Another question that arises from the face-off in Yangtse is about the Agniveer policy.
I would be interested in knowing how many of the jawans who took part in this operation had less than four years of service.
What will happen tomorrow when the number of Agniveers on such pickets goes up?
Will Agniveers with four years of training be able to deliver the results which our jawans have delivered in Yangtse?
We should ask the company commanders and battalion commanders on the spot if they would have been comfortable with Agniveers under their command in that face-off.
There are reports coming from China and in the international media about the poor morale and inexperience of the PLA troops.
In fact, there was an article in the New Yorker and in the South China Morning Post about the prevalence of mental illness amongst PLA troops.
Ultimately, at those heights, it is the troops that matter the most.
Today, we have this great advantage of an experienced Indian Army vis a vis an inexperienced or under confident PLA.
In time to come, what will be the results when we deploy Agniveers in these areas? In that light, is there a need to modify the Agniveer programme? These are some of the lessons that we must bear in mind.