Ex-army chief slams ‘timid’ reaction to China

Former army chief General V.P. Malik said on Wednesday that China’s aggression on critical issues was increasing and that Beijing would continue to exploit “our appeasement” if the Indian reaction remained “timid”.

Former army chief General V.P. Malik said on Wednesday that China’s aggression on critical issues was increasing and that Beijing would continue to exploit “our appeasement” if the Indian reaction remained “timid”.

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“Over the years, China has been consistently growing aggressive and India timid and submissive... If this continues, we can expect increasing tensions and skirmishes on the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” Malik said.

He was speaking at a lecture here in memory of Bhimsen Sachar, the freedom fighter and politician.

Malik said there was increasing pressure on India to resume dialogue with Pakistan, but doing this without ensuring that the Pakistan army gives up terror would be yet another strategic failure.

“Our leaders have said both India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism... we are comparing the innocent and the culprit,” he said. “Why has our policy towards terror attacks been so passive and reactive... and our strategy marked by indecisiveness and inaction?”

India’s referring to the Kashmir issue to the UN and accepting China’s sovereignty over Tibet without a quid pro quo on Kashmir was a strategic failure, he said.