Boundary dispute with China tops India’s security concerns, says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

The CDS cited Kautilya to stress that threats often emerge from both within and outside the nation.

Lucknow: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan on Friday said the boundary dispute with China remained the biggest challenge before the country, alongside Pakistan’s strategy of “bleeding India with a thousand cuts.” He reiterated that during Operation Sindoor, the armed forces had “complete freedom” to plan strikes and choose targets.

Speaking at an event in Gorakhpur, Gen Chauhan noted that the nature of warfare had changed, now extending to cyber and space domains.

Referring to the Balakot airstrikes, he said both India and Pakistan drew different lessons. “India focused on long-range strike capabilities and post-attack damage assessment, while Pakistan likely prioritised strengthening its air defences,” he observed.

Gen Chauhan said that Operation Sindoor initially targeted Pakistan-based terror hubs, but later, after consultations with the political leadership, it was decided that air strikes on Bahawalpur and Muridke were also necessary.

“War and geopolitics cannot be seen separately. In a democracy, the Army functions under political leadership, and it is the responsibility of the armed forces to provide the government with more options whenever the use of force is considered,” he emphasised.

Calling the challenges before the nation “persistent rather than momentary,” Gen Chauhan underlined that the China border dispute and Pakistan’s proxy war were the foremost security concerns. He also flagged regional instability, pointing out that almost all of India’s neighbours face political, social, or economic turmoil.

On the broader concept of national security, Gen Chauhan remarked, “An ambassador focuses on bilateral and multilateral relations, an economist on financial issues, but as a soldier, my perspective is different.”

He also invoked Kautilya, the ancient Indian strategist, who identified four types of dangers to a state: internal threats, external threats from enemy nations, internal threats aided by outsiders, and external threats supported by internal actors.