Our forces can be more hostile on China border if needed: outgoing ITBP chief

INDIAN FORCES can be "More hostile" to Chinese troops if needed "In case of national interest and to protect our borders", and are enhancing their capabilities regularly to face any situation, according to Indo-Tibetan Border Police chief SS Deswal. Speaking to The Indian Express on Monday, a day before he retires from service, DGP Deswal also said that forces under his command had to "Take multiple steps on a daily basis" to secure India's embassy and consulates in Afghanistan and ensure the evacuation of its diplomats and nationals. Deswal is a 1984-batch Haryana-cadre IPS officer, who served as ITBP chief for two years and 10 months. Describing the India-China border as an "Active border" from 2020, the ITBP chief said: "Any attempt to disrupt the equilibrium between the two countries will not be permitted. We have the capabilities and those capabilitieswere reflected last year also. Wherever such attempts to change the ground situation were made, our forces gave complete resistance. Galwan was an example. We have brave soldiers who are always willing to sacrifice their lives for the country." Asked about the delay in talks on friction points after the Pangong Tso disengagement this year, Deswal said: "We can't be tired out as a nation. In case of national interest and to protect our borders, our security forces can be more hostile to them. Hostility is not one-sided. It is need-based. When it is needed by our country, our forces can be extremely hostile. We should not fear the hostility of our counterpart. We are more capable of being hostile towards them." Deswal underlined that Indian forces were committed to the policy of no use of firearms on the border based on agreements between the two countries. Speaking on ITBP's role in India's evacuation efforts from Afghanistan, Deswal said: "It was always a challenge for us to protect the embassies and consulate-generals in Afghanistan. Hostile elements have always threatened our embassy there. It was a collective security environment created mainly by US and NATO forces on which our assessment of what would happen was based. It was not under our control. Our control was only on how to protect our embassy in the given situation. That we did successfully for the past several years."