Situation at LAC tense; war with China can’t be ruled out: CDS Gen Rawat

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 6

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Friday, while referring to the ongoing border tensions with China, has said there is a possibility of matters “spiralling into a larger conflict”.

India, he said, would not accept any shifting of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

General Rawat was addressing a webinar to the National Defence College (NDC) as part of its diamond jubilee celebrations.

During the webinar, he said: “Our posturing is unambiguous. We will not accept any shifting of the LAC. In the overall security calculus, border confrontations, transgressions, unprovoked tactical military actions spiralling into a larger conflict therefore cannot be discounted.”

Also read: India-China military talks to resolve border dispute begin

The NDC is an entity under the Ministry of Defence.

While General Rawat was speaking, the eighth round of senior military commander talks between India and China were underway in Chushul in Ladakh to resolve the ongoing standoff.

Talking of the situation in Eastern Ladakh, Gen Rawat said the situation remained tense and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was facing “unanticipated consequences of its misadventure” in Ladakh because of the strong response of the Indian side.

India was facing myriad external security challenges, Gen Rawat said.

“Constant friction with two nuclear-armed neighbours, who are increasingly acting in collusion, poses an omnipresent danger of regional strategic instability with potential for escalation, threatening our national integrity and strategic cohesion,” he added.

Addressing same the webinar, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said proactive action and a strong posture dissuaded China from making any further attempts to alter the status quo in Ladakh.

The border standoff has entered the seventh month.

The standoff has been ongoing since early May at several spots along the 826-km LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have been held since, in which India has maintained complete disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC and pull back.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated following at least three attempts by the Chinese soldiers to “intimidate” Indian troops along the northern and southern bank of Pangong lake area between August 29 and September 8 where even shots were fired in the air for the first time at the LAC in 45 years.

Both sides had agreed to stop sending more troops to the frontline and refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground. Both sides have made preparations to maintain thousands of troops and equipment in extreme conditions in the high-altitude winter.

Meanwhile, the meeting of senior military commanders commenced at 9:30 am on the Indian side at Chushul, Eastern Ladakh.

This is the first round of talks with the Indian side led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, who took over as the 14 Corps Commander on October 13. Lt Gen Menon has attended the last two rounds of talks.