Jaishankar says India increased border deployment after Galwan clash:Roads, tunnels and airfields built over 10 years to strengthen infrastructure

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said India had strengthened its military presence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. He said maintaining a large number of troops along the border for extended periods had become necessary. Speaking at an event organised in association with Hindustan Times, Jaishankar said border infrastructure had been neglected in the past. However, over the last 10 years, the government had accelerated the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels and airstrips along the border. 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan clash The India-China border tensions escalated in June 2020 after China began mobilising a large number of troops in eastern Ladakh. India responded by deploying additional forces in the region, leading to a military standoff at several points along the LAC. On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the confrontation. China later acknowledged that four of its soldiers had also died. Government increased budget for border infrastructure Jaishankar said that until around a decade ago, the development of roads and other essential infrastructure along the China border had not received adequate attention. Although plans were drawn up, their implementation on the ground remained limited. He said the pace of infrastructure development had increased significantly over the past 10 years, with higher budgetary allocations for the sector. Jaishankar said the progress could be assessed by looking at the kilometres of roads constructed each year, the number of tunnels completed and the facilities developed to support troop deployment. According to him, improved infrastructure has made it easier for India to move large numbers of soldiers to the border and maintain their deployment for longer periods. India needs a different strategy to compete with China Jaishankar also discussed the economic gap between India and China, saying the two countries had economies of roughly comparable sizes during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He said China rapidly modernised its industries and economy during the 1980s, while India lagged behind. Although India introduced some economic reforms in the 1990s, these were not pursued consistently. “Some decades went by when we fell behind. We now need to bridge this gap. But following the same old path will not be enough. We need to move ahead rapidly in certain sectors and develop our own areas of strength,” he said. Jaishankar added that India should not try to compete with China directly in every sector. Instead, it should identify areas where it has distinct strengths and focus on building its capabilities. He said the government was pursuing this approach by promoting domestic manufacturing and strengthening Indian industries. Blinken says US should not expect India to follow its approach Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also attended the event. He said Washington should not expect India to think like the United States or always act according to its preferences. Blinken said he understood India’s desire to pursue an independent foreign policy and retain the freedom to make its own decisions. ​