General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) in India, issued a significant statement regarding the India-China border conflict on Wednesday. He stated that the conflict arises from the differing interpretations of the maps of each nation. He also mentioned that determining what is right and what is wrong is not possible. General Chauhan was delivering a speech on ‘Future War and Indian Armed Forces’ at the India International Center (IIC).
He commented that if China were in India’s position in 1950 and saw their map, they too would have felt that their map was shrinking, referencing India’s map reduction after 1947. They lay claim on Arunachal Pradesh. This disagreement will persist. It is impossible to determine what is correct and what is incorrect. Chauhan also mentioned that the differing perspectives of the two countries make it challenging to determine the truth.
He also made remarks about the military readiness of China and Pakistan. He stated that every trained military force would be getting ready for an upcoming conflict. He added that China restructured its military nine years ago. India must enhance its military readiness, considering that China could be fully prepared for a potential conflict.
General Chauhan praised the Agneepath scheme as a positive initiative. Nevertheless, he also indicated that certain alterations could enhance the effectiveness of this plan.
During the conversation about security concerns, ex-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and ex-Defense Secretary N.N. Vohra posed inquiries regarding the preservation of peace in Manipur. He inquired if the goals and terms were well-defined when the military is sent to assist civilians. He cautioned that without adequate systems in place for these actions, the results could be severe. Shyam Saran, a previous Foreign Secretary, was also in attendance at that time. General Chauhan’s statement is seen as significant in relation to the India-China border conflict and potential future military confrontations.