General Bipin Rawat said that India will have to be prepared for the immediate crisis and the future. (Proceedings)
New Delhi:
India faces the threat of coordinated action along the northern and western fronts, but its armed forces are capable of responding in the “best appropriate way,” Defense Chief of Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, alluding to to a joint threat from Pakistan and China amid what the country has called for fresh attempts by Beijing to change the status quo in certain areas in eastern Ladakh.
“India faces the threat of coordinated action along the northern and western fronts that we have to consider in our defense planning … We have conceptualized a strategy to deal with the threats emerging along the northern and western borders. “he said according to the PTI news agency.
In an interactive session at the United States-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Gen Rawat said that India’s policy of engagement, if not backed by credible military might and regional influence, would entail recognizing China’s preeminence in the region. .
“China’s economic assistance to PoK (Pakistani-occupied Kashmir) and continued military and diplomatic support to Pakistan requires a high level of preparedness on our part,” he said.
The former Army Chief of Staff said India faces the most complex threats and challenges spanning a full spectrum of potential conflicts, from nuclear to sub-conventional, but said the armed forces are ready to deal with them.
“Lately, India has seen some aggressive actions from China, but we are able to handle them in the best possible way,” Gen Rawat said at the online event.
In a warning to Pakistan, he said the country would suffer “heavy losses” if it attempts any setback against India by taking advantage of the border dispute with China.
The Chief of Defense Staff spoke at length about how Pakistan has engaged in a proxy war against India and pushing terrorists to Jammu and Kashmir, attempting to spread terrorism in other parts of the country.
“Pakistan could take advantage of any threat that develops along the northern borders and create problems for us,” he said.
The Indian armed forces will have to be prepared to face an immediate crisis and simultaneously prepare for the future, he said.
The general’s comments come amid the government said troops have been moved to its eastern stretch of the border with China since clashes between the two countries broke out on the western part of their border in the Himalayas in June.
The June clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, on the western part of their border, was the worst violence between the two countries in decades and there has been little sign of a reduction in tension, with more military action last week.
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