‘Our troops hold important positions, won’t allow any loss of territory’: Army Chief on standoff with China

“In terms of capability development and force modernisation, my effort will be to leverage new technologies through the process of indigenisation and Aatmanirbharta,” he said.

When asked about the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control, the Army Chief said: “Our troops are holding important physical positions. We are very clear that we will not permit any change in the status quo and any loss of territory. We have re-aligned our troops after carrying out threat assessments.” He added, “The process of talks in ongoing as that is the only solution to the ongoing issues. We have inducted additional equipment and troops in the area and our aim is to reduce tension along the LAC.”

“I would like to focus on the ongoing reforms to enhance the Army’s operational and functional efficiency. The aim will be to boost inter-service cooperation,” the Army Chief added.

Speaking about him being the first Army Chief who comes from the Corps of Engineers, General Pande said: “All officers of the Indian Army from its different arms and services get an equal opportunity for career and professional growth. In senior leadership positions, all officers are trained and oriented on all aspects of war.”He added: “It’s a matter of pride for me that I have been asked to lead the Indian Army. It has a glorious past that maintained the securityand integrity of the nation. In the same way, it also contributed towards nation-building. The geopolitical situation is changing rapidly and we havemany challenges before us. My endeavour will be to take forward the work doneby my predecessors.”

General Pande is the 29th Army Chief. As an Army Commander, Gen Pande has served in two different theatres. He was chief of the Andaman &Nicobar Command, which is a tri-services command; he then headed the Kolkata-headquartered Eastern Command, before taking over as Vice Chief of the Army in February. It was during Gen Pande’s tenure as the Eastern Army Commander that 13 civilians were killed in a botched Army operation in Nagaland in early December. A Court of Inquiry was ordered by him, which has been completed but its findings have not been made public yet.