Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Visits Tawang, Assesses Army’s LAC Readiness

Rajnath Singh, the defense minister, went to the forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday to check how ready the armed forces are for operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

At Tawang, Singh said that the country’s security apparatus had to be strengthened. He also said that the government was doing everything it could to improve the military’s strength by making more defense weapons in India.

“In the past, we relied on imports to make our military better.” “However, many important weapons and platforms are now made in the country,” he said, adding that foreign companies were now being asked to share knowledge and make equipment in India with Indian companies.

A lot of important Army leaders were with the minister, including General Manoj Pande, who is the head of the Army, Lt. Gen. R.P. Kalita, who is the head of 4 Corps, and other generals.

The minister also took part in a Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang, where he said again that Dussehra means “good over evil.” He said that the morality and rightness of forces were live proof of the spirit of the Dussehra festival.

In December 2022, a fight between Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang sector made news around the world. “Right away, both sides pulled out of the area,” the Army had said.

Singh started the day by going to the 4 Corps Headquarters in Tezpur, Assam. There, he checked on the tactical readiness of the formation, which is in one of the easternmost parts of the country.

He was told about the work being done to improve infrastructure along the LAC and the “use of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to improve the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the frontline.”

China didn’t like Singh’s trip to Arunachal Pradesh in 2019. China had a problem with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state as late as April, saying that what he did there was against Beijing’s “territorial sovereignty.” The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Arunachal Pradesh “is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India” in response.

The Hindu reported in May that Beijing is still building more model villages, also known as “Xiaokang” villages, across the LAC in the middle and eastern sectors.

The Vibrant Villages Program was also started in the border town of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh by India. Along the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh, 2,967 villages have been chosen for full development as part of the program. These villages are spread out over 46 blocks in 19 districts.