Doklam-like incidents may increase in future, says Army Chief

Amid the ongoing standoff between the troops of India and China at Doklam in the Sikkim sector, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that incidents like the current situation in Doklam are likely to increase in future.

While speaking to media, Rawat said China is attempting to "change the status quo" on its border with India which we need to wary about.

He was delivering the General B C Joshi Memorial Lecture on 'India's Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct' organised by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies of Savitribai Phule Pune University here this evening.

"Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the territory continue to exist. These are due to differing perceptions on the alignments of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Transgressions across Line of Actual Control do happen and sometimes they do lead to some kind of misunderstanding between the forward troops...however, we do have joint mechanisms in place to address such situations," said Rawat.

"We should not be complacent. Let us say that this stand-off is resolved, but our troops should not feel that it can not happen again in different sector. "It is always better to be prepared and alert than think that this will not happen again. So my message to troops is that do not let your guard down," the Army Chief added.

He further said that the annual joint military exercises with China is still awaited this year. ''We have bee doing these excercises every year. However, this time, China has not yet confirmed whether it will take place or not.

Rawat also slammed Pakistan for waging a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir and said the increasing presence of transnational actors with fundamental ideologies in that country is a matter of grave concern.

OneIndia News (with inputs)