India to deploy 35,000 troops along with China border post the LAC standoff.
As the border tensions with China simmer, India to add 35,000 troops along the border.
As the possibility of an early resolution to the severe tensions between India and China fades, India is gearing up to deploy an additional 35,000 troops along its disputed Himalayan border with the neighbor, China. Senior Indian officials said that the move would change the status quo along the 3,488 kilometers (2162 mile) Line of Actual Control (LAC) and stretch the country’s already tight military budget. The officials revealed the information on the condition of being unnamed citing rules on speaking to the media.
China has started disengaging its troops:
On June 15, twenty Indian soldiers along with an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a weapon-less confrontation in Galwan Valley, and since then, both the neighboring countries have loaded their respective borders with heavy artillery guns and tanks along with deploying more troops in that region. The United Service Institution of India and retired major general, B K Sharma said,” The nature of the Life of Control, at least in Ladakh, has changed forever. Additional troops rushed by either side will not move back, unless there is a rapprochement at the highest political level.” After several high-level talks, China has stated that it is disengaging its troops in most locations.
Plea for raising the Defense budget:
This additional deployment of troops has stretched the Indian Army as it also guards the 742 kilometers (460 miles) disputed borders with Pakistan as well as keeping a keen eye on every ingress point along its border with China. The tight military budget is spent 60% on paying salaries for India’s 1.3 million soldiers – one the world’s largest standing armies. Many experts believe that the government will have to allocate more funds to combat the enemies of the country.
