The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been actively conducting border patrols along the Indo-China border, with a total of 2,899 patrols carried out between April and December 2022. This information was revealed in the 2022-23 annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was recently published.
According to the Ministry, ITBP’s primary objective during these patrols is to ensure the security of the border and to maintain heightened vigilance, especially in light of the ongoing security situation along the Indo-China border. The patrols have been crucial in keeping a strict watch over the region.
The frequency of these patrols, averaging around 300 per month, has notably increased since the onset of the latest border dispute with China in 2020. The conflict escalated on June 15, 2020, when 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent clash with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh.
Despite several rounds of talks between the two countries to resolve the border issue, at least 26 patrolling points out of the 65 in eastern Ladakh have remained unpatrolled by Indian troops since April and May 2020. Additionally, some areas that were previously patrolled have been designated as “buffer zones,” with Chinese troops also refraining from entering these areas.
Patrolling points play a crucial role in asserting territorial claims along the undefined Line of Actual Control (LAC), where there is no mutually agreed-upon border in various stretches.
In September 2020, India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, informed the Parliament that confrontations with the Chinese PLA occurred due to interruptions in patrols and the absence of a mutually delineated LAC, highlighting the complex nature of the border situation.
The ITBP’s continuous efforts in conducting border patrols remain a vital component of India’s strategy to safeguard its borders and maintain vigilance along the Indo-China border.
AFI
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