Whatever was done in Galwan shouldn't get repeated, says Army chief

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday said the situation along the northern border is stable but at the same time sensitive, asserting that "whatever was done in Galwan should not get repeated".

He also said that his force is fully ready and capable to deal with any situation.

In his address at the 77th Army Day celebrations here, the Army chief underlined that special attention has been given to develop modern equipment and critical infrastructure at the northern border.

"We have to make sure that whatever was done in Galwan should not get repeated," he told reporters after the 77th Army Day celebrations here.

"It means our eyes and ears and a whole-of-nation approach should be focussed towards that. Whether it's a diplomatic effort or military effort or even MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs), in terms of CAPF effort, we all should converge on this issue and make sure that we should not get any such surprises in the future," the Army chief said.

The eastern Ladakh military standoff between India and China began in May 2020 and a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June that year resulted in a severe strain in ties between the two neighbours.

To a query about the situation along the northern border, he said, "The northern borders are safe because the Indian Army is sitting there with required deployment to hold the fort".

An agreement was recently firmed up between India and China on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff.

The move marked a significant development in the pursuit of reduced tension along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

The ties between the two Asian giants had nosedived following the clash.

In his address at the Army Day celebrations here, the Army chief also said that ceasefire is maintained along the Line of Control (LoC) but "attempts to infiltrate continue".

Sustained efforts by security forces in the inner areas of Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in decrease in violence there.

"We will continue on the path to make the Indian Army a modern, agile, adaptable, technology-enabled and a capable force in the future," Gen Dwivedi said.

The parade saw the display of some of the cutting-edge platforms of the Army, a fly-past by three Su-30 aircraft, beside several marching contingents.

An all-girl contingent of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and an all-woman Agniveer contingent of the Corps of Military Police (CMP) Centre and School, and 12 marching 'robotic mules' registered their presence in the Army Day Parade for the first time.

The Army chief said the 77th Army Day Parade taking place in Pune holds special significance as it has been a place of valour since the Maratha rule.

The Army Day celebration in Pune reflects "our deep link" with heritage of the region, he said.

Pune hosted the celebrations for the first time. The Army Day Parade (ADP) took place at Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) and Centre here which comes under the Army's Southern Command.