-Pratyusha Mukherjee
India’s Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi issued a strong warning to Pakistan, saying it must decide whether it wants to remain part of “geography or history” if it continues to support terrorism against India.
Speaking during an interactive session at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, General Dwivedi was asked how the Indian Army would respond if circumstances similar to those that led to Operation Sindoor were to emerge again.
“If you have heard me earlier, what I have said… that Pakistan, if it continues to harbour terrorists and operate against India, then they have to decide whether they want to be part of geography or history or not,” the Army Chief said.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 last year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. During the operation, the Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on terror launchpads and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The military confrontation between the two countries continued for nearly 88 hours before ending with a ceasefire understanding on the evening of May 10. According to the Indian Army, the de-escalation followed contact initiated by Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations with his Indian counterpart.
General Dwivedi’s remarks come amid continuing concerns over cross-border terrorism and regional security, shortly after India marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor. Reiterating India’s position on terrorism, he said the country remained fully prepared to respond firmly to any provocation.
During the interaction, the Army Chief also spoke about evolving warfare and the role of young Indians in future military preparedness. Praising Generation Z, he said today’s youth are more adaptable, technologically skilled and globally aware.
“Gen Z is at least 10 times better than his generation,” he said, describing young Indians as socially aware, digitally fluent and better equipped to deal with future warfare challenges.
Highlighting the Army’s push towards modernisation and data-centric warfare, General Dwivedi said internship programmes had been launched to engage young talent. He noted that nearly one lakh applications were received for just 100 internship positions.The Army Chief added that the Indian Army is opening its establishments to students and young professionals as it prepares for 2026-27, a period he described as focused on networking and data-centricity in military operations.
