Army Chief hints at China hand behind protests by Nepal over U’khand road
Kathmandu raised Dharchula to Lipulekh Pass issue at someone else’s behest: Army Chief
Hinting at a possibility of a Chinese role, Army chief General M.M. Naravane said on Friday “there is reason to believe” that Nepal has raised the issue of India inaugurating link road between Dharchula to Lipulekh Pass (both in Uttarakhand) at “the behest of someone else”.
Without directly naming China, Army chief pointed out that while Nepal claims territory on the east of the Kali river, India has built the road on the west of this river. “I do not know what they (Nepal) are actually agitating about. There are little issues as to where the trijunction should be. But there has never been any problem on this score in the past,” Gen Naravane said during a webinar organised by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Last week, defence minister Rajnath Singh had inaugurated the 80 km link road which will bring down the time taken for Kailash-Manasarovar yatra.
Earlier this week, Nepalese Foreign Ministry had issued a “diplomatic note” to Indian Ambassador in Kathmandu conveying Nepal’s protests over the
◗ GEN NARAVANE said India will have to remain ‘alive’ to a scenario of a ‘two-front’ war along the northern and western borders, but noted that he does not foresee the possibility of every confrontation leading to such a situation
construction of a road by India in the Lipulekh area.
Gen Naravane said India will have to remain “alive” to a scenario of a “two-front” war along the northern and western borders, but noted that he does not foresee the possibility of every confrontation leading to such a situation.
The Army chief played down face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Sikkim and Ladakh, saying he does not see any “concerted design” into them and these things happen from time to time. “Infact you are coming to know only about areas where face-offs have occurred but on daily basis we are meeting at 10 other places where there is absolutely business as normal. It is only at one or two places this has happened,” said Gen Naravane. He said that sometimes these things happen when there are changes in the commanders on the ground and “if a new commander wants to show that he is different from the others.” “There are various dynamics why face-off occurs all of a sudden at a place where everything was normal. So we are dealing with it on case to case basis,” said the army chief.
On the Army’s big-ticket proposal to induct youngsters for a three-year tenure under the Tour of Duty (ToD) concept, the Army chief said the idea germinated following feedback from school and college students that they want to experience military life without opting a permanent career in the Army.
Gen Naravane said the ToD will help the Army in cutting down revenue
expenses on account of payment of pensions and other benefits.
In replying to a question, he said the Army has received an order from the government to cut expenditure by 20 per cent from the current fiscal due to the Covid-19 crisis, adding the force is implementing it without compromising on its combat readiness.
Expenditure is being cut through a variety of measures including restricting large movements of troops, he said in the video-conference.