NEW DELHI: China’s expanding footprint in India’s neighbourhood, coupled with its attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along our disputed borders, has created an environment of confrontation and mutual distrust, said General M M Naravane on Friday.
The Army chief said the regional security environment is characterized by China’s “belligerence in the Indo-Pacific, its hostility towards weaker nations and relentless drive to create regional dependencies” through multi-billion dollar initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative.
“The resultant Sino-US rivalry has created regional imbalances and instability,” he said, speaking at a seminar on security challenges in India’s northeast region.
Gen Naravane’s strong remarks come at a time when Indian and Chinese forces are now fast disengaging from their eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation on the north bank of Pangong Tso as well as the south bank-Kailash range of mountains in the Chushul sector.
The Army chief expressed concern at India’s “delivery deficit” on promises made to its neighbours on improving regional connectivity. “The Kaladan multimodal transport project (with Myanmar) and the trilateral highway have both seen cost and time overruns,” he said.
India’s traditional long-term partner Nepal, which is going through a period of political volatility, has witnessed “heavy Chinese investment”. While Bhutan has been “cautious in its approach”, India has seen an upswing in relations with Bangladesh, said Gen Naravane.
“The impact of the pandemic and the ongoing security dynamics across our borders have brought about significant changes in the geo-strategic construct. It is in this evolving environment that a review and renewed focus on India’ north-east is in order,” he said.
Regional and internal connectivity are “acutely linked to security”, and it is central to unleashing the potential of the north-east and balancing the influence of China. “But failure to deliver on promises has plagued our efforts at improving regional connectivity,” he said.
“Although endowed with natural resources, the northeast is a laggard in growth and development. Protracted insurgencies, legacy issues further accentuated after partition, and inefficient integration with the rest of India account for much of what the region faces today,” he added.
Gen Naravane said the security situation in the northeast, however, had improved significantly and 14 infantry battalions have been pulled out of counter-insurgency and internal security duties in recent times. “Two division headquarters, earlier part of the counter-insurgency grid, are now solely focusing on their operational role along the northern borders,” he said.