<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/terror-camps-continues-to-exist-in-pakistan-army-chief-mm-naravane-to-wion-271729">Army chief general Manoj Mukund Naravane</a> on Saturday in a press conference said that the emphasis of Armed Forces training will be to train for the future, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

Describing the formation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the creation of the Department of Military Affairs as "a very big step towards integration", Naravane said that the force will ensure "this is a success".

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Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane briefs the media in Delhi: We will have to train for the future and that is where the emphasis of our training will be. <a href="https://t.co/wvypVGXOZO">pic.twitter.com/wvypVGXOZO</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1215885803852718081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"As the Army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times," the Army chief said, adding that the ethos of "justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution should guide us".&nbsp;

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Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane: As the army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times. <a href="https://t.co/GXfLKXMhEa">pic.twitter.com/GXfLKXMhEa</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1215887439975215104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Naravane said that the Indian Army is "much better prepared today than before".

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Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane: As the army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times. <a href="https://t.co/GXfLKXMhEa">pic.twitter.com/GXfLKXMhEa</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1215887439975215104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The army chief emphasised the significance of Siachen for India and said that "collusion can happen from there".

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Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane to ANI: Siachen is very important to us where one formation is looking after western and northern fronts. It is strategically important. It is from there where collusion can happen. <a href="https://t.co/aAOsvfEGuC">pic.twitter.com/aAOsvfEGuC</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1215890377724456960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this month, in an interview to WION, Naravane had said that terror camps, launch pads and infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan.

In conversation with WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, Indian and Chinese forces have developed a greater understanding.

Army chief general Manoj Mukund Naravane on Saturday in a press conference said that the emphasis of Armed Forces training will be to train for the future, news agency ANI reported.

Army chief general Manoj Mukund Naravane on Saturday in a press conference said that the emphasis of Armed Forces training will be to train for the future, news agency ANI reported. Describing the formation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the creation of the Department of Military Affairs as "a very big step towards integration", Naravane said that the force will ensure "this is a success". Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane briefs the media in Delhi: We will have to train for the future and that is where the emphasis of our training will be. pic.twitter.com/wvypVGXOZO — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2020 × "As the Army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times," the Army chief said, adding that the ethos of "justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution should guide us". Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane: As the army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times. pic.twitter.com/GXfLKXMhEa — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2020 × Naravane said that the Indian Army is "much better prepared today than before". Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane: As the army, we swear allegiance to the Constitution of India, and that should guide us in all our actions at all times. pic.twitter.com/GXfLKXMhEa — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2020 × The army chief emphasised the significance of Siachen for India and said that "collusion can happen from there". Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane to ANI: Siachen is very important to us where one formation is looking after western and northern fronts. It is strategically important. It is from there where collusion can happen. pic.twitter.com/aAOsvfEGuC — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2020 × Earlier this month, in an interview to WION, Naravane had said that terror camps, launch pads and infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan. In conversation with WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, Indian and Chinese forces have developed a greater understanding.

We're much better prepared today than before: Army chief general Naravane 

Terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan, the new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane told WION on Tuesday. Speaking to WION's correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, India and China forces have developed greater understanding.

Terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan, the new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane told WION on Tuesday. Speaking to WION's correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, India and China forces have developed greater understanding. WION: What will be your key priorities as the new Army Chief? Army Chief: Happy new year and thanks for having me here. After taking over as Army Chief, my priority is to ensure the operational preparedness of the Army and make sure that we are never found wanting and we are able to meet any threat as and when it arises. WION: We saw the Wuhan informal summit after the Dokalm. How do you see the situation evolving on India-China border now? Army Chief: After the Wuhan summit, certain strategic guidelines were formulated and these have been decimated to the armies on both sides. As a result, there has been greater understanding and bonhomie at the ground level. We have regular border personnel meetings. This kind of interaction has gone a long way in dispelling misperceptions and fostering greater understanding among ourselves. WION: Hopefully, there won't be another Doklam, one can rest assured? Army Chief: That is one hopes for. WION: How big is the issue of cross border terrorism emanating from Pakistan? Army Chief: This problem of terrorism is not something new. We have been tackling this for many years now, we have very strong counter-terrorist and counter-infiltration bid to deal with this situation. But, the fact remains that terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to be where it used to be. We are keeping a close eye on this to make sure nothing untoward takes place on our side. WION: If another Pulwama happens, can we see the Indian Army doing another surgical strike? Army Chief: You see, every response is dynamic in nature and what response will be in the future it will be not correct to speculate it right now. What the response will be, what dimension it will be, that will remain to be seen as and when it happens. WION: Pakistan Foreign Minister said, India is removing fences; any reaction? Army Chief: I think, reports that say certain fencing has been removed or some troops have been positioned or stationed, those were just false propaganda on his part to raise the level and divert the attention of his own countrymen from the situation that is prevailing in his own country. There is nothing, that sort from our side. WION: What has been the situation on the ground post removal of Article 370 for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir? Army Chief: Post abrogation of Article 370, there has been a definitive improvement in the situation on the ground. I say this based on facts and figures of various indices. The incident of violence, be it stone-pelting, terrorist-related violence, all have seen a sharp decline. There is a great improvement in law and order situation and hope it augers well for J&K. WION: Has there been a reduction in infiltration level from across the LoC? Army Chief: As I mentioned little while earlier, terror camps and infrastructure remain intact on the other side of the Line of Control and we are keeping a close eye on that. Attempts at infiltration continue to be made and we have been successful in foiling these attempts and this high level of alertness and preparedness on our side will continue. We will not let our guard down. WION: How do you see women's role in the Army? Army Chief: We have been inducting women in the armed forces. As you know, earlier, women were only in the Army Medical Corps and gradually we opened it up for the services, that is the Army service corp. Then we broadened the avenues like the supporting arms such as the engineers. There is a continues transition that is taking place.

Terror camps continue to 'exist in Pakistan': Army Chief MM Naravane to WION

Former Army Chief Bipin Rawat took charge as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on January 1, 2020 and said that his task is to create synergy between different wings of the armed forces. General Rawat, who demitted office on retirement as Chief of Indian Army on December 31 received the guard of honour from all the three forces. #CDS #ChiefOfDefenceStaff #IndianDefence #BipinRawat

WION Dispatch: General Rawat takes charge as first CDS

General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken over as the new chief of the Army after<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/army-chief-general-bipin-rawat-named-as-indias-first-chief-of-defence-staff-271016"> General Bipin Rawat </a>was promoted to the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Monday.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane is the 28th chief of Army staff after he succeeded General Bipin Rawat.

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<a href="https://t.co/zdHA6xN1wW">pic.twitter.com/zdHA6xN1wW</a>
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi/status/1211907666420928512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Lt Gen Naravane, 59, was earlier serving as the Army vice-chief and was heading the eastern command responsible for keeping an eye on the China border.

In a long and distinguished&nbsp;career, Lieutenant General Naravane has been awarded several decorations, including the Param Vishisht Seva medal (PVSM), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Samanya Seva Medal, Special Service Medal, Sainya Seva Medal, Operation Parakram Medal, Videsh Seva medal including the Sena Medal (SM).

The new Army chief was commissioned in the Sikh light infantry regiment in 1980 and has taken up difficult operations as part of India's peace keeping force in Sri Lanka and Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. General Bipin Rawat also belonged to the Sikh regiment.

After stepping down at the end of his tenure, General Rawat thanked "all ranks, soldiers who laid down their lives in line of duty".

"My compliments to soldiers on northern, western and eastern front braving the icy cold winters," General Rawat said in his closing statement.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken over as the new chief of the Army after General Bipin Rawat was promoted to the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Monday.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken over as the new chief of the Army after General Bipin Rawat was promoted to the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Monday. General Manoj Mukund Naravane is the 28th chief of Army staff after he succeeded General Bipin Rawat. pic.twitter.com/zdHA6xN1wW — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 31, 2019 × Lt Gen Naravane, 59, was earlier serving as the Army vice-chief and was heading the eastern command responsible for keeping an eye on the China border. In a long and distinguished career, Lieutenant General Naravane has been awarded several decorations, including the Param Vishisht Seva medal (PVSM), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Samanya Seva Medal, Special Service Medal, Sainya Seva Medal, Operation Parakram Medal, Videsh Seva medal including the Sena Medal (SM). The new Army chief was commissioned in the Sikh light infantry regiment in 1980 and has taken up difficult operations as part of India's peace keeping force in Sri Lanka and Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. General Bipin Rawat also belonged to the Sikh regiment. After stepping down at the end of his tenure, General Rawat thanked "all ranks, soldiers who laid down their lives in line of duty". "My compliments to soldiers on northern, western and eastern front braving the icy cold winters," General Rawat said in his closing statement.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane becomes India's new Army chief

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat will now have a new Major General ranked officer to report to him in order to ensure probity and transparency in the force. A new post is also being created to look after human rights.

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Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to get a new Major General rank under him to ensure probity and transparency in the force. A new post also being created to look after human rights. <a href="https://t.co/lVY1d9tM7u">https://t.co/lVY1d9tM7u</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1103635447320899585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Bipin Rawat on Thursday visited forward areas in Barmer and Suratharh sectors in Rajasthan to review operational preparedness and expressed complete confidence in the capabilities of the Indian Army to thwart any nefarious design by Pakistan to de-stabilise any situation.

The Indian Air Force is in a high state of preparedness, to proactively engage any perceived threat in the present security scenario.

A strict vigil in the skies to detect and thwart any act of aggression from Pakistan Air Force is being maintained. As per NOTAM No. A0234/19 issued by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pakistan, it has opened their airspace with Oman, Iran, Afghanistan and China only.

The eleven entry/exit points located along Indo-Pak airspace boundary are still closed.

On the other hand, Army Commander Northern Command Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh has interacted with the Indian Army contingent which will participate in Exercise 'Al Nagah III', a joint exercise between India and Oman, scheduled to be held from March 12 to 25 at Jabel Al Akhdar mountains in Oman.

Army Commander Eastern Command today visited Gajraj Corps to review operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. He was also briefed on the internal security situation in the insurgency-affected areas of Assam.

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat will now have a new Major General ranked officer to report to him in order to ensure probity and transparency in the force.

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat will now have a new Major General ranked officer to report to him in order to ensure probity and transparency in the force. A new post is also being created to look after human rights. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to get a new Major General rank under him to ensure probity and transparency in the force. A new post also being created to look after human rights. https://t.co/lVY1d9tM7u — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2019 × Bipin Rawat on Thursday visited forward areas in Barmer and Suratharh sectors in Rajasthan to review operational preparedness and expressed complete confidence in the capabilities of the Indian Army to thwart any nefarious design by Pakistan to de-stabilise any situation. The Indian Air Force is in a high state of preparedness, to proactively engage any perceived threat in the present security scenario. A strict vigil in the skies to detect and thwart any act of aggression from Pakistan Air Force is being maintained. As per NOTAM No. A0234/19 issued by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pakistan, it has opened their airspace with Oman, Iran, Afghanistan and China only. The eleven entry/exit points located along Indo-Pak airspace boundary are still closed. On the other hand, Army Commander Northern Command Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh has interacted with the Indian Army contingent which will participate in Exercise 'Al Nagah III', a joint exercise between India and Oman, scheduled to be held from March 12 to 25 at Jabel Al Akhdar mountains in Oman. Army Commander Eastern Command today visited Gajraj Corps to review operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. He was also briefed on the internal security situation in the insurgency-affected areas of Assam.

In new post, Major General to report to Army chief Rawat on probity and transparency

Pakistan has to be taken to task: Former Indian Army chief at WION Global Summit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-change-on-the-ground-under-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-army-chief-bipin-rawat-189394">No change on the ground under Pakistan PM Imran Khan: Army Chief Bipin Rawat</a>

He assured that the army has managed the situation both at the western and northern border and there is "no cause for concern."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/referendum-not-a-good-way-to-decide-on-brexit-spain-foreign-minister-to-wion-189392">Referendum not a good way to decide on Brexit: Spain foreign minister to WION</a>

In an exclusive interview to WION, Spain's foreign minister Josep Borrell said that India is a remarkable example of unity in diversity and that it has an important role to play together with the western democracies in combating terrorism.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/seek-assurance-from-india-on-currency-notes-of-higher-denomination-nepal-foreign-minister-to-wion-189396">Seek assurance from India on currency notes of higher denomination: Nepal foreign minister to WION</a>

Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, who is in India, spoke to WION's Siddhant Sibal on the ban on Indian currency notes and a host of other issues. He also called for reactivation of the Southeast Association of Regional Cooperation or Saarc.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/no-indian-content-to-be-aired-in-the-country-as-it-damages-our-culture-says-pak-chief-justice-189398">No Indian content to be aired in the country as it 'damages our culture', says Pak Chief Justice</a>

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar has said that the country's Supreme Court will not allow Indian shows to be aired on Pakistani TV channels. The court has stated that the shows damage the country's culture.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ranveer-singh-vicky-kaushal-alia-bhatt-and-others-feature-in-selfie-of-the-year-with-pm-modi-189416">Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt and others feature in selfie of the year with PM Modi</a>

The meeting was facilitated by Karan Johar and had leading Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in attendance. Ekta Kapoor, directors Rohit Shetty and Ashwini Iyer Tiwari were also part of the delegation.

No change on the ground under Pakistan PM Imran Khan: Army Chief Bipin Rawat He assured that the army has managed the situation both at the western and northern border and there is "no cause for concern.

No change on the ground under Pakistan PM Imran Khan: Army Chief Bipin Rawat He assured that the army has managed the situation both at the western and northern border and there is "no cause for concern." Referendum not a good way to decide on Brexit: Spain foreign minister to WION In an exclusive interview to WION, Spain's foreign minister Josep Borrell said that India is a remarkable example of unity in diversity and that it has an important role to play together with the western democracies in combating terrorism. Seek assurance from India on currency notes of higher denomination: Nepal foreign minister to WION Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, who is in India, spoke to WION's Siddhant Sibal on the ban on Indian currency notes and a host of other issues. He also called for reactivation of the Southeast Association of Regional Cooperation or Saarc. No Indian content to be aired in the country as it 'damages our culture', says Pak Chief Justice The Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar has said that the country's Supreme Court will not allow Indian shows to be aired on Pakistani TV channels. The court has stated that the shows damage the country's culture. Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt and others feature in selfie of the year with PM Modi The meeting was facilitated by Karan Johar and had leading Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in attendance. Ekta Kapoor, directors Rohit Shetty and Ashwini Iyer Tiwari were also part of the delegation.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/there-should-be-talks-with-the-taliban-army-chief-bipin-rawat-189220">There should be talks with the Taliban: Army chief Bipin Rawat</a>

Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that "there should be talks with Taliban" but without any preconditions. Speaking at the fourth Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, he said talks with Taliban should happen "so long they don't come with a precondition and so long they look at lasting peace in Afghanistan and bring about stability in the country" and this is "in our interest, in region's interest, and it's in Pakistan's interest. We all want stability."

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-others-protest-as-government-moves-constitution-amendment-bill-in-rajya-sabha-189203">10% quota for poor: Congress, others protest as govt introduces </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-others-protest-as-government-moves-constitution-amendment-bill-in-rajya-sabha-189203">bill</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-others-protest-as-government-moves-constitution-amendment-bill-in-rajya-sabha-189203"> in Rajya Sabha</a>

The Congress and other opposition parties on Wednesday strongly protested in the Rajya Sabha and demanded the sending of the 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty- Four Amendment) Bill, 2019' to a select committee, after the government introduced the key legislation.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-has-changed-but-still-much-work-to-do-malala-yousafzai-189223">Pakistan has changed but there's still much work to do: Malala Yousafzai</a>

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai says Pakistan has changed since she left the country nearly six years ago after being attacked by the Taliban and there is more peace but a lot of work is left to be done.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-bandh-2nd-day-violent-protests-rail-blockades-witnessed-in-many-states-189235">Day 2 of Bharat Bandh: Bank attacked in Kerala, stones pelted at school buses in WB</a>

Sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and Kerala and rail blockades in certain states were witnessed Wednesday on the second day of Bharat Bandh, which also saw a partial disruption of banking and insurance services across the country.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/how-hardik-pandya-got-carried-away-comments-that-led-to-storm-and-show-cause-189240">How Hardik Pandya got 'carried away'; the comments that led to a storm and show cause notice</a>

It was meant to be a fun, no-holds-barred interaction but cricketer Hardik Pandya, by his own admission, got "carried away".

Appearing on "Koffee with Karan", hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, with teammate K L Rahul, Pandya's apparent loose talk on women and his sexuality took many by surprise.&nbsp;

Three days after the celebrity chat show aired on Sunday, the two cricketers on Wednesday were issued show cause notices by the BCCI, which took note of the massive outrage on social media and elsewhere. 
&nbsp;

There should be talks with the Taliban: Army chief Bipin Rawat Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that "there should be talks with Taliban" but without any preconditions.

There should be talks with the Taliban: Army chief Bipin Rawat Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that "there should be talks with Taliban" but without any preconditions. Speaking at the fourth Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, he said talks with Taliban should happen "so long they don't come with a precondition and so long they look at lasting peace in Afghanistan and bring about stability in the country" and this is "in our interest, in region's interest, and it's in Pakistan's interest. We all want stability." 10% quota for poor: Congress, others protest as govt introduces bill in Rajya Sabha The Congress and other opposition parties on Wednesday strongly protested in the Rajya Sabha and demanded the sending of the 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty- Four Amendment) Bill, 2019' to a select committee, after the government introduced the key legislation. Pakistan has changed but there's still much work to do: Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai says Pakistan has changed since she left the country nearly six years ago after being attacked by the Taliban and there is more peace but a lot of work is left to be done. Day 2 of Bharat Bandh: Bank attacked in Kerala, stones pelted at school buses in WB Sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and Kerala and rail blockades in certain states were witnessed Wednesday on the second day of Bharat Bandh, which also saw a partial disruption of banking and insurance services across the country. How Hardik Pandya got 'carried away'; the comments that led to a storm and show cause notice It was meant to be a fun, no-holds-barred interaction but cricketer Hardik Pandya, by his own admission, got "carried away". Appearing on "Koffee with Karan", hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, with teammate K L Rahul, Pandya's apparent loose talk on women and his sexuality took many by surprise. Three days after the celebrity chat show aired on Sunday, the two cricketers on Wednesday were issued show cause notices by the BCCI, which took note of the massive outrage on social media and elsewhere.

Attempts are being made through "external linkages" to "revive insurgency" in Punjab and if early action is not taken, it will be too late Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Saturday said.

He was addressing a gathering of senior Army officers, defence experts and former senior officials of government and police at a seminar here on 'Changing Contours of Internal Security in India: Trends and Responses'.

Rawat also said that attempts were being made again through "external linkages" and "external abetment" to revive insurgency in Assam.

"Punjab has been peaceful but because of these external linkages, attempts again are being made to revive insurgency in the state," he said, adding, "we have to be very careful."

"Let us not think that Punjab (situation) is over. We cannot close our eyes to what is happening in Punjab. And, if we do not take early action now, it will be too late," he said.

Punjab saw one of the worst phases of insurgencies in the 1980s during the pro-Khalistan movement which was eventually quelled by the government.

Former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh in a panel discussion also highlighted the issue and said "attempts were being to revive insurgency" in Punjab.

He referred to a pro-Khalistan rally organised recently in the UK aiming for a 'Referendum 2020'.

Hundreds of people had turned out at Trafalgar Square in London on August 12 in support of a pro-Khalistan rally as well as to counter the event with an Independence Day celebrations.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had said its rally was intended to raise awareness for a non-binding referendum in 2020, calling for Punjab to be granted independence.

The "We Stand With India" and "Love My India" events were organised by Indian diaspora groups as a reaction to the pro-Khalistan "London Declaration for a Referendum 2020".

Internal security is one of the biggest problems in the country, but question is "why we have not been able to find a solution, because it has external linkages," Gen Rawat said.

The event was organised by defence think-tank CLAWS (Centre for Land and Warfare Studies). Rawat is its patron.

Asserting that insurgency cannot be dealt with military force, he pitched for adopting an approach in which all agencies, the government, civil administration, military and police work in an "integrated manner".

"The resolution of Naga insurgency can be forerunner to the Manipur insurgency situation. There are some linkages between the two. But, if that resolution does not satisfy Manipuris then the insurgency in that state will take a different turn, Rawat said.

As far as Assam is concerned, attempts are again being made, through "external linkages" to revive insurgency in the state, he said.

And, also through external abetment, and acknowledged once even by the "northern neighbour". So, there is no denying the fact that there are these factors, Rawat added.&nbsp;

Attempts are being made through "external linkages" to "revive insurgency" in Punjab and if early action is not taken, it will be too late Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Saturday said.

Attempts are being made through "external linkages" to "revive insurgency" in Punjab and if early action is not taken, it will be too late Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Saturday said. He was addressing a gathering of senior Army officers, defence experts and former senior officials of government and police at a seminar here on 'Changing Contours of Internal Security in India: Trends and Responses'. Rawat also said that attempts were being made again through "external linkages" and "external abetment" to revive insurgency in Assam. "Punjab has been peaceful but because of these external linkages, attempts again are being made to revive insurgency in the state," he said, adding, "we have to be very careful." "Let us not think that Punjab (situation) is over. We cannot close our eyes to what is happening in Punjab. And, if we do not take early action now, it will be too late," he said. Punjab saw one of the worst phases of insurgencies in the 1980s during the pro-Khalistan movement which was eventually quelled by the government. Former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh in a panel discussion also highlighted the issue and said "attempts were being to revive insurgency" in Punjab. He referred to a pro-Khalistan rally organised recently in the UK aiming for a 'Referendum 2020'. Hundreds of people had turned out at Trafalgar Square in London on August 12 in support of a pro-Khalistan rally as well as to counter the event with an Independence Day celebrations. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had said its rally was intended to raise awareness for a non-binding referendum in 2020, calling for Punjab to be granted independence. The "We Stand With India" and "Love My India" events were organised by Indian diaspora groups as a reaction to the pro-Khalistan "London Declaration for a Referendum 2020". Internal security is one of the biggest problems in the country, but question is "why we have not been able to find a solution, because it has external linkages," Gen Rawat said. The event was organised by defence think-tank CLAWS (Centre for Land and Warfare Studies). Rawat is its patron. Asserting that insurgency cannot be dealt with military force, he pitched for adopting an approach in which all agencies, the government, civil administration, military and police work in an "integrated manner". "The resolution of Naga insurgency can be forerunner to the Manipur insurgency situation. There are some linkages between the two. But, if that resolution does not satisfy Manipuris then the insurgency in that state will take a different turn, Rawat said. As far as Assam is concerned, attempts are again being made, through "external linkages" to revive insurgency in the state, he said. And, also through external abetment, and acknowledged once even by the "northern neighbour". So, there is no denying the fact that there are these factors, Rawat added.

Attempts being made through 'external linkages' to 'revive' insurgency in Punjab: Army chief

Migration from Bangladesh into India is &quot;plannned&quot;, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India&#39;s Northeast region on the boil.&nbsp;

&quot;Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour,&quot; Rawat said.&nbsp;

Rawat was speaking in Delhi at a conference on securing borders in India&#39;s Northeast region.

To back up his argument, Rawat said the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) has grown faster in Assam than the BJP over the years. The AIUDF is led by Badruddin Ajmal.&nbsp;

&quot;When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam,&quot; said Rawat.&nbsp;

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AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs &amp; where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat (21.02.18) <a href="https://t.co/XUIlBDhef6">pic.twitter.com/XUIlBDhef6</a>
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Rawat however did concede that migration from Bangladesh also takes place because of the pressure of population.&nbsp;

&quot;Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One, they are running out of space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon and they have constricted area to stay,&quot; said Rawat.&nbsp;

Former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon also spoke at the conference.&nbsp;

&quot;One reason why we saw that activity in Doklam last year was not because they (China) had a clear military option or superiority but because they had the political goal of splitting us from the Bhutanese,&quot; Menon said.&nbsp;

&quot;China wanted to show the Bhutanese that India could not defend their security and also to arouse Bhutanese opinion. I am glad we chose to react the way we did,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Rawat has made a number of comments of late, for some of which he has drawn flak with commentators saying he has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wont-allow-anti-india-activities-in-kashmir-army-chief-29627" target="_blank">overstepped his brief</a> as army chief.&nbsp;

 
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'Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour,' Rawat said

Migration from Bangladesh into India is "plannned", Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India's Northeast region on the boil. "Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour," Rawat said. Rawat was speaking in Delhi at a conference on securing borders in India's Northeast region. To back up his argument, Rawat said the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) has grown faster in Assam than the BJP over the years. The AIUDF is led by Badruddin Ajmal. "When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam," said Rawat. AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs & where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat (21.02.18) pic.twitter.com/XUIlBDhef6 — ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018 × Rawat however did concede that migration from Bangladesh also takes place because of the pressure of population. "Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One, they are running out of space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon and they have constricted area to stay," said Rawat. Former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon also spoke at the conference. "One reason why we saw that activity in Doklam last year was not because they (China) had a clear military option or superiority but because they had the political goal of splitting us from the Bhutanese," Menon said. "China wanted to show the Bhutanese that India could not defend their security and also to arouse Bhutanese opinion. I am glad we chose to react the way we did," he added. Rawat has made a number of comments of late, for some of which he has drawn flak with commentators saying he has overstepped his brief as army chief.

Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief

In a stern message to Pakistan, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat asserted today that the Army will not allow anti-India activities to succeed in Jammu and Kashmir and it was ready to escalate military offensive to combat cross-border terrorism if Islamabad forces it to do so.

Addressing Army personnel on the occasion of Army Day, Rawat also said that disputes along the Line of Actual Control with China were continuing and the Army was trying to stop the Chinese transgressions.

&quot;Ensuring security along the Line of Actual Control (with China) is our main duty,&quot; he said without elaborating further.

Talking about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Pakistan Army has been continuously trying to help terrorists sneak into India along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&amp;K.

&quot;We will not let these anti-national elements to succeed at any cost. If we are forced, then we may escalate our military action and carry out (the) &#39;other action&#39;,&quot; he said.

The Army has been adopting a &#39;tit-for-tat&#39; approach in dealing with ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops as well as foiling infiltration bids by terrorists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gen-rawats-remarks-on-dokalam-unconstructive-china-29595" target="_blank">China says General Rawat&#39;s remarks on Dokalam &#39;unconstructive&#39;</a>

&quot;The Army is using its might to teach them a lesson,&quot; the Army chief said, adding that, &quot;terrorists and their handlers are creating various challenges within the country by adopting new tactics.&quot;

Rawat said the Army will continue to give a befitting reply to Pakistani action along the border.

&quot;Targeting of Amarnath pilgrims, attacking policemen and Army personnel from Jammu and Kashmir, including murder of Lt Ummer Fayaz, were attempts to attack national unity and divide the society,&quot; Rawat said.

Young Army officer Fayaz, from Kulgam district, was killed in May last year when he had gone to Shopian to attend the marriage of one of his relatives.

Talking about Pakistan&#39;s proxy war and evolving security challenges facing the region, Gen Rawat asked the forces to remain ready to face any eventuality.

&quot;We will have to keep high-level of readiness&quot; to deal with any eventuality, he said.

On defence spending, Rawat said it acts as an engine of economic growth. The armed forces are expecting higher allocation in the budget for 2018-19.

&quot;Size of our defence budget is sixth globally. 30 per cent of the defence budget is spent on procurement of weapons. A portion of it is spent on the country&#39;s development and providing jobs. The defence budget should be looked as engine of development,&quot; he said.

Referring to the security situation in several states of the northeastern region, he said the Army&#39;s intelligence based operations have contained militancy to a large extent.

He also cautioned that success is never permanent and the troops will have to continue their hard work to deal with any security challenge.

Rawat said there has been sustained efforts to enhance capability of the Army and that contracts worth Rs 30,000 crore have been finalised in 2017-18.

Talking about modernisation of the infantry, he said the focus was on futuristic weapon systems.

The Army&#39;s aviation wing is being bolstered by inducting new helicopters. He said the missile system in the Army&#39;s air defence is also being strengthened.

He said cadre review of JCOs (junior commissioned officers) and other ranks have been approved which has resulted in the creation of 479 additional posts of Subedar major, 7,769 posts of Subedar, 13,466 naib subedars, 58,493 havaldars and 64,930 naiks.

The Army chief also said that an Aadhar-based mobile application is being developed through which Army personnel will be able to post their grievances online. The aim is to resolve their grivances as soon as possible, he said.

The Army chief also awarded the sena medal to a number of Army personnel.&nbsp;

Rawat said the Pakistani Army has been continuously trying to help terrorists sneak into India along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a stern message to Pakistan, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat asserted today that the Army will not allow anti-India activities to succeed in Jammu and Kashmir and it was ready to escalate military offensive to combat cross-border terrorism if Islamabad forces it to do so. Addressing Army personnel on the occasion of Army Day, Rawat also said that disputes along the Line of Actual Control with China were continuing and the Army was trying to stop the Chinese transgressions. "Ensuring security along the Line of Actual Control (with China) is our main duty," he said without elaborating further. Talking about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Pakistan Army has been continuously trying to help terrorists sneak into India along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K. "We will not let these anti-national elements to succeed at any cost. If we are forced, then we may escalate our military action and carry out (the) 'other action'," he said. The Army has been adopting a 'tit-for-tat' approach in dealing with ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops as well as foiling infiltration bids by terrorists. Also read: China says General Rawat's remarks on Dokalam 'unconstructive' "The Army is using its might to teach them a lesson," the Army chief said, adding that, "terrorists and their handlers are creating various challenges within the country by adopting new tactics." Rawat said the Army will continue to give a befitting reply to Pakistani action along the border. "Targeting of Amarnath pilgrims, attacking policemen and Army personnel from Jammu and Kashmir, including murder of Lt Ummer Fayaz, were attempts to attack national unity and divide the society," Rawat said. Young Army officer Fayaz, from Kulgam district, was killed in May last year when he had gone to Shopian to attend the marriage of one of his relatives. Talking about Pakistan's proxy war and evolving security challenges facing the region, Gen Rawat asked the forces to remain ready to face any eventuality. "We will have to keep high-level of readiness" to deal with any eventuality, he said. On defence spending, Rawat said it acts as an engine of economic growth. The armed forces are expecting higher allocation in the budget for 2018-19. "Size of our defence budget is sixth globally. 30 per cent of the defence budget is spent on procurement of weapons. A portion of it is spent on the country's development and providing jobs. The defence budget should be looked as engine of development," he said. Referring to the security situation in several states of the northeastern region, he said the Army's intelligence based operations have contained militancy to a large extent. He also cautioned that success is never permanent and the troops will have to continue their hard work to deal with any security challenge. Rawat said there has been sustained efforts to enhance capability of the Army and that contracts worth Rs 30,000 crore have been finalised in 2017-18. Talking about modernisation of the infantry, he said the focus was on futuristic weapon systems. The Army's aviation wing is being bolstered by inducting new helicopters. He said the missile system in the Army's air defence is also being strengthened. He said cadre review of JCOs (junior commissioned officers) and other ranks have been approved which has resulted in the creation of 479 additional posts of Subedar major, 7,769 posts of Subedar, 13,466 naib subedars, 58,493 havaldars and 64,930 naiks. The Army chief also said that an Aadhar-based mobile application is being developed through which Army personnel will be able to post their grievances online. The aim is to resolve their grivances as soon as possible, he said. The Army chief also awarded the sena medal to a number of Army personnel.

Won't allow anti-India activities in Kashmir: Army chief

China today hit out at Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat for calling Dokalam a disputed territory and said that his &quot;unconstructive&quot; comments were not helpful for maintaining peace at the borders.

In an angry rebuttal to Gen Rawat&#39;s comments, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said his comments went against the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit last September to bring ties back on track and preserve peace on the border.

The Chinese reaction came following comments by Gen Rawat two days ago that India needs to shift focus from its border with Pakistan to that of China and spoke of pressure being exerted by Beijing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

&quot;Last year, India-China relations have witnessed some twists and turns,&quot; Lu said and referred to Modi-Xi consensus and the high-level talks since December to improve the ties.

&quot;The dialogue and consultation have shown sound momentum of improvement and development,&quot; he said.

&quot;Under such background, the unconstructive remarks by the Indian senior official (Gen Rawat) not only go against the consensus reached by the two heads of state but also do not conform to the efforts made by the two sides to improve and develop bilateral relations,&quot; Lu said.

The remarks &quot;cannot help to preserve the tranquillity and peace at the border areas,&quot; areas he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/wont-allow-anti-india-activities-in-kashmir-army-chief-29627" target="_blank">Won&#39;t allow anti-India activities in Kashmir, says Army Chief</a>

Asked what were Gen Rawat&#39;s specific comments that China is taking exception to, Lu pointed to the Indian Army chief&#39;s remarks on Dokalam wherein he said it is a disputed territory between Bhutan and China.

&quot;I have made myself clear, if the senior official according to the report referred to the Donglang - I think you are clear about our position - Donglang belongs to China and has always been in the effective jurisdiction of China,&quot; Lu asserted.

He reiterated China&#39;s stand that the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary has been delimited by the 1890 &quot;historical convention&quot; between the then British government and China, which Beijing claims settled the boundary in that particular section spanning to about 200 kms.

China wants India to settle the boundary in that particular section based on the treaty while the two sides negotiated for a settlement for the rest of the LAC which spans about 3,488 kms. So far the two sides have held 20 rounds of border talks to resolve the issue.

&quot;Donglang is China&#39;s territory. China will continue to exercise its sovereignty rights in accordance with the historical convention and steadfastly uphold its territorial sovereignty,&quot; Lu said.

On its part, Bhutan had lodged a diplomatic protest with China when Chinese troops began building a road in the Dokalam area in June. Indian troops had objected to the construction of the road resulting in a 73-day standoff.

The standoff was resolved after Chinese troops stopped road building and India withdrew its troops from the area.

In an apparent reference to Gen Rawat&#39;s comment that Dokalam is a disputed territory between Bhutan and China, Lu said, &quot;the remarks of the Army chief mentioned by you once again showed that the illegal trespass of the Indian border troops is quite clear-cut in nature. Donglang belong to China.&quot;

&quot;We require the Indian military to learn lessons and abide by the historical convention and earnestly uphold the peace and tranquillity for the border areas and create sound atmosphere for the political development of bilateral relations,&quot; he said.

On Gen Rawat&#39;s comments that China is exhorting pressure on India along the LAC, Lu said, &quot;if he refers to the situation in whole India-China boundary, I have also said that last September the two heads of state have reached important consensus during the Xiamen (BRICS) summit&quot;.

&quot;Both sides have maintained effective communication since then. The aim is to enhance strategic mutual trust and create enabling atmosphere for strategic communication. Recently, the bilateral relations have shown positive momentum.&quot; Lu said, referring to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi&#39;s visit to India in December followed by 20th round of border talks between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

&quot;On such background, the official mentioned by you made such kind of remarks that go against the consensus of the states and do not conform to the general trend of improvement of bilateral relations. We believe such kinds of remarks are not conducive to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas,&quot; Lu said.

He did not directly respond to a question about Gen Rawat&#39;s earlier remarks about major reduction of Chinese troops from the Dokalam area and reiterated China?s stand that area belonged to China.

&quot;China and India are important neighbours. They are both at the critical stage of the national development and rejuvenation. The two countries should enhance strategic communication and eliminate strategic doubt and conduct strategic cooperation,&quot; he said.

&quot;We urge the Indian side to follow through on the important consensus of the two leaders to do more things to preserve peace and stability of the border area and refrain from doing things which may complicate the situation, constructively handle the relevant affairs and promote steady development of bilateral relations.

&quot;This serves the common interest of the whole region and the interest o the Indian side,&quot; Lu added.&nbsp;

China said Rawat's unconstructive comments were not helpful for maintaining peace at the borders

China today hit out at Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat for calling Dokalam a disputed territory and said that his "unconstructive" comments were not helpful for maintaining peace at the borders. In an angry rebuttal to Gen Rawat's comments, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said his comments went against the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit last September to bring ties back on track and preserve peace on the border. The Chinese reaction came following comments by Gen Rawat two days ago that India needs to shift focus from its border with Pakistan to that of China and spoke of pressure being exerted by Beijing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Last year, India-China relations have witnessed some twists and turns," Lu said and referred to Modi-Xi consensus and the high-level talks since December to improve the ties. "The dialogue and consultation have shown sound momentum of improvement and development," he said. "Under such background, the unconstructive remarks by the Indian senior official (Gen Rawat) not only go against the consensus reached by the two heads of state but also do not conform to the efforts made by the two sides to improve and develop bilateral relations," Lu said. The remarks "cannot help to preserve the tranquillity and peace at the border areas," areas he said. Also read: Won't allow anti-India activities in Kashmir, says Army Chief Asked what were Gen Rawat's specific comments that China is taking exception to, Lu pointed to the Indian Army chief's remarks on Dokalam wherein he said it is a disputed territory between Bhutan and China. "I have made myself clear, if the senior official according to the report referred to the Donglang - I think you are clear about our position - Donglang belongs to China and has always been in the effective jurisdiction of China," Lu asserted. He reiterated China's stand that the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary has been delimited by the 1890 "historical convention" between the then British government and China, which Beijing claims settled the boundary in that particular section spanning to about 200 kms. China wants India to settle the boundary in that particular section based on the treaty while the two sides negotiated for a settlement for the rest of the LAC which spans about 3,488 kms. So far the two sides have held 20 rounds of border talks to resolve the issue. "Donglang is China's territory. China will continue to exercise its sovereignty rights in accordance with the historical convention and steadfastly uphold its territorial sovereignty," Lu said. On its part, Bhutan had lodged a diplomatic protest with China when Chinese troops began building a road in the Dokalam area in June. Indian troops had objected to the construction of the road resulting in a 73-day standoff. The standoff was resolved after Chinese troops stopped road building and India withdrew its troops from the area. In an apparent reference to Gen Rawat's comment that Dokalam is a disputed territory between Bhutan and China, Lu said, "the remarks of the Army chief mentioned by you once again showed that the illegal trespass of the Indian border troops is quite clear-cut in nature. Donglang belong to China." "We require the Indian military to learn lessons and abide by the historical convention and earnestly uphold the peace and tranquillity for the border areas and create sound atmosphere for the political development of bilateral relations," he said. On Gen Rawat's comments that China is exhorting pressure on India along the LAC, Lu said, "if he refers to the situation in whole India-China boundary, I have also said that last September the two heads of state have reached important consensus during the Xiamen (BRICS) summit". "Both sides have maintained effective communication since then. The aim is to enhance strategic mutual trust and create enabling atmosphere for strategic communication. Recently, the bilateral relations have shown positive momentum." Lu said, referring to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in December followed by 20th round of border talks between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. "On such background, the official mentioned by you made such kind of remarks that go against the consensus of the states and do not conform to the general trend of improvement of bilateral relations. We believe such kinds of remarks are not conducive to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas," Lu said. He did not directly respond to a question about Gen Rawat's earlier remarks about major reduction of Chinese troops from the Dokalam area and reiterated China?s stand that area belonged to China. "China and India are important neighbours. They are both at the critical stage of the national development and rejuvenation. The two countries should enhance strategic communication and eliminate strategic doubt and conduct strategic cooperation," he said. "We urge the Indian side to follow through on the important consensus of the two leaders to do more things to preserve peace and stability of the border area and refrain from doing things which may complicate the situation, constructively handle the relevant affairs and promote steady development of bilateral relations. "This serves the common interest of the whole region and the interest o the Indian side," Lu added.

China says General Rawat's remarks on Dokalam 'unconstructive'

Advocating a &quot;politico-military&quot; approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat today called for political initiative to go hand-in-hand with military operations in the state.

Gen Rawat, who has followed a hard-line approach in tackling terrorism, said the armed forces operating in the state cannot be &quot;status quoist&quot; and must evolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation.

In an interview to PTI, the Army chief said, &quot;The political initiative and all the other initiatives must go simultaneously hand-in-hand and only if all of us function in synergy, we can bring lasting peace in Kashmir. It has to be a politico-military approach that we have to adopt.&quot;

Rawat also asserted that there was room for ramping up heat on Pakistan to cut the flow of cross-border terror activities, clearly indicating that the Army will continue its policy of hot pursuit in dealing with militancy.

In October, the government had appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative for a &quot;sustained dialogue&quot; with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.

&quot;When the government appointed an interlocutor, it is with that purpose. He is the government&#39;s representative to reach out to the people of Kashmir and see what their grievances are so that those can then be addressed at a political level,&quot; the Army chief said.

Asked whether pressure could be increased on Pakistan to force it to stop sending terrorists to the state, he said, &quot;Yes, you cannot be status quoist. You have to continuously think and keep moving forward. You have to keep changing your doctrines and concept and the manner in which you operate in such areas.&quot;

Gen Rawat said the Army will have to evolve new strategies and new tactics to deal with the situation. At the same time, he said an overall approach was required to deal with the Kashmir issue.

Since beginning of last year, the Army pursued an aggressive anti-terror policy in Jammu and Kashmir and, at the same time, forcefully responded to all ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops along the Line of Control with a tit- for-tat approach.

&quot;Military is only part of the mechanism to resolve the Kashmir issue. Our charter is to ensure that the terrorists who are creating violence in the state are taken to task and those who have been radicalised and are increasingly moving towards terrorism are prevented from doing so,&quot; he said.

Gen Rawat said some youths continue to be radicalised and are joining militancy. The Army has been trying to maintain pressure on terror groups, he said.

The Army&#39;s aim is to ensure that it continues to maintain the pressure on the terrorists and those fomenting trouble in Kashmir, Gen Rawat said.

&quot;But at the same time, we have to also reach out to the people,&quot; he said.

Asked whether the situation in Kashmir has improved since he has taken over as the Army chief a year ago, Gen Rawat said, &quot;I am only seeing a marginal change in situation for the better.

&quot;I do not think it is time to become over confident and start assuming that the situation has been brought under control because infiltration from across the borders will continue.&quot;

The LoC has remained volatile in the last year. According to official figures, 860 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops were reported in 2017 as against 221 the year before.

India has also been effectively retaliating to Pakistani firing and even crossed the LoC to punish Pakistani troops on several occasions as part of tactical operations.&nbsp;

Bipin Rawat said there was room for ramping up heat on Pakistan to cut the flow of cross-border terror activities, clearly indicating the army will continue its policy of hot pursuit in dealing with militancy

Advocating a "politico-military" approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat today called for political initiative to go hand-in-hand with military operations in the state. Gen Rawat, who has followed a hard-line approach in tackling terrorism, said the armed forces operating in the state cannot be "status quoist" and must evolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation. In an interview to PTI, the Army chief said, "The political initiative and all the other initiatives must go simultaneously hand-in-hand and only if all of us function in synergy, we can bring lasting peace in Kashmir. It has to be a politico-military approach that we have to adopt." Rawat also asserted that there was room for ramping up heat on Pakistan to cut the flow of cross-border terror activities, clearly indicating that the Army will continue its policy of hot pursuit in dealing with militancy. In October, the government had appointed former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative for a "sustained dialogue" with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. "When the government appointed an interlocutor, it is with that purpose. He is the government's representative to reach out to the people of Kashmir and see what their grievances are so that those can then be addressed at a political level," the Army chief said. Asked whether pressure could be increased on Pakistan to force it to stop sending terrorists to the state, he said, "Yes, you cannot be status quoist. You have to continuously think and keep moving forward. You have to keep changing your doctrines and concept and the manner in which you operate in such areas." Gen Rawat said the Army will have to evolve new strategies and new tactics to deal with the situation. At the same time, he said an overall approach was required to deal with the Kashmir issue. Since beginning of last year, the Army pursued an aggressive anti-terror policy in Jammu and Kashmir and, at the same time, forcefully responded to all ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops along the Line of Control with a tit- for-tat approach. "Military is only part of the mechanism to resolve the Kashmir issue. Our charter is to ensure that the terrorists who are creating violence in the state are taken to task and those who have been radicalised and are increasingly moving towards terrorism are prevented from doing so," he said. Gen Rawat said some youths continue to be radicalised and are joining militancy. The Army has been trying to maintain pressure on terror groups, he said. The Army's aim is to ensure that it continues to maintain the pressure on the terrorists and those fomenting trouble in Kashmir, Gen Rawat said. "But at the same time, we have to also reach out to the people," he said. Asked whether the situation in Kashmir has improved since he has taken over as the Army chief a year ago, Gen Rawat said, "I am only seeing a marginal change in situation for the better. "I do not think it is time to become over confident and start assuming that the situation has been brought under control because infiltration from across the borders will continue." The LoC has remained volatile in the last year. According to official figures, 860 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops were reported in 2017 as against 221 the year before. India has also been effectively retaliating to Pakistani firing and even crossed the LoC to punish Pakistani troops on several occasions as part of tactical operations.

J&K: Chief indicates army will continue policy of hot pursuit

Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday issued a nuclear threat to India in response to a statement by Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat saying that the force was ready to call Pakistan&#39;s &quot;nuclear bluff&quot; and cross the border to carry out any operation if asked by the government.

The Pakistan foreign minister called the statement of the Indian Army chief as &quot;very irresponsible&quot; on Twitter and said it amounted to an &quot;invitation for a nuclear encounter&quot;. He also said that the army was &quot;welcome to test our resolve&quot;.

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&ldquo;Very irresponsible statement by Indian Army Chief,not befitting his office. Amounts to invitation for nuclear encounter.If that is what they desire,they are welcome to test our resolve.The general&#39;s doubt would swiftly be removed, inshallah.&rdquo;
&mdash; Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) <a href="https://twitter.com/KhawajaMAsif/status/952222923984601088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Addressing the press in Delhi on Friday, the Indian Army chief had made the statement about the forces being ready to call Pakistan&#39;s nuclear bluff. He was responding to a question on the possibility of Pakistan using its nuclear weapons in case the situation along the border deteriorates.

Also Read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-should-not-expect-us-to-do-its-work-army-chief-on-pakistan-29340">India should not expect the US to do its work: Army Chief on Pakistan</a> 
 
After the Pakistan foreign minister&#39;s remarks, the country&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs&#39; Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal also criticised the Indian Army chief&#39;s statements on Twitter.

Also Read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/doesnt-seem-like-pakistan-wants-peace-indian-army-chief-27490">Doesn&#39;t seem like Pakistan wants peace: Indian army chief</a>

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The threatening and irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief today is representative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of India. Pakistan has demonstrated deterrence capability.1/2
&mdash; Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/952225207598579714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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These are not issues to be taken lightly. There must not be any misadventure based on miscalculation. Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself. 2/2
&mdash; Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/952225283049967616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor reacted to General Rawat&#39;s statement Pakistan has a credible nuclear capability, exclusively meant for the threat from the east. &quot;But we believe it&#39;s a weapon of deterrence, not a choice,&quot; Geo TV quoted him as saying.

(With inputs from ANI)

 
&nbsp;

Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday issued a nuclear threat to India in response to a statement by Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat saying that the force was ready to call Pakistan's "nuclear bluff" and cross the border to carry out any operation if asked by the government.

Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday issued a nuclear threat to India in response to a statement by Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat saying that the force was ready to call Pakistan's "nuclear bluff" and cross the border to carry out any operation if asked by the government. The Pakistan foreign minister called the statement of the Indian Army chief as "very irresponsible" on Twitter and said it amounted to an "invitation for a nuclear encounter". He also said that the army was "welcome to test our resolve". “Very irresponsible statement by Indian Army Chief,not befitting his office. Amounts to invitation for nuclear encounter.If that is what they desire,they are welcome to test our resolve.The general's doubt would swiftly be removed, inshallah.” — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) January 13, 2018 × Addressing the press in Delhi on Friday, the Indian Army chief had made the statement about the forces being ready to call Pakistan's nuclear bluff. He was responding to a question on the possibility of Pakistan using its nuclear weapons in case the situation along the border deteriorates. Also Read - India should not expect the US to do its work: Army Chief on Pakistan After the Pakistan foreign minister's remarks, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal also criticised the Indian Army chief's statements on Twitter. Also Read - Doesn't seem like Pakistan wants peace: Indian army chief The threatening and irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief today is representative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of India. Pakistan has demonstrated deterrence capability.1/2 — Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) January 13, 2018 × These are not issues to be taken lightly. There must not be any misadventure based on miscalculation. Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself. 2/2 — Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) January 13, 2018 × Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor reacted to General Rawat's statement Pakistan has a credible nuclear capability, exclusively meant for the threat from the east. "But we believe it's a weapon of deterrence, not a choice," Geo TV quoted him as saying. (With inputs from ANI)

Indian Army chief's statement 'invitation for nuclear encounter': Pakistan

Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday criticised Pakistan for not taking action against terrorists and for increasing terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

The army chief said that it did not seem that Pakistan wanted peace with India.

&quot;We also want better relations but from actions taken by them, like increasing terror in Jammu and Kashmir, it doesn&#39;t seems like they want peace. If they take right initiatives against terrorists, we can have talks,&quot; General Rawat said.

The army chief was speaking at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-hamesha-vijayee-indian-air-force-army-conduct-joint-military-drill-in-rajasthan-27461">&quot;Hamesha Vijayee&quot; exercise</a> in Rajasthan&#39;s Jaisalmer.

The Indian Army and Air Force have been carrying out joint military drill in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan for the past three days.

&nbsp;

Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday criticised Pakistan for not taking action against terrorists and for increasing terror in Jammu and Kashmir

Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday criticised Pakistan for not taking action against terrorists and for increasing terror in Jammu and Kashmir. The army chief said that it did not seem that Pakistan wanted peace with India. "We also want better relations but from actions taken by them, like increasing terror in Jammu and Kashmir, it doesn't seems like they want peace. If they take right initiatives against terrorists, we can have talks," General Rawat said. The army chief was speaking at the "Hamesha Vijayee" exercise in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. The Indian Army and Air Force have been carrying out joint military drill in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan for the past three days.

Doesn't seem like Pakistan wants peace: Indian army chief

Battlefields of the future will be &quot;complex&quot; and warfare &quot;hybrid&quot; in nature, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday while stressing the need for enhancing required capabilities to tackle such scenarios.

With changing patterns in terrain, armoured vehicles like battle tanks must have the capacity and capability to operate on the western as well the northern borders, the Army chief said.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on &#39;Future Armoured Vehicles India 2017&#39; here.

&quot;The future battlefield will be complex,&quot; Gen Rawat said. While fighting battles in conventional domains, the sub-conventional domain &quot;just cannot be overlooked&quot;. The two have to be concurrent, he noted.

&quot;And of course, there will be the hybrid use of warfare that will get entwined within. So there will be the use of space, cyber, there will be information warfare in war time,&quot; Rawat said.

Battlefields of the future will be 'complex' and warfare 'hybrid' in nature, General Bipin Rawat said while stressing the need for enhancing required capabilities to tackle such scenarios.

Battlefields of the future will be "complex" and warfare "hybrid" in nature, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday while stressing the need for enhancing required capabilities to tackle such scenarios. With changing patterns in terrain, armoured vehicles like battle tanks must have the capacity and capability to operate on the western as well the northern borders, the Army chief said. He was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on 'Future Armoured Vehicles India 2017' here. "The future battlefield will be complex," Gen Rawat said. While fighting battles in conventional domains, the sub-conventional domain "just cannot be overlooked". The two have to be concurrent, he noted. "And of course, there will be the hybrid use of warfare that will get entwined within. So there will be the use of space, cyber, there will be information warfare in war time," Rawat said.

Future warfare to be 'hybrid', need to enhance capabilities: Army chief

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Monday that it <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-armys-surgical-strike-across-the-line-of-control-10-key-points-6938">would repeat the surgical strikes it conducted last year</a> if Pakistan continued to send terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

He added that if terrorists were ready to infiltrate India, the Indian Army was also prepared to strike them down.

&quot;Surgical strike was conducted to send a message and if adversaries do not understand, it will be repeated,&quot; General Rawat said.&quot;We are ready to receive the terrorists that come this side of the LoC and will send them to their right place, their graves,&quot; the army chief said at a book launch.

Gen Rawat also said India had a range of retaliatory options available to thwart Pakistan&#39;s nefarious actions.

&quot;I said that these surgical strikes were a message that we had communicated and that if required, and if the adversary does not behave, then if we have to continue these kind of activities and events, we will continue. But there are other ways doing these things of course and they may not take the same form,&quot; he said.

The army chief&#39;s statement comes two&nbsp;days<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-uri-encounter-1-still-alive-20623"> after security forces foiled a terrorist attack on an army unit in Uri</a> in Kashmir&#39;s restive Baramulla district.

On September 18 last year, terrorists suspected to be from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad carried out a suicide attack on an army camp in Uri which claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. The attack was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Kashmir in two decades.&nbsp;

India responded with surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the LoC on September 29.

General Bipin Rawat also said India had a range of retaliatory options apart from surgical strikes to thwart Pakistan's nefarious actions

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Monday that it would repeat the surgical strikes it conducted last year if Pakistan continued to send terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. He added that if terrorists were ready to infiltrate India, the Indian Army was also prepared to strike them down. "Surgical strike was conducted to send a message and if adversaries do not understand, it will be repeated," General Rawat said."We are ready to receive the terrorists that come this side of the LoC and will send them to their right place, their graves," the army chief said at a book launch. Gen Rawat also said India had a range of retaliatory options available to thwart Pakistan's nefarious actions. "I said that these surgical strikes were a message that we had communicated and that if required, and if the adversary does not behave, then if we have to continue these kind of activities and events, we will continue. But there are other ways doing these things of course and they may not take the same form," he said. The army chief's statement comes two days after security forces foiled a terrorist attack on an army unit in Uri in Kashmir's restive Baramulla district. On September 18 last year, terrorists suspected to be from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad carried out a suicide attack on an army camp in Uri which claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. The attack was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Kashmir in two decades. India responded with surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the LoC on September 29.

Will repeat surgical strikes if Pakistan continues to send terrorists: Indian Army chief

The Indian Army is facing a &quot;dirty war&quot; in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through &quot;innovative&quot; ways, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a &#39;human shield&#39; by a young officer.

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy- infested state.

&quot;This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war... That is where innovation comes in. 
&nbsp; 
You fight a dirty war with innovations,&quot; Rawat said, in what were the General&#39;s most comprehensive comments yet to the media on the issue.

The Army Chief&#39;s Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.

Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations.

&quot;People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there,&quot; Gen Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones.

&quot;In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do),&quot; he said.

Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed.

&quot;Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us,&quot; he said.

At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi.

&quot;As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there,&quot; he said.

Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

&quot;Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break.

&quot;That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces,&quot; he said.

The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. &quot;I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for.&quot;

He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it.

Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeep&#39;s bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.

The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control.

&quot;It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army&#39;s role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected,&quot; he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.

The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.

Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well.

&quot;Has political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil...,&quot; he said.

In response to another question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a &quot;limited war&quot; with Pakistan.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The Indian Army chief said the 'dirty war' that was being waged in Kashmir had to be waged with innovations

The Indian Army is facing a "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through "innovative" ways, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' by a young officer. In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy- infested state. "This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," Rawat said, in what were the General's most comprehensive comments yet to the media on the issue. The Army Chief's Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it. Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations. "People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said. Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones. "In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)," he said. Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed. "Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said. At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley. Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi. "As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there," he said. Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance. "Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break. "That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces," he said. The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. "I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for." He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it. Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeep's bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences. The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control. "It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue. He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism. The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave. Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well. "Has political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil...," he said. In response to another question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a "limited war" with Pakistan. (PTI)

Cannot tell my men 'just wait and die' when people throwing stones, petrol bombs: Indian Army Chief

A national military strategy and a security framework will be finalised very soon to effectively deal with security challenges facing the nation, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday.

In an address at a defence think tank, the Army Chief lamented that the spending on defence is considered a &quot;burden&quot; by many in the country and the military is not getting its due share.

Citing China, he stressed that India&#39;s true potential will be realised only when both economic growth and might of the armed forces go hand-in-hand.

He said the country must look for new friends and allies to deal with neighbours along India&#39;s western and northern borders, an apparent reference to Pakistan and China.

Referring to India&#39;s security challenges, General Rawat said the drafts of national military strategy and national security strategy were ready to deal with pressing issues coherently.

&quot;We should be able to identify our own national military strategy. We do not have a national military strategy as of now. Directorate General of Perspective Planning has been tasked to come out with it.

&quot;We are also coming out with the national security strategy which will be given to the government. Both the draft documents are ready and hopefully we will be releasing them very soon,&quot; he said after unveiling &#39;Strategic Yearbook 2017&#39; at the United Service Institution, a national security and defence think tank.

Holding that a strong military is essential for India&#39;s forward march, he said the general thinking among people is that expenditure on defence &quot;is a burden&quot; on the economy.

He said a &quot;very strong military&quot; is key for the economy to develop and cited China&#39;s policy in this regard. The army chief also identified ensuring energy security as another important requirement for India to become a major power.

&quot;While we are developing our economy, the military is not getting its due share. I think here we need to draw a lesson from China,&quot; he said, adding military and economic growth should be &quot;co-joint&quot; as they are two tenants of national power.

India&#39;s defence budget for 2017-18 was Rs 2.74 lakh crore, which is 1.63 per cent of GDP. China&#39;s defence budget is close to three per cent of its GDP. There has been a feeling among security experts and the defence establishment that the modernisation of armed forces is taking place at a very slow pace and that government has not been allocating adequate funds for it in the last few years.

Talking about the evolving security situation in the region, he said India must have close ties with countries like Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan considering the security matrix.

He said such a policy will recreate the outreach India had before partition.

The army chief said such a strategy will create two pronged dilemma for India&#39;s western neighbour, Pakistan, but also help in tackling issues with India&#39;s northern neighbour, China.

&quot;We have to start looking at how do we carry out counter-encirclement for our future adversaries. Developing alliances, developing friends to overcome the (current) deficiency is important. That must be part of our strategic thought process,&quot; he said.

The army chief said that time has come for India to have a say in all major issues at the United Nations and the country must work hard to attain the membership of the UN Security Council.

&quot;We must create alliances and friends also so that we find a rightful place at the UNSC. Time has come for India to have a say in all that happens in UN,&quot; he said.

On energy security, he said India has a huge potential to generate solar and wind energy and it must focus on these energy sources. 
 
(PTI)

In an address, the Indian army chief lamented that the spending on defence is considered a 'burden' by many in the country

A national military strategy and a security framework will be finalised very soon to effectively deal with security challenges facing the nation, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday. In an address at a defence think tank, the Army Chief lamented that the spending on defence is considered a "burden" by many in the country and the military is not getting its due share. Citing China, he stressed that India's true potential will be realised only when both economic growth and might of the armed forces go hand-in-hand. He said the country must look for new friends and allies to deal with neighbours along India's western and northern borders, an apparent reference to Pakistan and China. Referring to India's security challenges, General Rawat said the drafts of national military strategy and national security strategy were ready to deal with pressing issues coherently. "We should be able to identify our own national military strategy. We do not have a national military strategy as of now. Directorate General of Perspective Planning has been tasked to come out with it. "We are also coming out with the national security strategy which will be given to the government. Both the draft documents are ready and hopefully we will be releasing them very soon," he said after unveiling 'Strategic Yearbook 2017' at the United Service Institution, a national security and defence think tank. Holding that a strong military is essential for India's forward march, he said the general thinking among people is that expenditure on defence "is a burden" on the economy. He said a "very strong military" is key for the economy to develop and cited China's policy in this regard. The army chief also identified ensuring energy security as another important requirement for India to become a major power. "While we are developing our economy, the military is not getting its due share. I think here we need to draw a lesson from China," he said, adding military and economic growth should be "co-joint" as they are two tenants of national power. India's defence budget for 2017-18 was Rs 2.74 lakh crore, which is 1.63 per cent of GDP. China's defence budget is close to three per cent of its GDP. There has been a feeling among security experts and the defence establishment that the modernisation of armed forces is taking place at a very slow pace and that government has not been allocating adequate funds for it in the last few years. Talking about the evolving security situation in the region, he said India must have close ties with countries like Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan considering the security matrix. He said such a policy will recreate the outreach India had before partition. The army chief said such a strategy will create two pronged dilemma for India's western neighbour, Pakistan, but also help in tackling issues with India's northern neighbour, China. "We have to start looking at how do we carry out counter-encirclement for our future adversaries. Developing alliances, developing friends to overcome the (current) deficiency is important. That must be part of our strategic thought process," he said. The army chief said that time has come for India to have a say in all major issues at the United Nations and the country must work hard to attain the membership of the UN Security Council. "We must create alliances and friends also so that we find a rightful place at the UNSC. Time has come for India to have a say in all that happens in UN," he said. On energy security, he said India has a huge potential to generate solar and wind energy and it must focus on these energy sources. (PTI)

Military not getting its due share in defence spending: Indian Army chief

By Abhishek Bhalla

Stressing that the armed forces cannot afford a communication breakdown between the officers and ranks, Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat defended the &lsquo;buddy system&rsquo; or the use of Sahayaks in the Army wherein a soldiers is attached to an officer.

The practice has often been condemned as the &ldquo;buddy&rdquo; is required to run personal errands for the officer.

&ldquo;This is an integral part of the Force as the buddy is actually a confidant of the officer and someone you can open out to,&rdquo; General Rawat said on Friday, adding that the Army has recommended that it can be done away with in peace stations.

General Rawat was answering questions about the controversy over the quality of food and facilities being provided to soldiers in the army and paramilitary forces.

Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and army jawans had recently taken to social media to air their grievances about the poor quality of food and facilities being provided to them.&nbsp;

And a soldier had alleged in a YouTube video that he was forced to &quot;wash clothes, polish boots and walk dogs&quot; for his seniors, and that he was being hounded for flagging the menial jobs he had been made to do.&nbsp;

General Rawat said that he would want the soldiers to complain directly to him rather than use social media. He said that he has decided to place suggestion-cum-complaint boxes at army headquarters and every camp, and that they will be monitored by his office. He said the identity of the person complaining would be kept secret and in case of a leak, people in his office will be held accountable.

&ldquo;A soldier is a soldier. He should not shy away from penning his name as the identity will be kept secret. They should come directly to us. If they are dissatisfied with the action they can use other means,&rdquo; General Rawat said.

General Rawat clarified that the &ldquo;buddy&rdquo; system does not mean that the person is required to do menial jobs, adding if he is not comfortable he can refuse. &ldquo;It has been recommended that in field areas, a buddy is needed since he also assists the officer in operations. In other areas, we can do away with the system and even accept civilians to assist,&rdquo; he added.

Soldier vs soldier

Speaking of grievances while answering a question about Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Parveen Bakshi, whom he superseded, Gen Rawat said he will look into it if the former brings his grievances to his notice.

General Rawat&rsquo;s remarks came after Lt Gen Bakshi, while addressing the soldiers of Eastern Command on New Year&rsquo;s Eve, alleged that a &ldquo;malicious campaign&rdquo; was carried out to stop him from becoming the Army Chief.

&ldquo;If there is anything that needs to be investigated, as I said, if it is brought to my notice, we will look into it,&rdquo; he said, adding he came to know of Lt Gen Bakshi&rsquo;s allegations through the media. Gen Rawat said after his name was announced as the new chief, both of them, he and Lt Gen Bakshi, had reached out to each other.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

His comments come after soldier alleges in YouTube video that he was forced to 'wash clothes, polish boots and walk dogs'

By Abhishek Bhalla Stressing that the armed forces cannot afford a communication breakdown between the officers and ranks, Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat defended the ‘buddy system’ or the use of Sahayaks in the Army wherein a soldiers is attached to an officer. The practice has often been condemned as the “buddy” is required to run personal errands for the officer. “This is an integral part of the Force as the buddy is actually a confidant of the officer and someone you can open out to,” General Rawat said on Friday, adding that the Army has recommended that it can be done away with in peace stations. General Rawat was answering questions about the controversy over the quality of food and facilities being provided to soldiers in the army and paramilitary forces. Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and army jawans had recently taken to social media to air their grievances about the poor quality of food and facilities being provided to them. And a soldier had alleged in a YouTube video that he was forced to "wash clothes, polish boots and walk dogs" for his seniors, and that he was being hounded for flagging the menial jobs he had been made to do. General Rawat said that he would want the soldiers to complain directly to him rather than use social media. He said that he has decided to place suggestion-cum-complaint boxes at army headquarters and every camp, and that they will be monitored by his office. He said the identity of the person complaining would be kept secret and in case of a leak, people in his office will be held accountable. “A soldier is a soldier. He should not shy away from penning his name as the identity will be kept secret. They should come directly to us. If they are dissatisfied with the action they can use other means,” General Rawat said. General Rawat clarified that the “buddy” system does not mean that the person is required to do menial jobs, adding if he is not comfortable he can refuse. “It has been recommended that in field areas, a buddy is needed since he also assists the officer in operations. In other areas, we can do away with the system and even accept civilians to assist,” he added. Soldier vs soldier Speaking of grievances while answering a question about Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Parveen Bakshi, whom he superseded, Gen Rawat said he will look into it if the former brings his grievances to his notice. General Rawat’s remarks came after Lt Gen Bakshi, while addressing the soldiers of Eastern Command on New Year’s Eve, alleged that a “malicious campaign” was carried out to stop him from becoming the Army Chief. “If there is anything that needs to be investigated, as I said, if it is brought to my notice, we will look into it,” he said, adding he came to know of Lt Gen Bakshi’s allegations through the media. Gen Rawat said after his name was announced as the new chief, both of them, he and Lt Gen Bakshi, had reached out to each other. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Don?t use social media, come to me, Indian Army chief tells soldiers

India&#39;s new Army chief, Bipin Rawat, asserted that the country will respond strongly to terror activities, forcing Pakistan to rethink its strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Wednesday.

&quot;We will calibrate the response in a manner it hits them hard and compels them to think in the long run whether they need to completely rethink their strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism in our state,&quot; Rawat, who took over as the 27th chief on December 31, said.

When asked about Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar&#39;s statement that &quot;the enemy needs to feel the pain, too&quot;, Rawat told PTI that he understands that terrorists should feel &#39;pain&#39; but the response need not be the same.

&quot;While we do agree that we have to retaliate and ensure that the pain is felt by the terrorists and their supporters, the response need not be the same every time,&quot; said the former vice-chief, who was actively involved in the surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control.

He also said that statements like Pakistan&#39;s threat of use of tactical nuclear weapons will not deter India when it comes to defending India&#39;s borders.

&quot;And if Pakistan is reviewing their strategy on use of nuclear weapon, it is something that they have decided to strategise,&quot; he said, adding that Pakistan&#39;s statements does not find favour either with India or with the international community.

(With inputs from PTI)

Bipin Rawat said that Pakistan's threat of use of tactical nuclear weapons will not deter India when it comes to defending its borders

India's new Army chief, Bipin Rawat, asserted that the country will respond strongly to terror activities, forcing Pakistan to rethink its strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Wednesday. "We will calibrate the response in a manner it hits them hard and compels them to think in the long run whether they need to completely rethink their strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism in our state," Rawat, who took over as the 27th chief on December 31, said. When asked about Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar's statement that "the enemy needs to feel the pain, too", Rawat told PTI that he understands that terrorists should feel 'pain' but the response need not be the same. "While we do agree that we have to retaliate and ensure that the pain is felt by the terrorists and their supporters, the response need not be the same every time," said the former vice-chief, who was actively involved in the surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control. He also said that statements like Pakistan's threat of use of tactical nuclear weapons will not deter India when it comes to defending India's borders. "And if Pakistan is reviewing their strategy on use of nuclear weapon, it is something that they have decided to strategise," he said, adding that Pakistan's statements does not find favour either with India or with the international community. (With inputs from PTI)

Will give 'hard' response to cross-border terror: Indian Army chief

General Bipin Rawat assumed charge as the new chief of Indian Army on Saturday. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa took over as the new chief of the Indian Air Force.

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Gen Dalbir Singh hands over the command to 27th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COAS?src=hash">#COAS</a> Gen Bipin Rawat in an impressive ceremony at South Block today. <a href="https://t.co/1aOve6PuuF">pic.twitter.com/1aOve6PuuF</a>
&mdash; ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi/status/815124359287336960">December 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha hands over to Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa at Air HQ, New Delhi today <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD">@SpokespersonMoD</a> <a href="https://t.co/gM1IWy1BrV">pic.twitter.com/gM1IWy1BrV</a>
&mdash; Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/815105655681888256">December 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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They succeed General Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha respectively.

A Guard of Honour was conducted for General&nbsp;Dalbir Singh on the lawns of South Block in India&#39;s capital New Delhi before he handed over charge to General Rawat.

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The outgoing army chief thanked the government for providing a free hand and implementing the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for retired defence personnel.

He said that infiltration attempts had increased during the year and the number of terrorists killed too was nearly double the previous year, PTI reported.&nbsp;

He said the Indian Army was prepared to meet any challenges, adding that the force had focused on operational preparedness during his tenure.

In Vayu Bhawan, the Air Force headquarters situated in New Delhi, a Guard of Honour was presented to both Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and incoming chief BS Dhanoa. 
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Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa reviewing the Guard of Honour while taking over Chief of Air Staff at Air HQ, New Delhi today <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD">@SpokespersonMoD</a> <a href="https://t.co/yINFImyuO9">pic.twitter.com/yINFImyuO9</a>
&mdash; Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/815102626765291520">December 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The new appointments were announced on December 16 by the government. Chief of Naval staff Admiral Sunil Lanba will head the Chiefs of Staff Committee.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Separate ceremonies were held on the South Block lawns and at the Air Force Headquarters in India's capital New Delhi

General Bipin Rawat assumed charge as the new chief of Indian Army on Saturday. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa took over as the new chief of the Indian Air Force. Gen Dalbir Singh hands over the command to 27th #COAS Gen Bipin Rawat in an impressive ceremony at South Block today. pic.twitter.com/1aOve6PuuF — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 31, 2016 × Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha hands over to Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa at Air HQ, New Delhi today @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/gM1IWy1BrV — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 31, 2016 × They succeed General Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha respectively. A Guard of Honour was conducted for General Dalbir Singh on the lawns of South Block in India's capital New Delhi before he handed over charge to General Rawat. × The outgoing army chief thanked the government for providing a free hand and implementing the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for retired defence personnel. He said that infiltration attempts had increased during the year and the number of terrorists killed too was nearly double the previous year, PTI reported. He said the Indian Army was prepared to meet any challenges, adding that the force had focused on operational preparedness during his tenure. In Vayu Bhawan, the Air Force headquarters situated in New Delhi, a Guard of Honour was presented to both Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and incoming chief BS Dhanoa. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa reviewing the Guard of Honour while taking over Chief of Air Staff at Air HQ, New Delhi today @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/yINFImyuO9 — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 31, 2016 × The new appointments were announced on December 16 by the government. Chief of Naval staff Admiral Sunil Lanba will head the Chiefs of Staff Committee. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Bipin Rawat, Birender Dhanoa take charge as Indian army, air force chiefs

Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag today left on a four-day visit to China during which he will meet with top leadership there to pursue deeper cooperation even as India beefs up security on its northern border.&nbsp;

He is accompanied by a high-level military delegation.

During his visit from November 21-24, the delegation will be visiting important military installations and is scheduled to meet a number of high-ranking dignitaries of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and Central Military Commission (CMC).&nbsp;

&quot;This visit is an opportunity to re-engage PLA in field of defence cooperation and build upon existing mutual cooperation and trust between the two nations,&quot; a statement by the Army said.&nbsp;

The delegation will also be visiting military installations including Infantry Division and Army Air Defence Brigades, it said.&nbsp;

The visit aims at engaging China on subjects of mutual concern and shared interest, which include terrorism, humanitarian assistance and peace keeping training, the Army said.&nbsp;

The visit comes amidst growing stronger economic and military ties between the emerging Asian giants and follows high-level diplomatic and military exchanges between the two neighbours.&nbsp;

The visit also coincides with a joint military exercise (Exercise Hand in Hand), between two armies which is underway in Pune and will be followed by visit of General Zhao Zongqi, Commander, Western Theatre Command of PLA in the second week of next month.&nbsp;

While issues relating to the Line of Actual Control continues to exist, the northern borders have remained calm.&nbsp;

However, India is in the process of beefing up its borders with China through raising of a mountain brigade, deployment of modern artillery and tanks besides creating greater airfield infrastructure among others.

(PTI)

'This visit is an opportunity to re-engage PLA in field of defence cooperation,' an Army statment said

Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag today left on a four-day visit to China during which he will meet with top leadership there to pursue deeper cooperation even as India beefs up security on its northern border. He is accompanied by a high-level military delegation. During his visit from November 21-24, the delegation will be visiting important military installations and is scheduled to meet a number of high-ranking dignitaries of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and Central Military Commission (CMC). "This visit is an opportunity to re-engage PLA in field of defence cooperation and build upon existing mutual cooperation and trust between the two nations," a statement by the Army said. The delegation will also be visiting military installations including Infantry Division and Army Air Defence Brigades, it said. The visit aims at engaging China on subjects of mutual concern and shared interest, which include terrorism, humanitarian assistance and peace keeping training, the Army said. The visit comes amidst growing stronger economic and military ties between the emerging Asian giants and follows high-level diplomatic and military exchanges between the two neighbours. The visit also coincides with a joint military exercise (Exercise Hand in Hand), between two armies which is underway in Pune and will be followed by visit of General Zhao Zongqi, Commander, Western Theatre Command of PLA in the second week of next month. While issues relating to the Line of Actual Control continues to exist, the northern borders have remained calm. However, India is in the process of beefing up its borders with China through raising of a mountain brigade, deployment of modern artillery and tanks besides creating greater airfield infrastructure among others. (PTI)

Indian Army chief leaves for four-day China visit

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Indian Army chief leaves for four-day China visit