With China continuing to build-up its military infrastructure along the LAC, India’s security planners are looking at constructing multi-purpose road tunnels in border states to house critical ammunition and short-range tactical missiles to counter the growing Chinese threat.
“This military move is in response to China building hardened bomb-proof underground shelters to house fighters and missiles at Gonggar air base in Lhasa and revetments at Gar-Gunsa base across Demchok in East Ladakh and at Nyingchi airport across Arunachal Pradesh,” according to a report in the Hindustan Times.
The step assumes importance as China is refusing to scale down its military buidlup along the LAC and the transgression in Tawang has only made matters worse.
The 17th round of military commanders talks held on Tuesday failed to make headway as the PLA refused to agree to the restoration of patrolling rights to the Indian Army in Depsang Plains, south of Daulet Beg Oldi, and the area south of Demchok in East Ladakh.
Tawang transgression had been taken up separately by the local commander on December 11.
The Hindustan Times has reported that while the Chinese commander talked about “normalisation” of the East Ladakh LAC, the Indian side emphasised the specific need to reduce the number of troops, tanks, artillery, and rocket systems that both sides had deployed after the May 2020 incidence in Galwan, Gogra-Hot Springs, and north banks of Pangong Tso.
While there has been disengagement at these points, there is still a heavy military buildup in East Ladakh on both sides of the LAC which holds the potential danger of a local flare up that could trigger a wider spread.
The PLA troops had also tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector on Dec 9 and unilaterally change the status quo., but Indian soldiers had pushed them back. The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides, but there were no serious casualties on the Indian side.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in Parliament: “Due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations. As a follow-up of the incident, the local Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart on 11 December 2022 to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms. The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels.”
