Former Army lieutenant general JR Mukherjee says insurgency likely to increase in North East after Doka La

Kolkata: Insurgency is likely to increase in the North East after the Doka La stand-off with China and there are already signs of it in the region, former general officer commanding-in-chief, Eastern Command, lieutenant general JR Mukherjee said in Kolkata on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_4291431” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Whenever India has annoyed China or there has been a border-related issue between the two countries, it (China) has aided insurgents in the North East, Mukherjee told newspersons in Kolkata commenting on the possible fallout of the 74-day stand-off with the Chinese at Doka La in the Sikkim sector. “Consequent to Doka La, the insurgency will increase in the North East and signs of these are already evident,” the retired lieutenant general, who is the vice-president (operations) of strategic thinktank CENERS-K, said. Mukherjee said that Doka La is neither the first time nor the last that China has made such an attempt. Its army will keep coming and camp at places of that country’s strategic interest. “In Doka La, they (China) will eventually try to twist the Bhutanese state to get what they want,” he said and claimed that the Chinese have not left Doka La but have only stepped back a little. Centre for East and North-East Regional Studies (CENERS), Kolkata, which has as its patron former Army chief general Shankar Roy Chowdhury and advisor former air chief Marshal Arup Raha, is organising a two-day dialogue on Indo-China issues and relations between the two Asian giants. The seminar, to be held on 2 and 3 February, is scheduled to be attended by Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retired) VK Singh and will delve on issues ranging from political, economic and military capabilities to problems and prospects relating to bilateral investments. Professor Guo Xetang, director of Institute of International Strategy and Policy Analysis, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, will be the lone Chinese speaker at the event, which is also scheduled to be attended by US and Japanese diplomats.