Situation in Sikkim, Arunachal Stable but Unpredictable: Lt Gen RP Kalita

Amid India-China border row, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita stated that the situation in both Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is stable now but unpredictable because of the boundary issue.

The Eastern Command takes care of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors.

Addressing a press conference, Lt Gen RP Kalita said, "There are different perceptions about LAC which leads to friction, however, the situation in both Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is stable now but unpredictable because of the absence of delineation of borders."

He further said that India is continuously monitoring the activities that take place across the border and are prepared to face any kind of emerging challenges.

"Eastern Army is responsible for maintaining territorial integrity on eastern borders and the task has been executed by our units and formations with utmost professionalism and dedication. We are continuously evolving and aware of oncoming operational challenges," said GOC-in-C Eastern Command.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told in parliament that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh and unilaterally change the status quo but they went back to their locations due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders.

GOC-in-C Eastern Command said that it is difficult to quantify the number of Chinese troops deployed in these areas, but the developments in these areas are closely monitoring.

When asked about measures being taken to protect Siliguri Corridor, Kalita said, "Siliguri Corridor is geo-strategically extremely important to us. All our mechanisms are in place to ensure there are no disruptions in connectivity in the northeast."

He further said that PLA started infrastructure development post-2017 Doklam issue within their territory.

"On our side, to mirror those activities, infrastructure development has been carried out to ensure better response from us in case we're required to do it," he added.

He said that Arunachal Pradesh comprises seven valleys so movement is extremely difficult and it is difficult to make roadways.

(with inputs from ANI)