Amid The Border Stand-Off And Tensions With China, Govt Says No Infiltration In Past Six Months
The past few months have seen intense unprecedented flare-ups and tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.
But the government has told Parliament that no infiltration has been reported along the India-China border during the last six months.
The Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said this in a written reply to a query posed by MP Dr. Anil Agrawal in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the issue of infiltration from both Pakistan and China increasing in the past six months.
According to it, 47 attempted infiltration along the India-Pakistan border were made during the last six months. These occurred in the months of February (0), March (4), April (24), May (8), June (0), July (11), respectively.
"The government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross border infiltration, which inter-alia includes multi-tiered deployment along the International border/Line of Control, improved intelligence and operational coordination, border fencing, deploying technological solutions and taking pro-active action against infiltrators," Rai further said.
The government's response indicates an attempt to downplay Chinese intrusions and stress that India has firmly held on to its positions at the LAC.
While speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had acknowledged that India is facing a "challenge" in eastern Ladakh and added that China has been conveyed that any effort to "unilaterally" alter the status quo along the LAC is not at all acceptable.
He had also said that said China continues to illegally occupy approximately 38,000 sq km in Ladakh.?
"In mid-May, the Chinese side made several attempts to transgress the LAC in other parts of the western sector. This included Kongka La, Gogra and north bank of Pangong Lake. While no one should doubt our determination to safeguard our borders, India believes that mutual respect and mutual sensitivity are the basis for peaceful relations with neighbours," he said.
Tension at the LAC since May escalated on June 15, when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat in which PLA also suffered losses.
There have also been at least three firing incidents between the Indian Army and PLA in Eastern Ladakh in the last 20 days over the ongoing territorial dispute.
"The first incident happened when the Indian Army preempted the Chinese attempt to occupy heights near southern bank of Pangong Lake between August 29-31 while the second incident occurred near Mukhpari height on September 7," Army sources told ANI.
In the third incident, which occurred on September 8 near the northern bank of Pangong lake, troops of both sides fired more than 100 rounds as the Chinese side was behaving in a very aggressive manner.
