Army Chief General MM Naravane made a statement defending the sanctity of the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

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In his address at the Army Day parade here, General Naravane said, “Our message is clear, the Army will stall any effort to unilaterally change the status quo at the boundary.” This third successive reference made it clear that the LAC cannot be altered by force. The LAC is the de facto boundary with China along the Himalayas and is not demarcated.

In a message broadcast on Friday night, the General said, “We stand firm to counter any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo along borders.” On January 12, he had said, “No status quo (at the LAC) can be changed with force.” India has in the past officially said that China made a unilateral attempt in April/May 2020 to alter the LAC. Both countries have their own perception where the LAC runs hence the dispute. A military stand-off has ensued in the past 20 months and the Army Chief’s words come at time when the 14th round of talks between military commanders failed to resolve all points of friction along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

This morning at the parade, the Army Chief said the two armies have disengaged at several places and termed it as “a positive step”. He added, “We continue to work to resolve the existing issue on basis of mutual security.”

Asserting that the morale of our troops was high, he said, “Patience is the outcome of our self-confidence, none should try and test it.”

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