Limited border wars more likely: Gen Malik : The Tribune India

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Limited border wars more likely: Gen Malik

From left: Gen VP Malik (retd), former Army Chief; Dr SS Johl, agro-economist and former Vice-Chancellor, PAU; and Gurbachan Jagat, Trustee, The Tribune Trust, at The Tribune Security Forum annual lecture in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 3

Former Army Chief General VP Malik today predicted limited border wars with China and Pakistan. The General also said the “surgical strikes” post the Uri terrorist attack should be classified as tactical in nature because “we did not go deep”.

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“Par itni dholak bajai ki woh strategic operation lagta hai,” he said, referring to the government’s chest thumping.

The architect of the Kargil victory was delivering the First Annual Lecture on “Defence at 70: Yesterday and Tomorrow” organised by The Tribune National Security Forum here.

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In the new age of Brexit, Trumpism, heightened nationalism and unpredictability, no one can give an assurance that nuclear and high-level convectional wars, despite very high costs, casualties and geopolitical pressures, cannot be ruled out. However, there are greater chances of asymmetric, hybrid and limited border wars with Pakistan and China due to unresolved boundaries, he felt.

A large number of eminent citizens, including senior armed forces officers, police officers and members of the academia, attended the event.

Photo Album: Defence at 70

Cautioning that new security-related problems can emanate unexpectedly from unexpected quarters and in unexpected forms, the former Chief of Army Staff stressed upon greater politico-military interface and multi-disciplinary vertical and lateral consultations for faster decision-making.

He said that national security decision-making and higher direction of military conflicts in the current strategic environment cannot be dealt with using water-tight compartments. “We need many changes in the national security structures, processes and procedures which can make it more efficient, resilient and speedily responsive,” he said.

Pointing out that in the past we had failed to convert hard-won operational achievements into long-term politico-strategic successes, which reflected poorly on India’s strategic vision guidance and lack of coordination among civilian and military leaders, he said that lack of political guidance on important security related issues, excessive dependence on bureaucracy and marginalisation of professional and critical stakeholders’ militray advice at the highest level of decision-making continues to be a major handicap even after 70 years.

Stating that in recent years cyber and space domains have added another complexity as cyber attacks on critical civilian infrastructure would have got far more significance than damage to military targets, Gen Malik also pointed out that after 70 years we still import nearly 70 per cent of our defence equipment. “With the latest increase in foreign direct investment and the ‘make in India’ push, it will take 20-25 years to make up the deficiencies with a reasonable level of modernisation,” he said.

General Malik also pointed out that in order to attract talent to the armed forces and overcome the officer shortage, the government should review the terms and conditions of service so that they are more in line with the prevailing socio-economic trends and better attuned to meet the aspirations and requirements of the present generation.

Presiding over the function, Prof SS Johl, former VC of PAU, said while a country’s diplomatic strength was very important to avoid a war, the defence machinery was also very important so that one can negotiate from a position of strength. While observing that strong commercial relations between countries can lessen the chances of war, he added that strong internal security and good governance were also key factors in ensuring peace.

He said building up the defence machinery and fighting wars also creates economic difficulties and inflationary pressures as a large amount of money is spent, but no product enters the open market.

Referring to the 1962 debacle where the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru forced an unprepared army into a conflict, he said that it was very dangerous to start any sort of war without adequate preparation. “If we are strong internally, and economically, we automatically become strong externally. I hope better sense prevails on the political leadership and they ensure operational preparedness of the armed forces,” he remarked.

Former police chief of J&K, Governor of Manipur and now a Trustee of The Tribune, Gurbachan Jagat opined that in future, nations could go to war over several issues including sharing of water resources. War, he said, encompasses many facets beyond military power that include economic strength and internal stability.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, Dr Harish Khare, spoke about the ideals and principles set out by its founder, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, 135 years ago, which continue to remain the guiding force for the publication. He also read out the first editorial carried by The Tribune.

The Tribune has also brought out a Special Supplement to commemorate the lecture series. (Tribune Special: Looking Back 1971 War)