Vijay Diwas: It’s time to look East
It is time for nostalgia and revisiting the tales of sacrifice and valour as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the 1971 victory. December 16, celebrated as Vijay Diwas, heralded the beginning of Swarnim Vijay Varsha. The Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1996 were not only low key but also confined to the Eastern Command. It […]
Coping with Chinese techno-psy war
As we crystal gaze security challenges likely in 2021, it is appropriate to recall the major trends of last year. Despite the Covid pandemic, China blatantly altered the tenuous status quo on the LAC in utter disregard of agreed protocols. It also instigated a barbaric stand-off in Galwan using stone age weapons. Yet, the year […]
‘Chinese checkers’: Preparing for the summer onslaught
There has been a flurry of visits to the LAC by members of the top military hierarchy, including Ladakh and Arunachal. Such forays amidst the ongoing border crisis, besides raising the morale of troops on the ground, enable review of preparedness. The latter assumes greater relevance as there is considerable apprehension about the possible Chinese […]
Re-imagining nat’l security in post-pandemic times
May is turning out to be a very ominous month indeed due to the recurring crisis, a “triple whammy” of sorts. In May 1999, we were jolted by Pakistan’s intrusions in Kargil. Last year, during the first wave of Covid, China unleashed a diabolic coercive strategy to grab territory in Ladakh, leading to confrontation, just […]
Indian role in Afghan peace process
Tokyo summer Olympics got off to somewhat hesitant start, under the looming shadow of obstinate pandemic. Media attention, however, is divided, focused on another round in the never-ending great game, unfolding in the killing fields of Afghanistan. It also brings back fading memories of Moscow Olympics of July 1980, ironically boycotted by United States of […]
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 […]
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 […]