LAC standoff made us realise that China is No. 1 threat: Ex-Army Chief MM Naravane

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, February 11

Former Army Chief General MM Naravane has said Chinese activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020 led to a more ‘focused’ approach on where the ‘threat lies’ and realisation that China was the ‘number one threat’.

Not a bad thing

What has happened (the LAC stand off) is not a bad thing…for a very long time, we were shying away from calling out China as the number one threat. General MM Naravane, Former Army Chief

He was speaking at a literature festival in Ajmer when he mentioned the developments after the military standoff with China along the LAC. He said “it worked out well for India because now we are more focused on where the threat actually lies”.

The armies of the two countries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020. General Naravane was then Army Chief when the LAC flared up. India, he said, has always referred to China with euphuism, “like our friend to the north”.

“India always hoped that by being decent and conciliatory and agreeing to what they are saying, they would return that favour in full measure and also give us the respect that is due,” the former Army Chief said.

General Naravane did not mention it, but the shift in the focus has led to the Army re-task one of its key strike formations from its Pakistan-centric outlook to Eastern Ladakh. The Army has stationed additional troops, missile launchers, artillery guns, while the government has sanctioned an additional IAF base at Nyoma in Eastern Ladakh and involved more surveillance planes to keep an eye on Chinese activities.