NEW DELHI: From the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message to both Pakistan and China, saying those who pose a threat to the country’s sovereignty will be responded to firmly.
“From LoC (Line of Control) to LAC (Line of Actual Control), whoever tried to raise their eyes towards the sovereignty of our country, our soldiers responded to it in the same language.” Referring to the clash with China in June at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, Modi said: “India’s integrity is supreme for us. What our jawans can do to safeguard the country, the world saw that in Ladakh.
Today, I salute all those brave soldiers from the Red Fort.” Hailing the PM’s statement, Lt-Gen VK Chaturvedi, security analyst, said it gave a direction for future. “The speech marked a confident and clear message to both China and Pakistan that they will be given befitting reply to their every nefarious plan,” he said. Lt-Gen Gurmit Singh, fFormer Deputy Chief of Army Staff, feels five words used by the PM summed up his message to China and Pakistan.
“He used LAC, expansionism, Ladakh, LoC and terrorism in such a manner that it summed up the situations on ground. But nobody can threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Lt-Gen Singh.Diplomatic experts, too felt, Modi’s speech re-emphasised India’s clear message to China and Pakistan and also to the world. “The PM is reiterating his earlier statement that anyone who casts an evil eye on India will be given a befitting reply.
He also mentioned expansionism, which is an indication that the situation in eastern Ladakh is still tense,” BR Deepak, sinologist and chairperson of the Centre for Chinese and South Asian Studies at JNU, said. Deepak was of the opinion that Modi’s mention of LAC indicates the mechanisms at the military and diplomatic levels have not achieved the desired results.
“It could also be interpreted that we are not going to see the highest level political engagement to end the stand-off as was the case during the Doklam standoff,” he said. A former diplomat, who did not wish to be named, said Modi’s message to Pakistan and China is a stern one. “Since the face-off along the LAC and the ever-present tension with Pakistan, the message is now loud and clear that India’s territorial integrity is of paramount importance and there would be no compromise on it.”