Time was when the Army Day festivity was utilised by the Chief to reassure the Indian people that the territorial integrity of the nation was entrusted to safe hands, as well as to send out a signal to his officers and men that their interests were being catered to ~ both in terms of personnel welfare and modernisation of weapons and systems. There had been a positive strain to both messages. Now there has been a veritable sea-change, and almost every public statement of General Bipin Rawat, the current Chief of the Army Staff, invites the accusation of dishing out an overdose of the gung-ho. As well as risks creating avoidable complications for other branches of the government tasked with preserving national security.

The strong reaction from Beijing to his latest statement confirms how unhelpful to the overall situation verbal muscle-flexing can prove. The crisis at Doklam last year was solved not by the Indian troops engaging in an eyeball-to-eyeball stand-off but by some delicate but determined diplomatic efforts. The reaction from Beijing points to the dissipation of the gains that were registered. And that trickles down to extra anxieties for folk living in the vicinity of the disputed boundary. The Army Chief is probably correct when asserting that while China may be strong India is not weak; India’s strength will be best assessed by the manner in which the PLA conducts itself, based on its own evaluation of military realities ~ General Rawat’s “thunder” scares nobody: not even the Pakistanis who make light of India’s “punitive retaliation”, violate with impunity the cease-fire arrangement on the LOC, and sponsor jihadi terrorism despite bearing the damage inflicted by surgical strikes. And in a quiet way the authorities in Myanmar have let it be known they are none-too-happy with General Rawat’s going public about raiding terrorist camps on their side of the border.

Domestically too have the General’s Army Day statements evoked strong reaction. A PDP minister in the J&K government has advised him not to air opinions on the education system in the state, contending that he is not qualified to do so. That sparked off a row with the BJP leadership in the state ~ exposing the fragility of the coalition-of-opposites. The Chief’s asserting that now the Army’s focus will shift to North Kashmir is another pointless exercise ~ events on the ground will do the real “talking”.

General Rawat has rightly called for “synergy”, but that must extend beyond countering insurgent militancy. There are many strands to the cable that provides national security, it is not a military matter alone. Raisina Hill must present a solid, comprehensive “front” and that could be compromised by the bellicosity, and publicity-seeking endeavours of sections of the military “brass”.