GUWAHATI: Face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at several locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border are still ongoing, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapur said on Thursday, October 22.
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Speaking at an annual felicitation ceremony for ITBP personnel in Alwar, Rajasthan, Kapur said face-offs had occurred at several locations along the Arunachal border and were continuing.
“Recently, a situation arose in Arunachal where face-offs occurred in several locations, which are still ongoing,” Kapur said.
He also praised the newly raised Shaurya platoons for their work along the border and stressed the need for the ITBP to strengthen its capabilities as a high-altitude mountain fighting force.
“Our Shaurya platoons have also done exceptional work. This was a new initiative, and as we all know, ITBP originally started as a mountain guerrilla force. Later, as a conventional border-guarding force, we have been managing the entire China border since 2004. However, there is no need to completely abandon our original mandate,” Kapur said.
He added that while the need for guerrilla warfare may have reduced, the force must develop a distinct identity as a high-altitude mountain fighting force.
Kapur also said that China had moved ahead of India in modernising its military and that confronting the country through traditional methods would be difficult.
“To face China through traditional ways would be tough now. Because, China has invested heavily in the modernization of its forces and has moved ahead,” he said.
He stressed that weapons used by the ITBP are 50 years old and requires modernisation.
The remarks come amid continuing sensitivities along the India-China border, where both countries have been engaged in efforts to manage tensions through diplomatic and military-level discussions.
