In a historic first, the Army Commanders’ Conference (ACC) was held at a forward location near the China border in Gangtok, Sikkim—sending a clear message to Beijing. The conference comes at a time when China has raised the stakes in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, by deploying an additional 90,000 soldiers.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who presided over the two-day conference, had earlier sounded a note of caution, emphasizing that “trust has become the biggest casualty” in India-China relations. He highlighted that while the situation along the LAC remains “stable but sensitive,” it is “not normal.”
Speaking on the strategic significance of hosting the conference near the China border, General Dwivedi underscored the Army’s focus on addressing LAC challenges.
“The location of the conference itself is a reflection of our intent. We are heavily focused on developing infrastructure along the northern borders, which requires significant attention and effort,” he stated during an interaction session at Bharat Shakti India Defence Conclave in New Delhi on September 19. He said after the May 2020 incident, his force thought if there was a case of “rebalancing”, adding four years since then, it has gone through its first phase while its second phase is “required”.
The conference, which takes place every six months, highlights the Army’s ongoing reorientation towards strengthening defences along the LAC, underscoring the urgency of infrastructure development in these sensitive regions. Army Commanders reviewed and assessed the “overall security situation” along Chinese border and deliberated on operational preparedness and critical strategies during the key conference.
India has been pressing China for a step-by-step approach to resolve tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), starting with disengagement at the two remaining standoff points in Depsang and Demchok. It would be followed by de-escalation and, eventually, the withdrawal of China’s 50,000 forward-deployed troops. While there has been positive diplomatic signalling in recent political and military meetings, the Army Chief emphasized that the successful implementation of any plan will ultimately depend on military commanders on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army is preparing to maintain its troops in forward positions for a fifth consecutive winter in the harsh terrains of eastern Ladakh and the Arunachal-Sikkim sector. To bolster India’s strategic position, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working relentlessly to close the significant infrastructure gap with China.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday, 12 October, inaugurated 22 roads, 51 bridges and two other projects constructed by the BRO for Rs 2,236 crore. Among the projects, 19 are in Jammu and Kashmir, 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, 11 in Ladakh, 9 in Uttarakhand and 6 in Sikkim. Last year, 125 infrastructure projects of BRO were dedicated to the nation at a cost of Rs 3,611 crore.
Ravi Shankar
