The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), in the events of recent months, has broken the myth of some countries that they have a powerful army, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Saturday in an indirect reference to the ongoing confrontation between India and China in Ladakh.
The Minister of State for the Interior addressed the troops of the border force trained for mountain warfare on the occasion of their 59th day of uprising here.
He did not take names, but said that while India believes in the philosophy of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” or the world is a family, the culture of the country teaches it to worship both “shastra and astra” or holy scriptures and weapons at the same time.
“This has taught us that the enemy can raise its head at any time and in any place and we must be fully prepared to face any possibility. The ITBP is an important pillar of this preparation of the country, ”said Reddy.
“The armies of some countries had the myth that they were among the powerful armies of the world, but during the developments in recent months, the ITBP has broken that myth,” he added.
The country and its citizens are proud of the ITBP’s courage and dedication, the minister said.
The ITBP is the designated force to protect the 3,488-kilometer-long Sino-Indian Royal Line of Control (LAC) running from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh on the country’s northeast flank.
The army and the border guard force have been involved in a military confrontation in the Ladakh region in recent months. The ITBP had said some time ago that it “fought all night” and gave an adequate response to Chinese PLA troops during a violent clash between the two sides on June 15-16.
Reddy said the force not only controls the borders and guarantees the internal security of the country, but also protects its economic interests.
“India is surrounded by a hostile neighborhood and our enemy, time and time again, puts up obstacles to stop our economic development. When you defeat these enemy designs, you guarantee the economic development of the country, ”he said.
Reddy said the Narendra Modi government is “determined” to strengthen and “modernize” the force, and informed about certain sanctions that have been imposed on it in the recent past.
“I am pleased to report that the ITBP has received approval from the Ministry of the Interior to establish 47 border posts, special uniforms and mountaineering equipment for high altitude locations, the latest weapons are being provided and work is being done to prepare priority border roads for the force, ”he said.
The minister said that the Center had approved a budget of 7,223 crore for the force for the 2019-20 financial year.
“I assure you that there will be no shortage of funds for the ITBP,” Reddy added.
ITBP Director General (DG) Surjeet Singh Deswal also spoke at the event, praising the bravery shown by troops recently in Ladakh under “very challenging circumstances”.
Deswal said he recently toured the Ladakh border front and honored the brave staff himself, adding that recommendations have been sent to the government to award medals of gallantry to some of them who fought against Chinese troops.
The force has left no stone unturned to protect this border, faced with the challenges of climate, low temperatures and oxygen levels, and difficult terrain, he said.
Deswal said the force has finalized and submitted a proposal to build “phase 2 of the India-China border roads” to the Interior Ministry.
“A proposal was also sent to the high-level empowered committee for the creation of 18 walking paths in Arunachal Pradesh. We hope that work on this will start soon, ”said the head of ITBP.
He added that the force is providing better vehicles, bulletproof vests and helmets, clothing and rations to its troops at the border.
New systems have been installed for better communication, Deswal said.
The ITBP rose in the wake of the 1962 Chinese aggression and has a force of approximately 90,000 with 60 battalions on the ground.
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