India on Monday said it is shoring up its military presence in the northern borders and upgrading infrastructure along the border with China in the light of Beijing's rapid infrastructure development and its upgraded military force projection in Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang province.
“India also remains conscious and alert about the implications of China's military modernisation…rapid infrastructure development in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang province has considerably upgraded China's military force projection capability and strategic operational flexibility,” the Defence Ministry said in its2009-10 annual report released on Monday.
While efforts to build 73 roads near Sino-Indian border have been taken up with vigour, Indian Air Force upgraded advanced landing grounds, including at Daulat Beg Oldie, to facilitate landing of AN-32 transport aircraft while the Army is raising two Mountain Divisions in the north-east and plans to acquire ultra-light howitzers that can be dropped via helicopters at higher altitudes.
The report also said that based on strategic and cooperative partnership, relations with China progressed well during the last year. It said there was convergence of views and actions on various issues in international fora and a regular mechanism for exchanges in military sphere has been established.
In its 2008-09 report, the Ministry said that China's defence modernisation needed to be monitored carefully in the foreseeable future for the implications it can have on the security and defence of the country.
Ties with Pakistan
Turning to Pakistan, in the latest report India reasserted that meaningful dialogue with Pakistan could be possible only in an environment free of terror and said Islamabad should take measures to dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil directed against India.
While expressing concern with the worsening security situation inside Pakistan as also with continuing infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir, in its latest annual report the Defence Ministry underscored that India exercised “exemplary restraint in the face of gravest provocation.”
“The increasing incidents of terrorism within Pakistan targeting, inter alia, the security establishment and senior military personnel, and the rising tide of extremism underlined the serious threat to Pakistan itself and to the region,” the report said.
On several occasions, Defence Minister A.K. Antony mentioned that some 42 terror camps operate on the other side of the border. The report said these demonstrate the continuing ambivalence of Pakistan in its actions against terrorist organisations.
“India has never shut the door for dialogue with Pakistan, and is of the view that meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is possible only in an environment free of terror or threat of terror. This calls for Pakistan to take effective measures to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil which is directed against India,” the report said.
Cooperation with Dhaka
On the other hand, it praised Bangladesh and noted that since the restoration of multi-party democracy there, relations with Dhaka have strengthened. It also appreciated increasing cooperation with Bangladesh in security matters, especially vis-à-vis Indian insurgent groups operating from its territory.
Similarly, it observed that cooperation with Myanmar in security matters is being enhanced, while India continues developmental activities in the country which lies at the tri-junction of South and South-East Asia.
On Sri Lanka, the report said, there lies “a historic opportunity” to find lasting political settlement in Northern Sri Lanka after the conclusion of operations against the LTTE.
On Afghanistan, the latest report said that security and stability there was critical to India's own security concerns and takes note of reports of deployment of additional 30,000 U.S. troops in the AfPak region by May this year and President Barack Obama's July 2011 time frame for troop's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
On Iran's controversial Nuclear Programme, the report said India continues to support a peaceful resolution of the issue which would be in the interest of peace and stability in West Asia.
