No loss of territory is happening now to China: Ladakh LG

Ladakh LG B.D. Mishra also said the Agniveers are proving “very effective” and anybody who is propagating against the programme is bordering on being “anti-national”

Whatever loss of territory that occurred along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh occurred during the 1962 war or around that period, and “no loss is happening now”, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh Brigadier B.D. Mishra (Retd) said. He also said the Agniveers are proving “very effective” and anybody who is making propaganda of the many disadvantages about this Agnipath project is “not in national interest” and bordering on “anti-national”.

“I find that military preparation is very good and as far as Union Territory administration is concerned, we are developing infrastructure, we are developing roads, and all the proposals that come to me from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), are sanctioned without delay,” the LG said, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Himtech symposium that concluded on Saturday (September 21, 2024).

Rejecting the “rumours” that say ‘so much of’ territory has gone, he said, “I have been on the ground, to Galwan, to other places, whatever territory was lost in 1962 or around that period, that territory is with the adversary. But no losses have taken place now because we are very much determined and China knows that we will defend to the last man and last bullet.”

Since May 2020, India and China have been engaged in a standoff in Eastern Ladakh after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army made ingress at seven locations, which resulted in a bloody clash at Galwan in June 2020. Both sides have undertaken disengagement at five locations since after a series of talks at the corps Commander level, but disengagement from Depsang and Demchok has been stuck for the last two years. With the upcoming BRICS summit next month, there has been buzz of a possible movement on this.

Also Read: Explained | Why is the BRICS summit important for India?

“One thing I want to tell you is that India is not a poor country now, we are not poor, Ladakh is not a poor UT now,” the LG said. “India by the grace of god and the efforts of Narendra Modi is spending in the right way on right issues and in that defence of the country is on top.”

To a question on the demand by Ladakhis for Statehood, he said there is no such situation which the government of India is not ready to listen to the demands.

On the Agnipath scheme of short-term recruitment into the Indian military announced in June 2022, Brig. Mishra said a plan that was thought of, planned, and debated for a very long time. “Agniveers are proving very effective and when they go out, they will be very competent people,” Brig. Mishra remarked. So anybody who is “making propaganda” of the many “disadvantages” about this Agnipath project are “not in national interest”, sorry to say bordering on anti-national, he stated.

“Agniveer is a very good project,” the LG said, adding that the Army always goes in for reform and modification to improve processes, and so having experienced it now, it will be modified to the extent that is optimal.

The LG also gave away prizes to the winners in the Drone-A-Thon 2 competition held at Wari La on September 17-18 which saw over 20 Indian drone manufacturers. Prizes were given away in two categories logistics and First person view (FPV) drones.

In the logistics category, where loads of 20 kg were to be carried over a certain altitude, the first prize went to Scandron Private Limited, and the second was Mistral Private Limited. In the FPV category, there were nine obstacles to be crossed. The winner was Inside FPV Private Ventures, which crossed all mine hurdles in the shortest time. The runner-up was Dronacharya Aerial Private Limited, which crossed grout of the nine hurdles. The Army has been looking for logistics drones to transport loads to forward posts in high altitude areas.

Published - September 21, 2024 10:40 pm IST