Afghanistan is turning into a horror show
The recent 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting in Dushanbe has once again brought to the fore the unresolved imbroglio in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his short but focused virtual address flagged challenges of terrorism and the need for theological correctives to promote moderate and inclusive regime. Notwithstanding these very relevant concerns, the […]
Making sense of the many layers of fauji secularism
There has been an ongoing debate on perceived dilution of secular practices in Army. The catalyst has been video footage of attestation parade, later described as Shastra-Puja, where new religious practices and music were included. It is learnt that former chiefs raised this issue in Army chiefs’ conclave, which was underway, and they were assured […]
Lopsided public discourse in social media era
India has recorded phenomenal mushrooming of think tanks, with a 120% increase in their numbers in the last three years. According to global rating agency, India currently has 507 think tanks, narrowly surpassing China. USA with 1,871, tops the list. Notwithstanding the quantitative growth, we lag in qualitative terms, particularly regulatory frameworks for discussion and […]
Regaining a sense of relevance in Afghanistan maelstrom
Afghanistan is reeling under ever worsening humanitarian maelstrom with harsh winter, pandemic and famine. The disaster is compounded by inept Taliban government, struggling to find even basic international acceptance. The stark reality festers, in form of plight of significant number of refugees in the western and the gulf countries. It has also triggered in Europe […]
A wake up call by Hornbill from the NE
December is the most special month in the North East (NE). It starts with the Hornbill, dubbed as the ‘festival of festivals’, culminating in Christmas. Notwithstanding, ‘Act East’ policy; growing dependency of hospitality and retail industries, on admirable soft skills of NE workforce, our connect with the region remains tenuous and tentative. Very few Indians, […]
Carrying forward legacy of India’s 1st CDS
In a devastating blow, nation lost our first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin Rawat, Madhulika, his wife, Brig LS Lidder and 13 others in line of duty. Helicopter crash of reliable MI17-V5 is subject matter of tri-service enquiry. Having travelled on similar career path, for many, it was indeed personal loss. In his […]
Spooking manoeuvres and legacy of ‘Ghost Regiment’
Army units strive for ‘naam’ (recognition) and legacy. These come in the shape of Army Chief’s and Army Commander’s citations. The most coveted ones are Battle and Theatre Honours, awarded after campaigns. However, even more rare recognition is earning the enemy’s appreciation, albeit grudging one. Poona Horse earned the honorific of ‘Faqar-e-Hind’ given by Pak […]
Punjab at crossroads in run-up to assembly polls
Dark ominous clouds are once again looming over impending Punjab assembly elections. Bomb blast at Ludhiana, coupled with sacrilege incident at Harmandar Sahib brought back painful memories of the Maur blast and Baragari incident in the run-up to the 2017 elections. Adding to complexity are other lynching incidents, sought to be passed off as beadbi […]
Choose ‘smart’ over ‘smart alec’ for conflict resolution strategies
India is gearing up for Amrit Mahotsava, but notwithstanding celebratory fervour, many conflicts within remain unresolved. The dominant mood being self-laudatory, honest introspection is hardlythe flavourof the season. Even the United States of America, despite 245 years of independence, faces new set of challenges. So it would be appropriate for India to take objective reality […]
Pak’s 1st National Security Policy doesn’t spell out cogent road map
Pakistan has announced its first-ever and much-touted National Security Policy (NSP). The document spells out national security vision with vague guidelines for goals. It has been projected as citizen-centric initiative and document is liberally peppered with phraseology like — whole of nation, inclusive national dialogue, unity in diversity, normalisation, pluralistic anti-terror strategy etc. One typical […]