Kathmandu. Chaired by the Indian Army Chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the Army Commander’s Conference has begun in New Delhi. The event will that will stretch from October 26 to 29, will apparently be focused on the military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and the tensions with the Pakistani military, that have heightened with the cease-fire violations at the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The LAC has been the staging ground for China and India to face-off on issues that have been trailing the bilateral relations of the two states since the 1960’s. On the other hand, the Indian Army has accused the Pakistani military of repeatedly violating the cease-fire agreements in the past few months, that resulted in the deaths of several Indian soldiers. With the tensions building at both fronts the military brass are set to convene on discussions on both the subjects in the Conference.

Prior to the commencement of this event, India’s Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, on Sunday had commented that while India was willing to end the border stalemate at Eastern Ladakh, it would not relinquish even an inch of the disputed land to China. Speaking to the press after he performed the “Shastra Pooja” at the Indian Army’s 33 Corps in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, he mentioned that, “India wants an end to the ongoing border tension with China and the restoration of peace. This is our objective. But at times, some nefarious incidents keep happening. I am very confident that our soldiers will never allow even an inch of our land to be taken away by anyone.” He will be addressing the Conference on Tuesday, October 27.

The Indian Army has maintained in the past that they are prepared for any signs of hostility that may emerge from the activities of the People’s Liberation Army. As both sides have ramped up their engagements at the border, deploying additional troops during the harsh winter, and adding up to the heavy artilleries, disengagement talks have yet to bear any fruitful results. The Indian Army had deployed three more divisions at the LAC and officers have claimed that they are ready for any strife at the Line of Control (LoC) as well. The Indian Army on Saturday shot down a quadcopter at the LoC. The Army Chief had recently stated that the military was stationed and ready to combat any threats at the LoC, noting that “Pakistan is not letting up on its nefarious design of pushing as many terrorists as they can before the onset of winters.”

The Indian Army released a statement mentioning that, “The first day will be spent deliberating on matters related to Human Resource Management. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address the conference on October 27, 2020. Prior to the Defence Minister’s address, the conference will be addressed by the CDS and all the three Service Chiefs (COAS, CNS & CAS).” The following days will focus on the various agendas proposed by Army Commanders, and the conference will wrap up with an update from the Director-General of Border Roads (DGBR), the presentation of the Sports Trophy and Flight Safety Trophy, and a closing address delivered by the COAS.

The Indian military is currently combating the threat of an escalation of conflict at both the LoC and the LAC.  The Conference will be a point for the military brass to further review and reflect upon these matters.