On Saturday, Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said that the surgical strikes after the Uri attack and this year’s Indian Air Force strike on a terror camp in Balakot had shown that India has the political will to hit back against terrorism. He made the remarks at a New Delhi function marking 20 years since the Kargil War.

Political will and diplomacy

Gen Rawat said success in military matters depended on political will backed by active diplomacy. He said the forces were working in a coordinated way to build a unified national response to sub-conventional and asymmetric threats from any adversary, and that the strikes after Uri and at Balakot had clearly shown India’s political and military resolve. “Any act of terror will not go unpunished,” he said.

His emphasis on military-diplomatic coordination was seen as a possible reference to the Doklam standoff with China and the Balakot air strikes, two episodes in which the military and diplomatic channels sought to act together and leave little room for speculation.

Lessons since Kargil

Reflecting on how the Army has changed since the 1999 Kargil War, Gen Rawat said tri-service wings for space, cyber and special operations were the way to build jointness among the armed forces and meet future challenges. He said the country had come a long way since Kargil, but needed to be ready for future wars and could not lower its guard.

Background

The Balakot strike was carried out on 26 February 2019, following the Pulwama attack of 14 February 2019. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was returned by Pakistan on 1 March 2019.

See also: election news.

Originally published on 13 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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