At the inauguration of the 9.2 km long Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi illuminated three projects in western, central and eastern India to underscore that the previous government lacked strategic vision and proposed rapid improvement of border infrastructure to defend India.
With the ongoing showdown between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh in mind, Prime Minister Modi took the example of the 16,800-foot-high airstrip at the post. of Daulat Beg Oldi near the Karakoram pass which could not be activated due to lack of political will from 1965 to 2008. The advanced landing field was activated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2008 using a Russian AN-32 aircraft and the then government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was informed after the completion of the mission. The airstrip, which is vital for supplies to troops in the DBO-Depsang Bulge area, is now used by C-130J Hercules aircraft to the chagrin of Chinese commanders.
Without referring to China, Prime Minister Modi also blamed previous regimes for placing obstacles in the way of Indian army patrols along the Royal Line of Control (LAC) by failing to build roads to the perceived line. China’s experts believe that it is this 30-year differential in border infrastructure between the two countries that helps the PLA, in terms of capacity and capacity.
Interestingly, Prime Minister Modi used three projects launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government: the Atal Tunnel (Himachal Pradesh), the Kosi Maha Setu (Bihar) and the Boghibeel Bridge (Assam), to show the apathetic attitude of the previous governments. towards the achievement of national objectives. While the Atal Tunnel opened on Saturday, the Kosi Railway Bridge was launched in September after hanging fire since 1934 and Prime Minister Modi commissioned the Boghibeel Setu in 2018.
In the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Defense Chief of Staff General Bipin Rawat, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane and Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar, Prime Minister Modi took on the bureaucracy India that kept the acquisition of the Rafale fighter pending just by flying. files from one desk to another and thus compromising the defense of India. Citing the example of the state of artillery factories, PM also issued an indirect warning to the Indian bureaucracy not to get in the way of “Atmanirbhar” Bharat.
While the importance of the Atal Tunnel cannot be underestimated, the fact is that this tunnel under Rohtang La opens a new road to Ladakh via the Darcha-Padam-Nimu route instead of the Darcha-Upishi-Leh route, which it is blocked six months out of the year due to heavy snow on four other high mountain passes en route. The Darcha-Padam-Nimu route can remain open all year round once a 4.5 km tunnel is built under Shinku La on the Darcha-Padam axis.
Just as roads are being built in the Ladakh sector to connect remote areas of the country, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) is moving at a much faster pace to complete strategic roads in Arunachal Pradesh for places like Tawang, Walong and Kibuthoo sean It is not surprising that China has refused to recognize the Ladakh Union territory and calls for the improvement of border infrastructure in the areas to ensure the alleged occupation of this territory by India.
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