India is willing to challenge the status quo and protect against ‘unilateralism and aggression,’ says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

• India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh states that the country is not afraid to challenge the status quo when necessary.
• He added that India is determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of “unilateralism and aggression,” while outlining the four driving principles behind its security policy.
• The comments come ahead of the Corps Commander levels talks between India and China militaries likely to take place tomorrow on November 6.

India is prepared to ‘challenge the status quo’ if and when necessary, according to the country’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This comes after critical comments were passed against the government for not doing enough to restore the balance of power along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where India is locked in a standoff against China.

“We are willing to challenge the status quo, if the status quo becomes a tool for the exploitation of helpless citizens and the provisions of governance,” said Singh addressing the National Defence College earlier today, November 5.

The last two Corps Commander-level talks between the Asian giants did not yield any conclusive results. Even though Chinese troops were asked to move back from the various points of friction, especially the Finger Area along the southern banks of Pangong Tso Lake in Eastern Ladakh, no concrete measures were agreed upon.

Even India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that relations between India and China are currently under “severe stress,” while delivering the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture last Saturday on October 31.

However, Singh defended India’s position stating that the country is determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of “unilateralism and aggression,” while outlining the four driving principles behind its security policy.

“Recently, India has been facing other challenges on its borders. India is a peace-loving country. We believe that differences should not become disputes,” he explained.

India’s four broad principles for national security, according to Rajnath Singh:

• The ability to secure India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty from external threats and internal challenges.
  
  
• The ability to create secure and stable conditions that can facilitate India’s economic growth, thereby, creating the resources for nation building and to meet individual aspirations.
  
  
• The desire to protect our interests beyond the borders in areas where our people reside and our security interests converge.
  
  
• The belief that in a globalised and interconnected world, a country’s security interests are interlinked by shared and secure common goals.
  

The next Corps Commander level talks between India and China is likely to take place tomorrow (November 6). The goal of the negotiations is to accelerate the pace of disengagement between both sides in the Himalayas.

The Indian delegation will be led by the newly-appointed Commander of the 14 Corps, Lieutenant General PGK Menon.

SEE ALSO:
RBI and banks caught in the crosshairs as the Supreme Court adjourns loan moratorium hearing for a second time to November 18

SBI rallies over 6% after strong earnings with analysts pegging it to be the first to recover among public sector banks

If Joe Biden wins, he’ll be the third US president to deal with Modi — Here’s how that could play out