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Only deterrence can counter nuclear threat, says Gen Malik

A special correspondent in New Delhi

Army Chief General V P Malik says strategic deterrence was the need of the hour to counter the emerging nuclear and missile challenges before the country.

Significantly, this was the first time a top defence officer has spoken of the country's response, even indirectly, since Pakistan test-fired its Ghauri intermediate range ballistic missile and also announced its readiness to go nuclear.

Inaugurating the army commanders conference in New Delhi, General Malik, while discussing the need to improve relations with Pakistan, was emphatic that strength and vigilance alone would ensure national security and defence. The conference was attended by Defence Minister George Fernandes, top army commanders, Defence secretary Ajit Kumar and other senior officials.

The army chief also stressed the importance of upgrading equipment, weapons systems and human resources. The army, he also stated, must be given greater control over its revenue budget, and expressed the hope that gradually India would be able to field a technologically superior force by early next century, and also said there was a need to improve the forces's teeth-to-tail ratio.

Turning to relations with China, General Malik said the peace and tranquillity agreement with China had certainly improved the 'atmospherics', but progress on substantive issues like the Line of Actual Control demarcation has been rather slow. About the global strategic environment, he spoke of the need for a "clear strategic vision on India's part to exploit the emerging opportunities".

Touching on the situation in the North-East, where the army has been used extensively to fight insurgency, the army chief the time was appropriate for the requisite ''political initiative'' to resolve the issue.

The general also asked the commanders to focus on strengthening the command structure and to uphold the izzat of the rank and file to ensure adequate motivation in the army.

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