Former Army Chief Says Galwan Incident by PLA was Not 'a Bad Thing'. Here's Why

New Delhi: Four years after China's intrusion into Indian territory in eastern Ladakh, questions still linger regarding the motives behind the move. The standoff, which ensued but eventually led to a pullback by both sides, has left Indian defence and security authorities puzzled.

Former Army chief Gen Manoj Naravane, speaking at the WordsCount literature festival in Ajmer, Rajasthan, initiated his address by expressing his perplexity over China's actions. He added that the timing of the incursion, underlining that it was perpetrated during the peak of the Covid pandemic, adds to the mystery.

Gen Naravane suggested that such an important decision likely originated from a higher level of the Chinese hierarchy, rather than just a local misjudgment.

Then, sharing speculation, he said it might have been state-orchestrated. However, he is unsure if it was conducted by China's Western Theatre Command or even the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.However he also added in his statement,”But what has happened is not a bad thing. Because for a very long time, we were shying away from calling out China as the No. 1 threat.”

Acknowledging the silver lining, he said that the incident has helped India realign its focus on identifying its true threats, particularly China. He stated that India's previous approach of referring to China as a ‘friend to the north’ had obscured the reality of the situation.

"We were always hoping that by being decent and conciliatory... they would return that favour... Obviously, that was not coming," Gen Naravane said.