India must revise treaties with neighbours, says ex-armyman

NASHIK, MARCH 21: Apprehending that neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar could become battlegrounds for countries l...

NASHIK, MARCH 21: Apprehending that neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar could become battlegrounds for countries like China, USA and USSR, Major General V K Madhok (retd) stressed the need to revise treaties with neighbouring countries, indigenisation of defence equipment, restructuring foreign policy and armed forces and making efforts toward national integration.

Inaugurating the two-day conference on Challenges before national security’ organised by the Rashtriya Vichar Prabodhan Parishad here on Saturday, Maj Gen Madhok pointed out that India was having no interaction with Myanmar, where the Chinese were modernising ports and bases. He further said that the Americans were modernising Chittagong port and creating bases in Bangladesh, while the Sri Lankan army was also being trained by them. Further, China was attempting to dominate Bhutan and Nepal and was helping Pakistan in its proxy war in Kashmir, he said.

Maj Gen Madhok pointed out that indigenisation of defence hardwarewas the need of the hour, as 80 per cent of the equipment was Russian. He said that the entire fleet of the Indian Air Force could be grounded in 14 days in the event of a conflict, if spares are not supplied from abroad. He further said that the Indian Navy would not be able to remain operational, if it did not get replacements.

He further said that the polity had failed in redressing the problems before the nation and lost its credibility. He suggested a multi-pronged strategy to face the challenges set before the country’s security by revising treaties, setting up a national intelligence agency, youth agency, science and technology board, restructuring armed forces and the police, indigenisation of defence equipments, evolving a common language and making efforts for national integration.

In his presidential address, Balasaheb Apte said that corrupt politicians and confused intelligentsia had made a mess of the country. He said that threats from across the border and insurgencies had to be tackled on apriority basis.

Apte said that apart from the Pakistan-aided terrorism in Kashmir, naxalism and the conversions by Christian missionaries were a threat to the country’s security. He said that organised crime and infiltration of Bangladeshi people too posed a threat. He added that human rights activists and the intelligentsia often sided with anti-national elements.