Army to hold seminar on Indo-China border dispute, Chinese strategic ideas

Guwahati, Aug 3 (IANS) The Indian Army will conduct a two-day seminar from Thursday at the Gajraj Corps headquarters in Assam's Tezpur on diverse issues relating to India-China border, including disputes and Chinese strategic thought, officials said on Wednesday.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that the seminar would be held to keep abreast with the evolving threat on the borders. The continued push for operational preparedness along the northern borders has received a shot in the arm with high priority-fast paced infrastructure development in the border areas, infusion of latest technology in the Army and a vigorous discourse on doctrine and strategy, he said.

Eastern Command chief, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, who arrived at Tezpur on Tuesday on a 4-day visit to the Gajraj Corps amid his tour of forward areas, will also take part in the seminar-cum-panel discussion.

"The seminar is aimed to further refine the understanding of the diverse contours of the evolution of Sino-India boundary dispute over the decades, Chinese strategic thought process and military transformation, implications and way ahead for India," Lt. Col Rawat said.

"Army's Eastern Command is responsible for safeguarding the country's long frontiers in the northeast region across some of the most difficult and inhospitable high-altitude and jungle terrains found anywhere on earth," he added.

The seminar will include talks and panel discussions by eminent experts, spanning senior diplomats, academicians, and military commanders including Ambassador Ashok Kantha, Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, Jayadev Ranade, Amrita Jash, Claude Arpi, former Northern Command chief, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (retd), former Army Training Command chief, Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd, and National Security Advisory Board member, Lt Gen S.L. Narasimhan (retd) Member.

Over 200 serving officers of the Indian armed forces would attend.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force's Eastern Command chief Air Marshal D.K. Patnaik also visited the Air Force station in Tezpur. Defence spokesman Lt. Col A. S. Walia said that during his three-day tour, the Air Marshal Patnaik was briefed about various operations being undertaken by the IAF station after which he reviewed the operational, maintenance and administrative preparedness.

He interacted with personnel of the station and urged them to keep pace with new technological advancements.