People of India should be ready for two-front war with China and Pakistan: Army Chief Bipin Rawat

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that possibility of a two-front war with China and Pakistan can’t be ruled out and people of India should be ready for this.

Rawat said that China is resorting to salami slicing (a series of many small actions, performed by clandestine means, to achieve bigger goals or results that would be difficult to perform at one go) and testing out limits of threshold which could gradually emerge into conflict.

“As far as the northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started…salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold… is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations which could gradually emerge into conflict,” Rawat said at a seminar organised by defence think-tank Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

Also Read: After Doklam standoff, Indian Army to undergo major reforms, says Arun Jaitley

Rawat warned that a war with Chinese PLA would not be limited to northern border and Pakistan in the west could take advantage of the hostilities between India and China.

“Whether these conflicts will be confined or limited in space and time or whether these can expand into an all-out war along the entire front (remains to be seen)…with the western adversary taking advantage of the situation developing along the northern border is very much likely,” Rawat said.

Rawat’s comment came days after India and China ended their months long standoff in Doklam plateau at tri-junction between Bhutan, China and India in Sikkim sector.