In a powerful address, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi delivered a stark message to Pakistan, affirming that India will continue to treat terrorists and their sponsors as one and the same. He emphasized that any nation encouraging terrorism will face a direct response from India.
A Stern Warning on State-Sponsored Terrorism
Speaking at a curtain raiser for the Chanakya Defence Dialogue in New Delhi, General Dwivedi left no room for ambiguity regarding India's stance on cross-border terrorism. He stated that when a country promotes state-sponsored terrorism, it becomes a grave concern for India. "India talks about progress, but if someone creates obstacles in our path, then we will have to take some action against them," he asserted.
The Army Chief reinforced the government's long-standing policy, declaring, "talks and terror can't go together." He outlined India's position clearly: "All we are asking is to adopt a peaceful process, which we will cooperate with. Until then, we will treat terrorists and their sponsors alike. We will respond to those encouraging terrorists." He added that contemporary India is sufficiently accomplished and will not be intimidated by any form of blackmail.
Operation Sindoor: An 88-Hour Trailer
In a striking analogy, General Dwivedi referred to a recent military action, Operation Sindoor, as an "88-hour trailer." This comment strongly suggests that the operation was a limited demonstration of India's military capabilities. He issued a sharp warning, indicating that if given the opportunity, Pakistan would be taught a definitive lesson on how a responsible nation should conduct itself with its neighbors.
Significant Improvement in India-China Relations
Shifting focus to the northern borders, the Army Chief provided an optimistic update on the situation with China. He revealed that relations between India and China have improved significantly since October of the previous year. This positive shift followed high-level dialogues between the political leadership of both nations aimed at restoring normalcy along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
General Dwivedi provided concrete data to underscore the de-escalation efforts, noting that there have been approximately 1,100 ground-level military interactions since last year, which averages to about three interactions per day. These engagements have primarily occurred at the battalion and company commander levels.
"Our efforts are to solve as many issues as possible on the ground, and we are looking for solutions on the ground," he explained, while clarifying that major strategic decisions would continue to be made at higher command levels. He commended the "very good" cooperation currently existing between the two forces on the ground.
While significant disengagement has been achieved at legacy friction points, the Army Chief acknowledged that larger boundary questions will be handled as per the directives of the established Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs.
The Chanakya Defence Dialogue, where these statements were made, is scheduled to be held in Delhi at the end of November, setting the stage for further strategic discussions on national security.
