India’s Chief of Army Staff Bipin Rawat has said that a two-front war with China and Pakistan can not be ruled out, reported India Today.
Rawat said it is a “myth” to assume that “democracies or nuclear armed” neighbours don’t go to war.
“War is very much in the realm of reality,” said Rawat while addressing a seminar in New Delhi.
The Indian army chief further said that differences with Pakistan are irreconcilable and referring to China, said more instances such as the recent standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan can not be ruled out.
Rawat alleged that China was flexing its muscles and would continue to chip away at Indian territory, hence India must be prepared.
“Taking away territory gradually – salami slicing will continue as China tests our limits and thresholds is something India will have to be prepared for,” he said.
Presenting a possible scenario, India’s army chief said if Indian troops were engaged on the northern border with China, there was a possibility that Pakistan would try to “take advantage of the situation”.
“We have to be prepared for conflict on the northern and western borders,” said Rawat.
“Believing there will no war – as some are akin to – affects the modernisation of forces. Such thinking affects budgetary allocation,” the Indian publication quoted him as saying.
He added that militaries alone do not go to war, nations go to war and India must be prepared for it.
