The prime minister was spending Diwali with soldiers at the Longewala post in Rajasthan
Jaisalmer:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a subtle but significant blow against China, attacked “expansionist” forces displaying a “distorted mentality that belongs to the 18th century.” The prime minister warned those forces not to take advantage of India’s tolerance and said the nation’s soldiers would give a “prachand jawab (fierce response) “if the borders were threatened.
“India believes in a policy of understanding and making others understand … but if we try to test our resolve, the country will give a fierce response,” the prime minister said on Saturday while spending Diwali with soldiers on the strategic key. . Longewala stall in Jaisalmer of Rajasthan.
“No force in the world can prevent our soldiers from protecting our borders. India has shown that it has the strength and political will to give an adequate response to those who challenge it. The world now knows that India will not compromise one bit with its interest. “, he added.
Today’s warning is not Prime Minister Modi’s first.
Last week, addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he called on members (this includes China and Pakistan) to “respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other.”
In July, during a surprise visit to a Ladakh outpost, days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley, the Prime Minister, without naming China, said: “The era of expansionism is over .. History is witness that the expansionist forces have lost or have been forced to back down. “
He also stressed that India would not stop building roads and bridges in the border area, which is believed to be the cause of China’s aggression.
On that occasion, China responded by calling the comment “unfounded and exaggerated.”
These comments come amid a protracted standoff with China on the Ladakh border, where soldiers have been locked in a standoff in LAC (Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between the two countries) since skirmishes were reported in the Pangong Lake region in May.
Tensions peaked after the June violence, in which an unspecified number of Chinese troops were also killed. In September, “warning shots” were fired as the two armies met face to face in Pangong Tso.
There have been several rounds of military and diplomatic talks since then, the eighth was held last week, but the Chinese have refused to adhere to the agreements to restore the status quo.
India’s Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat said last week that a “major conflict” could not be ruled out if unprovoked military actions by the Chinese continued.
Prime Minister Modi’s comment on “expansionist” forces and warning to those who threaten the country’s territorial integrity also comes a day after 11 people, including five soldiers, were killed in ceasefire violations by troops. Pakistanis in various areas of northern J&K.
The prime minister also recalled the Battle of Longewala, an engagement during the 1971 war with Pakistan in which a small contingent of Indian soldiers repelled an attack by a significantly larger Pakistani tank-backed infantry force and paid tribute to the heroic soldiers.
Last year, the Prime Minister visited the Rajouri district of J&K to celebrate Diwali with soldiers guarding the Line of Control (LoC). In 2017, he visited soldiers stationed in the Gurez sector of northern Kashmir.
With input from PTI
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