Be ready for any contingency on LAC, Rajnath Singh tells Army

NEW DELHI: The Army should be prepared for any contingency along the northern borders, even as talks will continue with China for a peaceful resolution of the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
Addressing the Army commanders' conference, the defence minister said the situation remains tense and fluid in the troop stand-off in eastern Ladakh with forward deployment of soldiers from both the countries for the last three years.
While asking the armed forces to maintain a strong vigil to ensure the security of the Line of Actual Control, the minister said the ongoing diplomatic and military talks "for a peaceful resolution will continue" with China. "Disengagement and de-escalation is the best way forward," he said.
"It is our 'whole of government' approach to ensure the availability of best weapons, equipment and clothing to our troops braving extreme weather and hostile forces to defend our territorial integrity," the defence minister said.
Despite multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks between both the sides , China has till now refused to undertake troop disengagement at the crucial face-offs in the strategically-located Depsang Plains as well as the Charding Ninglung Nallah track junction at Demchok in eastern Ladakh.
The People's Liberation Army has also hardened its stance in the eastern theatre along the Sikkim-Arunachal Pradesh frontier, which had manifested in the clash between the rival troops at Yangtse in the crucial Tawang sector on December 9.
Turning to the western front with Pakistan, Singh praised the Army's strong response to the proxy war being fuelled by the adversary. "I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPFs and Army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergised operations are contributing to increased stability and peace in the region and the same should continue," Rajnath Singh said.
The minister further also asked the armed forces to keep abreast of geopolitical changes around the world and draw requisite lessons from conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine one.
"Unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war, will be part of the future conventional wars," Rajnath said.
The armed forces should always be ready for "unpredictable events" that may crop up anytime, with "war preparedness" being a continuous endeavour. "We should always be honing our fighting skills," he added .