Army chief General M Pande addresses the gathering on the occasion of Army Day in Bengaluru on Sunday. ANI
New Delhi: Army chief General Manoj Pande on Sunday said that the Army is maintaining a strong defence posture at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and is ready to tackle any contingency.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Army Day in Bengaluru, he said, “In the northern border areas, the situation has been normal and through established protocols and existing mechanisms, necessary steps have been taken to maintain peace. The Army is maintaining a strong defence posture at LAC, and we are ready to tackle any contingency.”
Hailing the move to conduct Army Day parade outside Delhi for the first time, the Army chief said that this will give the Army a golden opportunity to connect with people.
“For the first time Army Day parade and other events related to it are being held outside the national capital. This has given a golden opportunity to Army to connect with people. I’m confident this will make our relations even stronger,” he said.
He said the Army firmly faced security-related challenges last year and ensured security of borders actively and strongly.
“Army took steps to improve capability development, force restructuring and training. It also further strengthened its preparations for future wars,” the Army chief said.
Prasing the jawans who are in posted in difficult areas and rough weather conditions, General Pande said that all kinds of arms and facilities are being provided to them.
“All kinds of arms, equipment and facilities are being given to the jawans in adequate quantity. With combined efforts of local administration, other agencies and military there’ve been improvements in infrastructure development,” he said.
Talking about the Line of Control (LoC), he said the ceasefire still continues in western border areas and the violations have been brought down.
“Across the border, terror infrastructure still remains. Our counter-infiltration grid is continuously foiling the infiltration from there,” he added.
The Army chief said that there has been improvements in the areas inside J&K and the local population has rejected violence.
“People in J&K are welcoming positive changes and have been enthusiastically participating in all government initiatives,” the Army chief added.
He said although there has been a decline in violence with the efforts of security forces, several proxy terrorist outfits have resorted to the technique of targetted killings to gain visibility.
“Army, along with other security forces, is determined to foil all such attempts,” he added.
Talking about the Northeastern region, he said there have been definite improvements in security situation.
“Indian Army has played an important role in bringing down level of violence and making insurgents leave the path of violence. Most insurgent groups have signed peace agreements with the government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the Indian Army, saying the soldiers have always kept our nation safe and are widely admired for their service during times of crisis.
“On Army Day, I convey my best wishes to all army personnel, veterans and their families. Every Indian is proud of our Army and will always be grateful to our soldiers,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
“They have always kept our nation safe and are widely admired for their service during times of crisis,” he added.
President Droupadi Murmu also joined PM Modi and extended greetings on Army Day.
“I salute all brave soldiers of Indian Army and their families on this occasion,” she said
“On Army Day, let us recall countless stories of Indian Army soldiers’ sacrifices! They have always pushed the frontiers of valour and courage, and also acted as saviours in times of calamities. I salute all brave soldiers of Indian Army and their families on this occasion,” Murmu tweeted.
Army Day is observed on 15 January to mark Field Marshal KM Cariappa taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, replacing his British predecessor in 1949.
With inputs from agencies
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