Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday, 28 January, indicated that he plans to shift focus in the Northeast from counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and internal security to conventional warfare over the next two to two-and-a-half years.

Two army battalions have already been withdrawn from such duties, he told news agency ANI.

This announcement comes after the Home Ministry on Monday,27 January, signed a historic peace accord with the Government of Assam andBodo stakeholders, aimed at bringing peace and stability in Assam withouthindering its territorial integrity. General Naravane, who has considerableexperience in the region, said the Northeast is going through “a verytransitional phase, for the good.” According to the terms of the Bodo accord,around 1,550 rebels with 130 weapons will surrender on 30 January, Home MinisterAmit Shah has announced.

Asked about the situation in J&K, the General didn’tgive specifics but reiterated that conventional warfare will remain the primarytask and long-term goal, while counter insurgency remains the short term goal,according to The Indian Express.

He also said that the number of ceasefire violations on theLine of Control with Pakistan have increased after the abrogation of Article370 in August last year, but the internal situation of the region has improved.The General also said that the Army had submitted its budgetary requirementsand was confident it would “get what we need to keep the nation safe andsecure.”

He added that the Army was concentrating on capacitybuilding and military infrastructure in the Northeast to be better prepared forwar.

General Naravane was commissioned in the 7th Sikh Lightinfantry in June 1980 and is an alumnus of the 56th course of the NationalDefence Academy.

He has commanded the Assam Rifles in its counter-insurgencyefforts in Nagaland and held key appointments in both the Northeast and Jammu& Kashmir. The General has even been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Forcein Sri Lanka during ‘Operation Pawan’.