Ex-Army Officer Raises Concerns Over ITBP DG's Remarks on China
Retired Colonel Ajay Raina, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has expressed strong reservations about the recent comments made by ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor concerning China. Raina called the statements irresponsible and said they appeared to be politically motivated.
Raina shared his views in a detailed conversation. His first objection concerned the appointment itself. He said Kapoor is an IPS officer, and that ITBP directors general are generally appointed from outside the armed forces. Kapoor took charge in January and is due to retire on October 31. Raina wondered whether a full strategic evaluation of such a complex matter could realistically be carried out in roughly ten months.
He explained that the ITBP and the Indian Army are stationed together along the LAC. In the event of a war, he said, the Indian Army takes overall control. Raina asked on what grounds it had been declared at the national level that India cannot fight China and that the two countries are unequal. He said the DG had pointed to China's modernisation, but had not considered how much the Indian Army has modernised. He said the world witnessed this strength during Operation Sindoor.
He added that the question of how many troops each side can move into a battle zone is central to any assessment. Raina stated that he has no doubt India can deal with the Chinese army effectively, and said this was demonstrated at Galwan.
Raina also brought up the Ladakh SSP report from two years ago, which had claimed that Eastern Ladakh was lost to India. He noted that the SSP later withdrew the report when action was taken.
Describing the present situation, Raina said the country is going through a difficult period marked by opposition to almost every issue and continuing protests. In this environment, he believes the DG's statements and the responses from opposition leaders are simply politics. He said it does not befit the ITBP chief to tell the public that India is not capable of fighting China.
He urged all political leaders not to link the security of the nation with partisan politics.
Raina also explained the nature of face-offs along the LAC. Since no boundary pillars exist in the region, confrontations are usually face to face. Soldiers from both countries enter the areas they consider their own and state their claims. He said no bullets are fired, and the matter is settled by mutual agreement.