China, not Pak, India’s biggest threat: CDS

| | New Delhi
  • 0

China, not Pak, India’s biggest threat: CDS

Saturday, 13 November 2021 | PNS | New Delhi

Amid continued tension at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has said China, not Pakistan, is the “biggest threat” to India. He assured the Armed forces are well prepared for any “misadventure.”

Rawat’s remarks have an uncanny similarity with the assertion made by George Fernandes, soon after he took over as India’s Defence Minister in 1998. Fernandes’ remarks that China was India’s enemy number 1 had rocked the Indian defence and foreign policy establishments.

Twenty-three years down the line, Rawat echoed Fernandes when asked who posed the greatest threat to India’s sovereignty and who was India’s “enemy number 1”.

“Obviously, it’s our northern neighbour China.  I’ve no doubt in that,” he said,  adding, “We, for too long, focused on our western adversary... but...major threat lies...in

the north.”

He added, “China is our biggest enemy today,

not Pakistan.”

With 13 rounds of Corps Commander level talks having achieved little in terms of restoring peace at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, Rawat also said the primary focus of India is disengagement before de-escalation as China is our number one enemy, not Pakistan.

“First issue is disengagement, then de-escalation. The focus is to go back to our original positions prior to April 2020. Equal time and distance separation is paramount, but because their infrastructure is better than ours for time, we are stressing on pull-back of equal distance,” Rawat said in an interview with a private television channel on Thursday.

Rawat also refuted reports by the Pentagon  that the Chinese have entered Indian territory in the Northeast and built a village there.

 “It is just that their old infrastructure is being redeveloped along the LAC on their side. I would not call it ‘muscle flexing’. We are noticing permanent structures on the Chinese side, so if we have to be permanently there, so be it,” he said.

On the ongoing efforts to find ways to pull back troops from the flash-points at the LAC in Ladakh, the CDS said India is “well prepared for any misadventure, and are stocked up for a long winter”.

“Should the Chinese carry out a Galwan again, they will get the same response. Troops from both sides are closer than other areas in Demchok and Depsang Plains, but there is nothing to be worried about right now,” Rawat said.

Commenting on the new Chinese land law, he stated that China masters in playing mind games and India should not come under such pressure from psychological warfare.

“If their law allows transgression into Indian land, there will be contestation... We should not come under any pressure from the psychological games played by China. That is what they want. China is our biggest enemy today, not Pakistan,” Rawat said.

 

His remarks came at a time when more than one lakh troops from both sides are deployed at the LAC in Ladakh.  Moreover, both Armies will remain posted even during harsh winters like last year.  Army Chief General MM Naravane in October visited Ladakh to review the operational readiness of the troops for deployment during the winter months when temperature dips to minus 20 to 30 degrees.

 

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda