Nirmala Sitharaman: India ready for any situation in Doklam
On Sunday, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured that the country was "alert and ready for any situation that may arise in Doklam." In 2017, India-China were engaged in a 73-day face-off in Doklam along the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction. Notably, this revelation comes even as the Indian Army has raised concerns about how fund crunch is crippling its military preparedness amidst China's and Pakistan's aggressive posturing.
Sitharaman says government is committed to improving military preparedness
Sitharaman was attending an event at Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Rawat's residence to welcome armed forces' inductees. Regarding border tensions, she asserted that, "We will maintain our territory and integrity at all cost." She added, "Many talks are doing the rounds about the preparedness of our armed forces. I want to clarify that there is no laxity in the preparedness and modernization of our forces."
Raksha Mantra assures young cadets of joining a "world-class force"
Sitharaman said the government has given the three service chiefs a free hand in exercising emergency powers to purchase whatever ammunition is required for strengthening military preparedness. She also assured the young cadets that her government is committed to modernizing the defense forces. She said that, "You should be proud to be now part of a world-class force."
Sitharaman's comments come amid India-China attempts to reset troubled ties
Meanwhile, reports indicate that India and China are keen to recalibrate ties. This explains Indian ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale's confirmation that during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in June, there will "definitely" be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping. Apart from the PM, Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also be visiting China in April.
