CHANDIGARH:There was no clarity on why China was building a road in the Doklam region and whether the project was sanctioned by the top leadership, said Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi (retd).
He was heading the army’s eastern command when India and China were involved in the three-month long standoff earlier this year.
Speaking at the Military Literature Festival during a session titled ‘Strategic Perspective— China’, Lt Gen Bakshi said while the Chinese were frequently breaking ranks, the Indian troops stood their ground. He added that China also used music to motivate its troops as well as propaganda material.
Speaking at the session, Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd) said, “To guard its strategic interest, India needs to tilt the balance in its favour.”
Claude Arpi, an author and expert on Tibetan history, said, “To learn about China, one needs to learn about Tibet. China is nervous and unstable about it.”Former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, G Parthasarthy, said, “Today we are dealing with a country which is hugely ambitious. The Chinese have built their military in a very sensible way. We have been trying to manage tensions.”
Speaking on employing diplomacy to effective use, he said, “We are aware of the situation in Balochistan. If we can’t build on it, we should no longer talk about diplomacy.”