Army chief Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday that there is a need to rebuild trust between India and China following the recent border patrolling agreement.
Speaking at an event titled “Decade of Transformation: Indian Army in Stride with the Future” at the United Service Institution, Gen. Dwivedi made his first statement after the announcement of the India-China border patrolling agreement.
Gen Dwivedi highlighted that restoring trust along the Line of Actual Control, or LAC, will be a gradual process to return to the pre-April 2020 status quo.
He said, “We are working to rebuild trust, and restoring that trust will take time,” adding that steps of disengagement, de-escalation, and buffer zone management are crucial for easing tensions between the two nations.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the process will take place in phases, with each stage aimed at reducing tensions. “This normal supervision of the LAC will not just stop there. There are stages in there as well,” he added.
While referring to the buffer zones created along the LAC, Dwivedi also stressed that the trust between the two nations will be restored through mutual understanding.
“We are trying to restore the trust. How will the trust be restored? It will get restored once we can see each other and convince each other. And we need to reassure each other that we are not creeping into buffer zones that are created,” he said.
Additionally, he mentioned that the ongoing patrolling activities provide a chance for both sides to reassure one another.
He said, “Patrolling gives you that kind of advantage, and as trust is rebuilt, other stages will also follow through.”
In May 2020, troops from the Chinese PLA and the Indian army engaged in border clashes along the LAC, which resulted in casualties on both sides.
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