Post the 70-day-long Doklam face-off between India and China in August last year, the Indian Army does not visualise any “serious trouble” as the forces of both the countries are holding regular exchange and the earlier “bonhomie” has returned, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said here on Wednesday. However, the forces are prepared for any exigency, he added.
Rawat also said Chinese soldiers were not in the same numbers in the North Dolam (Doklam) area as they were at the time of the stand-off.
“They have carried out some infrastructure development, most of it is temporary in nature. But while their troops may have returned and the infrastructure remains, it is anybody’s guess whether they would come back there, or it is because of the winter they could not take their equipment away,” he said.
The Chief was responding to a question on Facebook live, posted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of the organisers of the multi-lateral ‘Raisina Dialogue.’ “But then we are also there. In case they come (back), we will face them,” Rawat added. His remarks come in the wake of media reports about China carrying out some infrastructure development in the disputed region.
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, the Army Chief also said a twin-pronged strategy has to be adopted simultaneously to tackle militant organisations and their political fronts.
While the militants carry out violent actions, the political fronts indulge in fund raising, spreading propaganda and indoctrination.
On China, he also said the mechanism to defuse the tensions between the two countries is working very well. “After the Dolam incident...We have started our border personnel meeting. We are meeting regularly, exchanges are taking place, communications between the commanders at the ground level is on and the bonhomie has returned which was prior to the Dolam (incident),” he said.
The Army Chief added, “We don't visualise serious trouble but then one has to be prepared for it.”There was also an incident of road building by Chinese civilians at Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh, but that was resolved last week.
On the issue of terrorism, Rawat said though strong curbs are put on the militant wing of terrorist organisations for their violent activities, but the political organisation of the outfits carry on with their activities of indoctrination, spreading propaganda, generation of funds, including in the name of the NGOs.
The Army chief also expressed concerns about nuclear, biological and chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorists saying these groups were using systems that are “highly technology-enabled” and “transcends international borders.”