Nagpur | Monday, Jun 7 : RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today said the present threat from China is as serious as it was in 1962, when it attacked India with full force.

China had constructed a Railway line right up to India's border in the North-east, Mr Bhagwat said while addressing the concluding function of a month-long third year officers training camp (OTC) of the organisation at the historic Reshimbag ground here this evening. ''But India was still relying on mules to transport men and material to remote border posts, he said. ''It takes several days to travel by mules. Even helicopters cannot reach the forward border areas. The other side is well equipped, and yet, our government and our administrators are not bothered,'' Mr Bhagwat added.

The situation was just like it had been in 1962, when India swore by the principles of the 'Panchasheela' and remained unprepared, and China attacked with full preparation, taking the country's defence forces completely by surprise, Mr Bhagwat said without naming anyone. ''So bad was the situation in 1962 that our men did not even have warm clothing to wear when posted in the cold areas of the front. We had to provide them in a hurry,'' he said.

China was constructing several dams on the Bramhaputra river, which would cause serious damage in Assam and other states in the north-east, he pointed out.

The Sarsanchachalak said the presence of not less than 3.5 illegal immigrants in the country was an equally serious threat.

''The people in Arunachal Pradesh drove out 50,000 illegal immigrants from the country, but the Chief Minister of Assam resettled them in his state,'' Mr Bhagwat said.

Naxalism was another major threat to the country's security, and the menace was growing day by day, he said.