Indian Army chief’s warning to Pakistan: Decide whether you want to be part of geography or history

Upendra Dwivedi delivered a sharp message to Pakistan over its continued support for cross-border terrorism, warning that Islamabad must decide “whether they want to be part of the geography or history”.

Speaking at the Sena Samvad event, Gen Dwivedi referred to Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack last year.

“If you have heard me earlier, what I have said is that Pakistan, if it continues to harbour terrorists and operate against India, then they have to decide whether they want to be part of the geography or history or not,” the Army Chief said.

Operation Sindoor Launched After Pahalgam Terror Attack

India launched Operation Sindoor in May last year targeting terror infrastructure located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

According to officials, Indian forces later intensified operations after escalation from Pakistan and carried out strikes on multiple airbases.

The Army Chief’s remarks come amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan over terrorism and border security issues.

Gen Dwivedi Highlights Role of Young, Tech-Savvy Generation

During the interaction, Gen Dwivedi praised India’s younger generation for their adaptability and technological awareness, saying they are significantly more capable in handling future warfare challenges.

“Let me firstly concede and accept that the generation is at least 10 times better than our generation. They are much more adaptable. They're socially aware, globally connected, and digitally fluent,” he said.

The Army Chief also revealed that the Indian Army’s recently launched internship initiative received an overwhelming response.

“The Indian Army is talking about 2026-27 as the year of networking and data centricity. We have started the internship, and we received one lakh applications for 100 vacancies,” he added.

Indian Army Opens Workshops and Headquarters for Student Internships

Gen Dwivedi said the Army has opened several military workshops, Category A establishments and headquarters for internship programmes aimed at encouraging innovation from young minds.

“Half of the time, they come out with a simplistic solution. On the battlefield, we require a battlefield equaliser. We don't require tank versus tank,” he said.

“If you give me a simple solution to a difficult problem, I think you are the ones who are going to win the battle for us,” he added.

Army Chief Emphasises Military Modernisation and Technology

The Army Chief also spoke about the rapid pace of military modernisation and the need for constant adaptation to emerging technologies.

“Today, the military is changing so fast, the modernisation is taking place so fast, and technology becomes stale within 18 months,” he said.

He stressed that change must be embraced across every level of the armed forces, from soldiers to senior commanders.

“Therefore, the ripples of change have to be felt at every level, starting from a soldier to a major to a major general, till a general like me,” Gen Dwivedi stated.

‘Whole-of-Nation Approach’ Needed for Future Warfare

Gen Dwivedi also highlighted the importance of a “whole-of-nation approach” in modern warfare and national security planning.

“When you look at the big picture, a whole-of-nation approach. How are you going to converge this complete India as a nation to fight a war? How are you going to establish the interlinkages?” he said.

He added that strategic coordination between institutions and citizens would play a key role in future military operations and national preparedness.

Inputs from agencies