ONE who is prepared for uncertainties can never suffer huge losses. But, for that preparation to happen, a lot of multi-dimensional effort is required -- round-the-clock alertness, understanding, agility, and self-reliance. When Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh made the statement at the Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, that the military should always be ready for uncertainties, he made it on the strength of the points mentioned above. That Mr. Singh’s statement has come almost three-and-a-half years after the Galwan Valley clash between the aggressive Chinese and the firm Indian forces, bears a great significance. Coming after years of improvement in conditions, and winter aggressions by China and Pakistan in certain border areas, lends greater significance to Mr. Singh’s statement. To understand it better, one must take a look at the historic backdrop. In 1962, China mounted an incursion into the Indian territory along what is known as Line of Actual Control or LAC. That happened in winter. That time, China took advantage of the Indian attribute of not paying enough heed towards deployment of forces in areas where ‘not a blade of grass grew’. The 1962 war had so much an impact on Indian level of preparedness that several steps got initiated for better equipment. Still, a kind of pressure prevailed when it came to developing road and other infrastructure along the LAC.

 

Out of this, the political leaders thought that leaving these areas undeveloped infrastructure-wise, would make it difficult for the enemy to move into Indian territory. Obviously, this was not a wise strategy. Some change did come in case of Siachen Glacier after some time. Getting the scent of Pakistan’s evil designs, India acted in a hurry and occupied the areas that mattered. Taking a beating there, Pakistan started mobilising its International supporters to raise the demand for demilitarisation. In 1999, Pakistan took advantage of winter to occupy the icy heights overlooking National Highway-1 from Leh-Srinagar. The Indian forces fought a hard battle to restore Indian domination of the vantage positions. This triggered strategic and doctrinal changes in the Armed Forces. In 2020 came the Galwan clash, when the resolute Indian forces gave a befitting and fierce response to Chinese aggressors. Since then, thanks to the ruling dispensation of the day, the process of preparation on all fronts got ‘Galwanised’. The result is for all to see -- the roads in border areas are being laid, repaired, and maintained well; indigenisation has received a boost, training has improved a lot, supplies mechanism has undergone changes, high positions even at icy heights are not vacated even in winter, all-weather maintenance of troops has become a new normal.

 

Above all, a lot of emphasis is being given on preparing the military for ‘expecting the unexpected’, that is to say, bolstering the combat capabilities considering the possibility of unconventional warfare to become part of future conventional wars. This kind of preparation requires military might, which comes when a nation pursues a path to making own economy stronger, accelerates the pace of reforms, takes firm stand at the tables of diplomacy, has courage to walk the path to realising the vision for growth, thinks about national interest beyond the confines of politics, identifies future challenges well in advance and makes right investments at right time. India of today has all these attributes in her personality. Hence, she can afford to speak of war preparedness as a continuous phenomenon.