Indian Army chief plays down Chinese incursion

NEW DELHI - Indian Army chief General V.K. Singh Monday played down reports of a Chinese incursion in Jammu and Kashmir’s frontier area of Ladakh saying it was due the perceptional differences of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - the de facto border between the two countries.

“There is a perceptional differences about the Line of Actual Control between us and China. Obviously somebody (with a) perception that the border passes through a particular area is going to come and stop, like we would do if it was our perception,” Singh said on the sidelines of the function here.

His remarks come amid reports of a fresh Chinese incursion in Demchok in Ladakh as Chinese soldiers in October last year also threatened local construction workers and stopped them from building a bus station in an area close the LAC.

But the army chief said the incident was not “alarming”.

“I only see it as a problem of perception. We patrol up to our perception of the LAC which is further east and the Chinese come to the LAC as perceived by them,” he said.

“When they do that and it is beyond our line, it is called transgression. I am quite sure on the Chinese side also they would call it a transgression when our patrols go up to our line of perception.”

The army chief said the area where construction was going on was out of bounds for any construction work and regretted that “unfortunately” such activities were being pushed for local gains.

“Unfortunately, some people for various local gains have pushed construction activity in that area,” he said.

Singh was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his interaction with NCC cadets on a Republic Day camp.

Addressing the cadets he recalled the days when he was himself a naval cadet during his school days.

He acknowledged the “valuable contribution” of NCC and said it “grooms leaders on and off the field, infusing positive attitude and team spirit through a cutting edge provided by multifarious training to young cadets”.

He exhorted the young cadets to emulate the former outstanding cadets who did the country proud at national and international levels.

A select group of cadets presented a Guard Of Honour to the chief which was followed by a spectacular band display.

Some 1,950 cadets - both boys and girls from 17 NCC directorates from all over the country - are participating in the Republic Day camp. The cadets will take part in a number of activities like cultural, national integration awareness and institutional training competitions during the month long Republic Day Camp.