Rebalancing of forces is to reassure Pakistan, warn China

exclusive interview General M.M. Naravane (retired)former chief, Indian Army

- SANJIB KR BARUAH

Indian Army generals, it seems, are partial to well-written books. And, General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retired) is no exception. His keen interest in books is only rivalled by his fondness for golf. As he walks around the well-manicured lawn of his unmarked residence inside New Delhi’s military campus, Naravane talks of his action-packed tenure as Army chief between December 2019 and April 2022. His tenure saw the sudden escalation of border tensions with China that led to the June 2020 Galwan incident and subsequently to a massive rebalancing of forces. He was also in the thick of the ceasefire pact with Pakistan and had to deal with an invisible enemy—Covid. Post retirement, Naravane is reading a lot more than before, speaking at events related to the military and strategic affairs besides attending to matters familial. Excerpts from a freewheeling interview:

Q/There is the spectre of a twofront war and you have spoken about the lack of a National Security Strategy, which has hampered Indian military’s theaterisation effort. In this backdrop, what are our primary threats and challenges?

A/ It is obvious that we face threats both on our western and northern borders because of the unsettled nature of the boundary. Now while the threats are constant, their priority keeps changing based on many factors, including the global environment, the relationship with the government or leadership in power on the other side, the economic situation, and so on. It is a dynamic affair, and accordingly the country’s military strategy keeps changing.