Two mountain divisions being raised in the North-East: Antony

Defence minister A K Antony today said the Army was raising two new mountain divisions in the North-East, along the borders with China, but dismissed suggestions that the move was against the neighbour.

"We are raising two mountain divisions in the North-East. I must tell you it is not against China. But these are being raised under the overall policies to strengthen presence of the armed forces in the North-East," Antony told a press conference on the occasion of the Sixth DefExpo here.

The defence minister asserted that India is not a "war-mongering" country and has "not invaded even an inch of soil of any other country ever" but added that "we will defend every inch of our territory."

"We have to be on guard. So we have to strengthen our armed forces to act as a deterrent. That is our policy. That is why we are modernising all their equipment," Antony said. 

He said India had embarked on a modernisation programme for its armed forces that included securing the 7,500-km long coastline where the Navy and the Coast Guard were being
strengthened.

For air defence, the IAF was being equipped with modern systems and for security of the land mass from Kutch in the West to North East, Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the southern most party of the country, the Army was being strengthened, he said.