New Delhi: Amid the over three-year-old ongoing standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Monday termed the border situation with China as a matter of “perception differences” and asserted that there would be no compromise on India’s honour and self-respect.
Speaking at the ‘National Security Conclave’ in Jammu, the defence minister was also optimistic that a day would come when the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would be removed from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh reiterated the government’s stance to resolve the border issue through dialogue in a peaceful manner. He also lauded the Indian Army for its dedication and valour in preventing the People’s Liberation Army’s attempts to alter the status quo.
Talks at military and diplomatic levels were continuing to resolve the dispute involving the two neighbouring countries, he said. “We will never let the sanctity of our borders be violated,” he added.
Ties between India and China have remained frosty and at times every strained after PLA troops violated agreements and transgressed the LAC at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020.
J&K and AFSPA
Noting that the AFSPA was removed from large parts of the Northeast, Singh said he was waiting for “permanent peace” in Jammu and Kashmir so that it could be removed from the Union Territory.
“While we have controlled the problem of insurgency in Northeast India, we have also succeeded in controlling left wing extremism. Today, AFSPA has been removed from large parts of the North East. I am waiting for the day when permanent peace will come in Jammu and Kashmir and AFSPA will be removed from here too,” he said.
पूर्वोत्तर भारत में Insurgency की समस्या पर जहां हमने काबू पाया है वहीं वामपंथी उग्रवाद पर भी नियंत्रण पाने में हमें सफलता हासिल हुई है। आज North East के बड़े हिस्से में AFSPA हटा लिया गया है। मुझे तो उस दिन का इंतजार है जब जम्मू और कश्मीर में भी Permanent Peace आएगी और यहां से…
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) June 26, 2023
“For a long time, Pakistan has tried to destabilise peace and harmony in the country through cross-border terrorism. However, when we came to power, we launched an effective action against terrorism. We showed the world the meaning of ‘zero tolerance against terrorism’ …,” he said, adding that the network of terrorism in J&K has substantially weakened in the last few years.
“Terror funding has been curbed. Supply of arms and drugs to terrorists has been stopped. Along with elimination of terrorists, work is being done to dismantle the network of underground workers,” he said
Singh further said that the decision to abrogate Article 370 has connected the people of the Union Territory with India’s mainstream and helped them to usher in a new era of peace and progress.
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’
Highlighting the steps taken to attain self-reliance in defence manufacturing, Singh asserted that defence exports have crossed Rs 16,000 crore from Rs 900 crore before 2014. “The exports will soon touch the Rs 20,000 crore mark,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singh rejected speculative reports on the price and other terms of purchase of MQ-9B drones from the US, saying the defence ministry would compare the acquisition cost of the drones with the best price the General Atomics (GA) offered to other countries. He added that the acquisition will be made only by following the established procurement procedure.
India and the US have signed a $3 billion deal for outright purchase of 31 MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones. While the Indian Navy will be allotted 15 drones, the Army and the Indian Air Force will get 8 each.
(Edited by Tony Rai)