India’s tri-services chief, General Bipin Rawat has warned that a military option is still available on the table if diplomatic talks fail with China. India and China have been at loggerheads ever since the deadly Galwan valley clash which resulted in the killing of 20 Indian soldiers and unconfirmed numbers on the Chinese side.
India’s Chief of Defense Staff – General Bipin Rawat asserted that a military alternative to manage offenses by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Ladakh is on the table, yet will be practiced just if talks between the two militaries and the diplomatic methods are unfruitful.
Speaking to the reporters, Rawat said, “Transgressions along the LAC occur due to differing perceptions about its alignment. Defense services are tasked to monitor and carry out surveillance and prevent such transgressions from turning into intrusions. The whole of government approach is adopted to peacefully resolve any such activity and prevent intrusions. Defense services always remain prepared for military actions should all efforts to restore status quo along the LAC do not succeed”.
Gen. Rawat was also the Indian Army Chief during the 2017 Doklam Standoff and has experience in dealing with the Chinese ingressions. He also stated that there is good coordination among the intelligence agencies and any notion which says otherwise is fallacious.
“Defence minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and all those responsible for national security are reviewing all options with the objective that PLA restores status quo ante in Ladakh,” he added.
Gen. Rawat also stated that India’s vast borders with its troubled eastern and western borders require constant monitoring, including the Indian Ocean region. India is constantly trying to work on acquiring round-the-clock monitoring capabilities in its areas of interest, he said.
The Chief Of Defense Staff (CDS) post was made operational since 1st January 2020 when Gen. Bipin Rawat took charge as India’s first CDS, an important position which is deemed essential to improve coordination among the forces in the new hybrid and combined arms warfare strategies of contemporary times.
The Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh also met with the service chiefs to discuss the operations and the stalemate at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the area which saw one of the bloodiest battles since the1962 India-China war.
India’s border infrastructure’s development is also taking place at a fast pace, an area in which the Chinese counterpart excels. “Regular meetings to prioritize and resource these projects are held. They (the projects) have been given the desired impetus over the past three to four years.
Our infrastructure development like the construction of Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldi (DSDBO) road or developments in other areas of our northern borders has been undertaken to provide connectivity to our people who are otherwise seeking migration.
It also simultaneously assists the security forces who are responsible for monitoring and maintaining surveillance along our border areas. The impetus by the way of prioritization has helped in the development of strategic connectivity for the future”, the CDS said.
