Our Correspondent / New Delhi
Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat Wednesday cautioned that India could not rule out the possibility of a two-front war – with China and Pakistan – despite having credible nuclear deterrence capabilities.
“India should be ready for two-front war despite having nuclear weapons saying that war with China could not be ruled out and Pakistan could try to take advantage of the situation, Gen Rawat said at a seminar here.
He called for maintaining the ‘’supremacy and primacy’’ of the Indian Army in a joint services environment arguing that wars will be fought on land. Gen Rawat said India may dominate the air but finally war will be won when the Army ensures the territorial integrity of the nation.
Speaking at a seminar here, he said that in view of the fact that China had been testing India’s nerve in Doklam, he said that the situation could take the form of confrontation. He did not agree with the view that nuclear arms would act an absolute deterrent for any war.
Talking in the Indian context, he said nuclear capability on both sides could delay war but it could not totally wipe out the threat of war.
The Army chief stressed that the nature of warfare had been changing and it commences much before the armies get into physical battle. He cited the example of the psychological pressure that China tried to build on India in Doklam.
Regarding the threat from Pakistan, Gen Rawat said there was always scope for conflict with the neighbor because of the proxy war it had launched against India. He said he did not see any reason for reconciliation with the Western neighbour as their society and the military had been made to believe that India was all out to break their nation into pieces