'China will be given a bloody nose'

'They will continue to keep pricking at places where both of us are sensitive and keep the LAC alive.'

"Even in the 1962 War, China's basic theme was to teach us a lesson. The PLA advanced nearly up to the plains of Assam and went back. The fact that they went back indicated that territory was not their aim; it was just to teach us a lesson.

"My understanding is that even now China wants to keep things on the boil," says retired Lieutenant General Sudarshan Shrikant Hasabnis, AVSM, VSM, ADC and former deputy chief of army staff (planning and system).

Son of the original hero of Galwan, his father Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Hasabnis fought in the 1962 War and was a Chinese prisoner of war for seven months.

General Hasabnis was commissioned in the corps of engineers in 1981 in a parachute field company and has had a wide and varied professional experience in different assignments and terrains.

"There's absolutely no doubt that China is our enemy number 1."

"They will do anything and everything to prevent India from becoming a peer competitor. China wants the region to acknowledge its hegemony, but India is the biggest stumbling block," General Hasabnis tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih and Nikhil Lakshman.

India has bolstered security on the LAC significantly by increasing troops, building infrastructure etc, has this change from a defensive to offensive stance ruffled and provoked the Chinese?

Till seven, eight years ago, we never saw any defence being constructed by the Chinese. But today, they have had to do that which shows a change of mindset on their side.

Earlier, the Chinese thought that the Indians would remain defensive. When I was serving in Sikkim our posts were practically along the LAC, while their posts were 20 kilometres inside. They had proper two-three storey buildings that served as accommodation for troops. But today, in Eastern Ladakh, the PLA troops are right up in front and since they are not used to this they're having a lot of problems.

The PLA is an army of conscripts and whether they acknowledge it or not, the one child policy has had a very bad effect. A single child has a protected upbringing and is unprepared for the hardships of serving in a difficult area for long durations. This is a major problem faced by the PLA today.

It's not easy for our troops also who are occupying areas that were not so well fortified earlier. But our men are well trained and capable.

In your assessment what is the Chinese game plan? What provoked Galwan and two subsequent clashes between 2021-2022?

My personal view is that even in 1962, their basic theme was to teach us a lesson. The PLA advanced nearly up to the plains of Assam and went back. They did not have any intention of holding territory. Of course, it would have been difficult to hold such deep ingresses, but that's a different story.

The fact that they went back indicated that territory was not their aim even then; it was just to teach you a lesson -- to whip you and tell you to become a good boy.

My understanding is that even now they want to keep things on the boil.

We must bear in mind that we are on our own. We may have friendships all over the world, but no one is going to fight our battle -- along the borders or at sea. India is very clear about the fact that it's our war to fight.

We may get some assistance in terms of weapons, but any new weapon comes with a chain of requirements -- training, logistics, repair, maintenance etc. We have some Western equipment, weapons, aircraft etc, but ultimately, it is going to be our war.

India poses a threat to China. The Indian economy will be a competitor in times to come and is closing in on them.

Therefore, China wants us to remain on the back foot whether on the economic or military front. China does not want India to become a competitor.

So the tension will persist at the LAC?

I would like to believe so. And like so many people have already said that it's not important to hear what the Chinese are saying, but is much more important to see what they are doing. There is always a huge difference in what they say and what they do.

Do you think that the several rounds of corps commander talks at the border have not yielded much success?

I would differ that there has been no success. An understanding has been reached in some areas. But yes, there are some areas where we have not yet reached the spot where we want to reach.

You spoke about offensive defensive deployment. How much of the army is getting stretched with this kind of deployment?

Anyone who has served in a mountain area would know that every hilltop can be held and one needs resources to do that which poses a challenge for both the defender as well as the attacker.

Mountain warfare is not easy so you need to prioritise, you need to be able to defend somewhere and take the battle someplace else.

Newspaper reports show that the northern front has been given first priority. Till very recently, we were totally Pakistan-centric and that has changed in the recent past.

Some resources earmarked for the western front are now being earmarked for the northern frontier to make it more feasible to execute the plans.

Do you see any resolution in this current standoff?

I don't see any immediate resolution in the near future. A nation speaks on the strength of its comprehensive national power. We have to raise our economic, military, technological and social strength.

We are on that course already and China is trying its best to prevent us from getting there by blocking our way whether by actions on LAC or at the UN.

They will do anything and everything to prevent India from becoming a peer competitor in the region. China wants countries in the region to acknowledge their hegemony, but India is the biggest stumbling block for them.

Do you believe that China is India's enemy number one?

There's absolutely no doubt about that. I've had some very learned friends saying that we are already at war with China. It's not as if we're not at war. We are in direct contact with them.

Do you see an escalation in the Chinese activity before the general election?

I do not think so. In fact, if they do, we are in a position to give a strong response which will go in favour of the present government in the eyes of the general population. It will be played out in that manner by the government also.

It's not going to be easy for China to try any misadventure along the entire LAC. They will be given a bloody nose.

Is this standoff going to continue for the foreseeable future?

They will continue to keep pricking at places where both of us are sensitive and keep the LAC alive. They will not precipitate the situation and do anything that could result in the current government getting a better position in May.

China is definitely not comfortable with the way the external affairs minister has named China. We never did that in the previous dispensation, even in the current dispensation's previous term, we never used to name China. Today, we are naming China at the highest level.

What is China's end game in your opinion?

They are looking to become the number one superpower by 2048. To me, that seems to be their basic thrust and they will ensure that nothing comes in the way of their achieving that status. They don't want anything to destabilise their march towards 2048.

• Standoff in Ladakh

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com