ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

'Nuclear deterrence doesn't make war redundant'

Indian Army chief General Ved Prakash Malik today said that despite nuclear deterrence the country needs to maintain a strong force.

General Malik, in Calcutta to witness the final of the inter-army friendship football tournament involving teams from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and India, said: "Nuclear deterrence does reduce the possibility of war, but it does not make war redundant."

He asserted that the Indian Army would continue with its modernisation programme. There would be no compromise on training of personnel despite the escalation in costs. He hinted that the country would continue with the present size of its conventional army.

Asked whether the introduction of bus services between Delhi and Lahore and between Calcutta and Dhaka would reduce tension, General Malik said, "Before any solution at the military level, it has to be arrived at on a political level. It is difficult to say what will happen ultimately. Let's hope for the best."

Regarding insurgency on the Indo-Burma border, Gen Malik's reply was, "We are tackling these problems through dialogues."

He said the football tournament was the beginning of a confidence-building measure among the armies of the participants.

''I hope this spirit will catch on and next year more teams from this region will participate in the championship, which is going to be an annual event of the Indian Army henceforth," he said.

Asked whether the army would continue to be involved in tackling insurgency, Gen Malik replied: "The task of tackling insurgency in the country is also part of our charter as we are required to fight for national and territorial integrity."

But at the same time it is not correct for any army to get over-involved in operations against own people. "We would like to see that the army has a lesser role to play. Wherever things are improving we are reducing army involvement. In the North-East we have reduced army presence."

Was the army getting enough co-operation from the states where it is deployed? "Law-and-order is a state subject. Each state has its own culture and views. In some states we are getting good co-operation. In some others, things are still to be improved," he said.

Gen Malik expressed himself dissatisfied with the budgetary allocation for the army. The cost of modernisation and equipment has shot up, he pointed out. But the Indian Army has taken several steps to reduce its maintenance cost. "It will always be our endeavour to bring down the 'teeth-to-tail' (combatants to non-combatants) ratio to cut down costs."

Regarding the shortage of officers in the army, the general said the scenario is changing: ''There have been 10 to 15 per cent more recruitment in the officers' grade.''

To attract youths, the army is running a regular advertisement campaign. The enhancement of pay scales too has helped, Gen Malik said.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report