Statement of the Shri Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary (Communication): Army Chief General Manoj Pande’s recent remarks at his annual press conference in 2024 are a timely reminder of the serious deterioration of India’s national security environment under the Modi government. General Pande’s remark that “our attempt is to continue talks (with China) to go back to the status quo ante which existed in the middle of 2020” are a reminder that the Chinese continue to deny Indian troops access to 2,000 square kilometres of territory in Ladakh almost four years after their intrusion.

Rajouri-Poonch has seen increased terrorist activities and support infrastructure for proxy tandems in the Rajouri-Poonch sector from across the border continues is a reminder the despite removal of Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood, the menace of cross-border terrorism continues. Since 5 August, 2019, more than 160 troops have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. The latest attack occurred as recently as 12 January on our troops in Poonch, this time fortunately with no casualties.

The PM’s 19 June, 2020 clean chit to China – when he said “Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai” – was an insult to our fallen soldiers and contributed to continuing Chinese control of 2,000 square kilometres despite 18 rounds of military talks. A paper by Leh’s Superintendent of Police clearly stated that India can no longer access 26 out of 65 patrolling points that it patrolled prior to 2020, and that strategic areas like Depsang and Demchok remain off limits to Indian troops.

Meanwhile, China is making inroads across our neighbourhood. The most recent examples are the fact that President Mohamed Muizzu became the first President of Maldives to visit China before visiting India and China’s continuing inroads into the territory of our close ally Bhutan. All this while individuals like Chang Chung-Ling and Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli are allowed to play murky roles in critical infrastructure projects controlled by the PM’s close friends with no questions asked.

The Modi government’s callous attitude towards national security, is also evident from the revelation in former Army Chief MM Naravane’s book that the Army was “taken by surprise” by the Agnipath Scheme and that “for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue.”

All of these examples show that for the PM, even national security has been reduced to an instrument of his personality cult and self-aggrandisement, at the cost of the country. Saturday, January 13, 2024.