Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
clear sky
weather
OMAN
25°C / 25°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Army chief stresses on shifting focus to northern border, says India not weak

1221324
1221324
minus
plus

NEW DELHI: China is strong, and has been asserting itself, but India is not a weak country, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Friday, stressing that the focus now needs to shift from the western to the northern border.


Addressing the customary annual press conference of the Army ahead of the Army Day on January 15, General Rawat for the first time talked in detail about the India-China stand-off on the Doklam plateau along the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China for over two months.


He also said that India and China are working on establishing a hotline, like the one India has with Pakistan, and it will be in place soon.


“The focus has to shift to the northern borders (with China). We have focused too long on the western side (bordering Pakistan),” the Army chief said.


He said the terrain along the northern borders was in favour of India.


The Army chief said China has emerged as a powerful country, adding that dealing with the Communist giant was the government’s job.


“China is emerging as a powerful country, though I will not call it a global power. But certainly, it has emerged as a regional power. It is becoming assertive. We understand China is a powerful country, but we are also not a weak nation,” he said.


He, however, hastened to add that India is also seeking support from other countries in the region so that it is not isolated.


General Rawat said infrastructure development in areas along the northern borders needed speeding up, adding that India should also be prepared for future wars in the cyber space.


Asked about increase in incidents of interaction between Indian and Chinese soldiers, the Army chief said it is a result of increase in the number of Indian troops on the borders and increased patrolling.


“Contact started increasing with increase in patrolling by both sides. Therefore, a large number of transgressions are taking place,” he said adding that transgressions take place due to different perceptions of the Line of Actual Control between the two countries.


Talking about the Doklam issue, the Army chief said Chinese troops have maintained their presence in the northern part of Doklam, which is Chinese territory.


He said road construction had been on in Doklam since 2000, but the Chinese soldiers had come close to Tosa Nala — which divides north and south Doklam — with a large number of manpower and equipment in June last year, just before the India-China standoff started.


“We felt they will probably try and claim the whole of Doklam and build a road there... possible reach where the RBA (Royal Bhutan Army) post is... it was also posing a threat to us as it was changing the status quo,” he said.


“We felt they could take the road further down south... it is then we were compelled to take action... that is what led to a stalemate.”


General Rawat said the Chinese presence in the northern part of Doklam continued but has thinned out and the level of activity has also gone down.


 — IANS


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon