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Need to pay more attention to India's border along China: Army Chief MM Naravane

WION Web Team
New Delhi, India Edited By: Sparshita SaxenaUpdated: Jan 01, 2020, 11:20 AM IST
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File photo: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. Photograph:(ANI)

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Naravane received Guard of Honour today morning and paid tribute at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

The new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday said that the priority of the Indian Army will be to be operationally prepared at all times and "pay special attention to respect human rights," news agency ANI reported.

Naravane added that all three services are ready to defend the country. Naravane received Guard of Honour today morning as the Army chief and paid tribute at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

The Army chief emphasised the need to pay more attention to India's border along China and said that the force is capable of dealing with any security challenge.

"We have been giving attention to our western front in the past. The northern front now also requires an equal amount of attention... The Army is capable of tackling any dangers to the country," General Naravane told reporters.

"In that context, we are now going in for capability development and enhancement of our capacities even in our northern borders which includes the northeastern part of our country," he said.

On the border dispute with China, the Army chief said that continuing peace along the border will pave the way for a solution.

"We have been able to maintain peace and tranquillity along borders and I'm sure that situation will prevail. By maintaining this, we will be able to set the stage for the eventual solution," he said.

On Tuesday, Naravane said that the "neighbouring country" (Pakistan) uses terrorism as a tool of state policy.

In an exclusive interview to ANI hours after taking the charge as the new Army Chief, General Naravane asserted that terrorism is a worldwide problem.

"Terrorism is a worldwide problem, India has been at the receiving end of terrorism for a long time. It is only now that the entire world and many countries affected with terrorism are coming to realise what a threat it is," he said.

"As far as our neighbour is concerned they are trying to use terrorism as a tool of state policy, as a way of carrying out a proxy war against us...while maintaining deniability. However, this state can't last long, as they say, you can't fool all the people, all the time," General Naravane added.

General Naravane took over as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on Tuesday, succeeding General Bipin Rawat who has become India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He previously served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff.

(With inputs from ANI)