India Showed Political Will To Uphold National Interests: General Bipin Rawat

"Our leadership has displayed the political will and determination to uphold our vital national interests in face of unprovoked assault on our security, values and indeed our dignity," General Bipin Rawat said

India's leadership displayed political will and determination to uphold vital national interests in the face of "unprovoked assault" on its security and dignity, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday, remarks seen as an apparent reference to the border row with China in eastern Ladakh. He said the country is facing multiple and varied security threats and challenges across the full spectrum of conflicts-- from proxy war to hybrid to non-contact conventional war, and asserted that India will have to develop capabilities to deal with such challenges firmly and vigorously without creating any insecurity among its friends. In an address at a think tank, General Rawat also referred to evolution of India's military, and said the country must come out of the temptation of looking at the western world for security solutions, and instead, tell the world to come and learn from its vast experience in dealing with diverse challenges. General Rawat said India's external threats can be met with effective diplomacy and adequate defence capability but at the same time noted that strong political institutions, economic growth, social harmony, efficient law and order machinery, expeditious judicial relief and good governance are "prerequisite for internal stability".