ISLAMABAD – It appears as if Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat hadextensively bunked his military strategy related classes during staffcollege days. On January 12, he said at a presser: “We will call the[nuclear] bluff of Pakistan.

If we will have to really confront, and a task is given to us, we are notgoing to say we cannot cross the border because they have nuclear weapons”.According to the Press Trust of India, Rawat said credible deterrence didnot take away the threat of war: “Nuclear weapons are weapons ofdeterrence.

Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allownations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true.” Bipintends to forget that nuclear weapons are for deterrence and not for action.And who would know better than Rawat that the situation has been stalematedfor decades and India has consistently and for all time evaded allpeace-oriented proposals floated by Pakistan.

In a similar gaffe, Rawat has suggested to his government that countrieslike Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have tobe kept on board as part of a broader strategy to deal with China.

Admitting the failure of Indian policies in the region, Rawat said, “Thearmed forces operating in the state cannot be status quoist, and mustevolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation.” “You have tokeep changing your doctrines and concept and the manner in which youoperate in such areas. An overall approach is required to deal with theKashmir issue,” he added.

The threatening and irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief wasrepresentative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of BJP’s India.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had elevated erratic Bipin to his currentposition on the basis of his so called previous experience in Kashmir.

Poor guy has no job to do; but look busy he must. For this, he keepsplaying jokers and keeps day-dreaming about doing some surgical strikesinto Azad Kashmir and conquering some Chinese territory. However, Kashmiriyouth is doing enough to keep him busy. Bipin wishes that these stonepelters should fight with rifles and guns so that he could respond.

Nevertheless, Bipin’s orders for use of pallet guns to blind the youthmakes a fit case against him in International Criminal Court. It isimprobable that Indian side actually wants to engage in a nuclear conflict,and Pakistan surely does not. A nuclear war is unwinnable. Even a limitedexchange would devastate the two countries. Pakistan promptly contactedIndia through diplomatic channels to convey concerns regarding Rawat’snuclear faux pas.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif responded that India may testPakistan’s resolve if that is what it wishes to do: “Very irresponsiblestatement by Indian Army Chief, not befitting his office”. He termed theIndian army chief’s statement as “tantamount to an invitation for a nuclearwar.

If that is what they desire, they are welcome to test our resolve. Thegeneral’s doubt would swiftly be removed, inshallah.”General Bipin’s statement on January 12 that his country will handleChina’s growing assertiveness and that India had stepped up patrols ontheir disputed border to head off more standoffs is yet anothermanifestation of New Delhi’s aggressive and provocative posture. He addedthat time had come for India to shift focus from western to the northernfrontier. Bipin asserted that “China is a powerful country but we are not aweak nation”.

India is being provided with all sorts of equipment and technologies byUS, thus it is not losing any opportunity of raising the ante.Bipin’s China bluff also came to a naught. Chinese forei gn ministryspokesperson Lu Kang advised Indian military on January 15 toconscientiously learn the lesson from history. Lu Kang said thathigh-ranking Indian military official pointed on the military shift ofemphasis to the northern border contradicted the important consensusreached by the leaders of the two countries during BRICS conference inXiamen last September.

He added that during the last year, “Sino-Indian relations have experiencedsome ups and downs…The remark made by the top Indian military officer onceagain showed that Indian army illegally crossed the border last year.Donglong(Doklam) belongs to China. The Sino-Indian border’s Sikkim[section] has been demarcated by the history…We urge the Indian side to domore things that are conducive to the maintenance of peace and stability.”

During last year, India faced humiliation because of its uncalled-forinterference in Doklam but it seems it has not learnt any lesson.“India must evolve its policies in South Asia…I am only seeing a marginalchange in the situation,” Rawat said while responding to a question aboutthe situation in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK). Rawat acknowledged thatKashmiri youth continues to be attracted to the struggle for freedom fromIndia and were rapidly joining separatist groups despite efforts byoccupying forces to maintain pressure on them.

“I do not think it is time to become over confident and start assuming thatthe situation in Kashmir has been brought under control,” Rawat conceded.He argued that India must prepare for two-front war with China andPakistan. Referring to the 2017 standoff with the Chinese army in theHimalayas, Rawat said the situation on India’s northern border coulddeteriorate in the future, in which case, Pakistan on the western frontcould take advantage of the situation. He added that “China is exertingpressure on the Indian border.

The country is capable of handling China’s assertiveness.,” Times of Indiareported. Rawat stated that the troops are “ready to tackle any aggressivemanoeuvring China may take up”.

Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself. Region couldn’t makeprogress without enduring pace and stability. Peaceful environment in theregion is imperative for economic progress and well-being of the people ofSouth Asia. Who would know better than Bipin that Pakistan’s nuclearresolve has been tested many times over since Brass-tacks days, and italways stood the test very well.

Indian leadership is well aware about inherent weaknesses attached to itsnuclear button. Rawat’s bellicosity is misplaced. And as regards China,Doklam fiasco shall continue to haunt a couple of Bipin’s successors. Thistactical mistake has brought enduring strategic pain to India, smallercountries of South Asia as well the US stand exposed to the reality thatIndia military is no match to Chinese strategic acumen.

And finally, General Rawat Bipin! Have a heart, there should be adifference in the quality of posturing by Indian Army Chief and a BJPCow-vigilante.Written by: Iqbal Khan