Noida, October 23: There are currently no skirmishes or conflicts between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and the recent controversy over reported face-offs is simply a “routine patrolling perception”, defence expert Lt General Sanjay Kulkarni (retd) said, pushing back against remarks made by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief that hinted at clashes with Chinese forces.
ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Kapur had reportedly remarked on Thursday that face-offs with Chinese troops had occurred at several locations along the border in Arunachal Pradesh in recent days, and that the situation was continuing. However, sources clarified that the comments, made during an address to ITBP personnel in Rajasthan’s Alwar, were taken out of context and referred to routine operational preparedness and force deployment along the frontier, not any specific incident.
Speaking to IANS, Lt Gen Kulkarni (retd) firmly disagreed with the ITBP chief’s apparent characterization. “I don’t agree with the DG ITBP’s statement,” he said, explaining that the LAC, which India shares with China, measures 3,488 km according to India’s perception, while China considers it to be only 2,000 km. He noted that the Indo-China border falls under the ITBP’s responsibility, and that under the ‘One Border, One Force’ principle decided by the Group of Ministers in 2004 guidelines, the LAC is under the ITBP’s jurisdiction, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Border Affairs. He added that India’s total land border spans 15,000 km, with a maritime border of 11,000 km.
“I don’t think any kind of altercation happened, nor was there any kind of confrontation. It would be wrong to say that. It is completely wrong,” Lt Gen Kulkarni said. “Whatever is happening is a normal patrolling perception… This is a matter of historical legacy; it is a perception. This must have been taken out of context from what the DG might be saying. I don’t think that is right.”
The clarification comes at a sensitive time for India-China relations, which have been steadily rebuilding after the two countries reached an understanding in October 2024 to resolve the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The standoff, which had dragged on for more than four years, had severely strained bilateral ties between the two Asian neighbours.
The thaw in relations was further underscored by the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India on September 12 and 13 to attend the BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to the country in seven years. During the trip, Xi held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review relations and discuss ways to improve cooperation between the two nations.
With tensions easing and diplomatic engagement on the rise, the defence expert’s assessment reinforces the view that day-to-day encounters along the disputed border remain a matter of routine patrolling rather than any escalation, easing concerns that may have been raised by the ITBP chief’s earlier comments.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/10/23/army-veteran-questions-context-of-itbp-chiefs-remarks-on-border-clashes/
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Publish Date: 2026-10-23 21:13:00
