Former Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd) observed that a military solution to the boundary dispute between India and China is off the table, arguing that the developments following the Galwan clash have demonstrated the limits of using force to settle territorial disagreements.
Speaking at a recent event, Naravane said India has made it clear that unilateral attempts to change boundaries through military force are unacceptable. This position, he said, has created fresh momentum for resolving the longstanding dispute through dialogue and diplomatic negotiations.
"However, what is important is that the events following Galwan have clearly demonstrated that, as far as China is concerned, a military solution to the boundary dispute is off the table," the former Army chief said.
He emphasised that negotiations between the two countries, particularly through the mechanism involving their special representatives, remain important for finding a solution.
Explaining the nature of the India-China dispute, Naravane made a distinction between an international border and an unsettled boundary. "With China, we have an unsettled boundary. I use the term boundary deliberately because, unlike an international border, which is clearly demarcated and internationally recognised, a boundary is more nebulous," he said.
According to the former Army chief, the absence of a clearly settled boundary means disagreements between the two countries are likely to continue.
He said clashes have occurred in areas where the two sides disagree over the boundary and could occur again in the future.
"Wherever these areas of disagreement exist, we have been having and will keep having clashes. The Galwan clash was just another example of such an incident," Naravane said.
However, he argued that the developments following Galwan had established an important principle: the boundary dispute cannot be resolved through unilateral military action.
"We have made it clear that the unilateral use of force to change boundaries or borders is unacceptable," he said.
Naravane believes this has changed the approach towards resolving the dispute and strengthened the case for diplomatic engagement.
"This has brought about a change and given fresh impetus to resolving the issue through talks and dialogue," he said.
He specifically highlighted the importance of the mechanism for talks between the special representatives of India and China, describing it as a key avenue for addressing the boundary dispute.
The former Army chief also argued that the developments surrounding Galwan had strengthened India's international standing.
According to him, India's response demonstrated its position on the use of military force to alter boundaries while reinforcing its diplomatic credibility.
"The greater lesson to emerge from Galwan: India has significantly strengthened its reputation on the world stage, both militarily and diplomatically, as well as politically," Naravane said.
