The latest edition of the PIC Adda on 19th September 2020, entailed a talk by an illustrious member of PIC, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) D. B. Shekatkar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), on the topic of ‘India China Stand-off: Should India ever trust China?’ The session was moderated by Dr. Sangeeta Kale, Member, PIC. Prof. Amitav Malik, Trustee, PIC, introduced Lt. Gen. Shekatkar and the topic for the session.
This was one of the best attended Adda sessions as Lt. Gen. Shekatkar provided a historical background to Sino-Indian relations over the past few decades. He highlighted that India’s previous experiences with China, whether in 1962, 1971, or in the many years hence have proved that dealing with the Chinese requires caution. It was clearly stated that while India has the military capability to stand up to China, it might be unwise to get drawn into a situation of intense conflict.
China has given India little room to build trust in bilateral relations, Lt. Gen. Shekatkar said and emphasised that ensuring a firm stance and building military preparedness is crucial to dealing with China as the situation evolves.
Questions from the audience largely evoked concern about India’s defence preparedness, and ability to trump China in the on-going standoff. The potential for de-escalation was also discussed, with the speaker assuring all participants that the Indian Armed Forces were trained for and ready to handle all possible eventualities.
