On Tuesday, while dedicating to the nation 24 new bridges and three new roads built by the Border Roads Organization in areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said “in today’s uncertain environment, the possibility of any kind of conflict cannot be ruled out.” His reference to China wasn’t to be missed. These infrastructural developments are mostly girding India’s border regions with Beijing. One of these roads, the Chisumle-Demchok Road in eastern Ladakh, the world’s highest motorable road, is built at an altitude of more than 19,000 feet. The Chinese have built so-called “civilian settlements” in the disputed region over which India also claims sovereign control, and Demchok has seen frequent clashes between troops in the past. In this regard, Singh’s pointed remarks are worth noting: “Infrastructure development in border areas also strengthens our strategic capabilities. As we mo...
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