War last resort, all options on Pak open: Army chief

At a press conference on the eve of the 61st Army Day, the Army chief told mediapersons that ??The options include everything, whether diplomatic, economic and, as last resort, fighting.??

While stressing that any decision on the issue had to come from the political leadership, Kapoor said that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks were from Pakistan.

??We do feel that perpetrators of the 26/11 (date of Mumbai attack) were from Pakistani soil. In view of that we in India are keeping all our options open. It must be understood that it is not to create any war hysteria,?? he said.

Reacting to the widely reported movement of Pakistani troops from the Afghanistan border to its eastern front bordering India, the army chief said the Indian Army was aware of the situation.

Denying reports of troop movement on the Indian side, Kapoor, in response to a question, said that, ??We are aware that Pakistan troops from FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) have come to the east border of Pakistan with India. Having known this, let me assure you that Indian Army has factored this in their plans.??

??Whenever there is a problem, military is the last option, but the decision depends on the political leadership. When they think economic and diplomatic pressure has failed, the option will be used,?? the chief responded when queried about the military option.

According to him, ??It is a known fact that it is the period in which our persons from strike cores go to the field ranges?in this I am talking about the Pokhran and Mahajan field ranges?on routine basis. And, this information is shared with Pakistan as they do about the exercises on their side.

??Our troops have gone there for practice fire and if that has to be hyped into war hysteria, then it is wrong,?? Kapoor added.

On a question on the threat of nuclear arsenal from Pakistan falling into terrorists? hands, he said: ??Nuclear weapon is a cause for worry for the entire globe. I wish it doesn?t happen.?? However, he hoped that the nuclear arsenal in Pakistan was as secure as anywhere else in the civilized world.

Facing a shortage of about 11,300 officers, the Indian Army is planning to start a second Officers Training Academy (OTA) on the lines of its Chennai-based institution, to increase the intake, Army chief said.

Kapoor said the army was ??more than willing?? to depute its officers and other ranks to the elite National Security Guard (NSG) force, which is setting up its hubs in four main cities in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks.

??We are looking at starting a second OTA and the aim would be to train those officers who are keen on Short Service Commission (SSC) and bring them into the mainstream,?? Kapoor added.

??Thereby (we are looking at) enhancing the total intake and bringing down the deficiency level, which currently stand at around 11,300-odd,?? he said.

The Chennai-based OTA at present trains about 500 officers annually under the SSC recruitment scheme of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The aim, Kapoor said, was to reduce the deficiency so that the army could carry out its assigned tasks better and also meet requirements of other institutions like the NSG, Assam Rifles, National Cadets Corps (NCC) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

??Primarily our aim is to ensure that we provide both men, JCOs and officers for organisations like the NSG. We might have a bit of problems with the current deficiency levels to provide officers for NSG,?? Kapoor said.

Army, he said, was looking at all avenues and hopefully constraints would be removed, so that Army?s own tasks in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East did not suffer.

??We will be more than willing (to give officers to the NSG) because, in matters of national security, it does not matter whether the battle is fought by the NSG or the Army or the CRPF,?? he added.