Chinese troops continue to remain in the Northern part of Doklam in reduced numbers and have built temporary infrastructure, Army Chief Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. However, he said the border mechanisms were working well in resolving issues even as reports surfaced of Chinese military build-up near the Doklam area.
“As far as Doklam area is concerned, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops are there in part of the area, in the North part. Although not in the numbers we saw initially. They have carried out some infrastructure development most of it temporary in nature... We are also present there. In case they come, we will face them,” Gen. Rawat said in a conversation at Raisina Dialogue being jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation.
He said that while their troops might have returned and infrastructure remained, it was anybody’s guess whether they would come back or because of winter they could not take their equipment away.
However, Gen. Rawat stressed that the existing border mechanisms were working well in defusing tensions and border personal meetings were being held regularly to sort differences. “Bonhomie has returned which was prior to Doklam. I don’t visualise very serious trouble, but we need to be prepared for anything,” he noted.
India and China had pulled back troops from the disputed site as part of a mutual withdrawal in August last year ending the standoff at the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.
Meanwhile, some reports have mentioned about massive Chinese military build-up including permanent infrastructure and helipads showing maps of the area.
However, official sources said the development was far from the disputed area and well within the Chinese territory. “It is 40-50 km from Doklam plateau. There is nothing we can do for developments within their area,” one official said.
Collective action
Calling for collective action against terrorism, Gen. Rawat warned that mass destruction weapons, including nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, falling in the hands of terrorists “would be disastrous for the humanity.”
“Terrorism is here to stay unless the whole world comes together and works together,” Gen. Rawat said earlier in the day in a panel discussion at Raisina Dialogue.
Stressing on the urgent need for the world community to come to a consensus on the definition of ‘terrorist’, Gen. Rawat said “We need to disrupt terrorists and their sponsors. We need to identify nations who are sponsors.”
