Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying it will get a "bloodier nose" if it chooses to go into another war with India while advising the neighbouring country of not repeating such "misadventures".
"Don't do it. Misadventures are normally not repeated. You will get a bloodier nose next time," he said in a press conference here when asked about his message to Pakistan on the anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil war.
The Indian Army is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war today to rekindle the pride and valour of the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.
July 26 is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas every year to mark India's triumph over Pakistan on this day in 1999.
Responding to a question on the meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump in the US, Rawat said that Pakistan can do anything to get money.
"There is a difference between talk and action. We all know what is the situation in Pakistan right now. We all know who controls the country. They are ready for anything to get money. Once they get it, they will do what they have been doing for the last so many years," the Army Chief said.
Attacking Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, Rawat said that Islamabad was making every "desperate attempt" to reignite a dying flame.
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"Every desperate attempt is being made by them to ensure that the key issue is being kept alive because they have now been singled out as a state sponsoring terror on Indian soil. The world at large knows terrorists are trained in Pakistan and they have terror camps," he stressed.
"They (Pakistan) are not only providing moral support but giving financial and weaponry to the terrorists. They are influencing people from across the border to join hands with the local youth to up the ante of terrorism. Radicalisation and social media is being extensively used to fuel trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. They are doing this because they have sensed that this issue will not remain an international issue for a long time," Rawat elaborated.
Listing out the challenges faced by the Army, Rawat underlined that soldiers must and continue to remain empowered, as "it is the man behind the gun which matters if you want to achieve victory".
"You have to ensure that he is well trained at all times. By providing him weaponry, ammunition and equipment for carrying out surveillance and other tasks he is entrusted to perform. And to keep his morale high and motivated to execute any task. We are meeting this challenge very well as our soldiers are having very little demands," he said.
"We are looking at modernising our inventory. Our focus is on Artillery weapon system, by 2020 we will get the Howitzers, K-9 Vajra is being manufactured in the country now and two Bofors like guns are being manufactured locally. Simultaneously, we are inducting additional helicopters as the aviation fleet is expanding. We are prioritising our equipment," the Army Chief said.He said that the security forces will continue to man and guard the country's borders from any threat, adding that support is needed so that the soldiers continue to be motivated to carry out their duties.
"I want to convey to our countrymen that you can be rest assured that any task given to defence services will always be accomplished no matter how difficult it is. Our soldiers will continue to man and guard our borders. So that you can sleep comfortably in your homes," Rawat remarked.
He said that situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is under control, stressing that peace and tranquillity prevail along the border area.
"When there is any scope of escalation, meetings are held so that the situation is not allowed to escalate. The situation is very much under control. Mechanisms are in place, so that escalation of situation does not happen," Rawat said.
The Army Chief underscored that through social media campaigns, the force has been reaching out to people in order to shun weapons and come to the mainstream.
"See, anybody who picks up the gun against the Army... The gun and the man will be separated. The man will go to the grave and the gun will be with us. But this is not the end of everything. We are reaching out to the people to shun the gun and come overground," Rawat said.
"We have opened a number of goodwill schools. Let me tell you one thing. Not one person from the school has joined terrorism and not one person has become a stone thrower. We are giving the right education that your future lies in educating yourself, finding a good job for yourself and looking after the family," he added.
Rawat said that the Army will support any personnel who has an issue with the NRC. "If a person has served in the Army, he will surely be taken care of. We will assist him with all the required paperwork," he further said.