The Chinese volunteering to broker peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan as also its standoff with India and Bhutan in the Doklam plateau is the latest in its attempts to change geo strategic equations in South Asia, an area which India considers to be under its influence. It had earlier attempted to woo Nepal by offering to supply oil, build roads […]
A report in the Indian Express on Monday stated that firing across the LoC has escalated since the launch of surgical strikes. The report went on to state that the present policy of ‘massive retaliation’ for cross border firing, set in place in 2014, with the coming in of the present government, is failing to deter the Pak army. It […]
A year ago, on July 8th the army eliminated Burhan Wani, the local commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), an important militant face, in an encounter. His poster boy approach and vast use of social media had made him a household name across the valley. He was a known face of HuM though had rarely participated in operations, however was more […]
Recent times have witnessed increased standoffs along the Indo-Sino border with claims and counter claims. The latest incident in early June, when troops of both countries jostled physically near the tri-junction, where the borders of Bhutan, India and China meet, followed by destruction of two Indian adhoc bunkers and China simultaneously blocked the move of pilgrims to Mansarovar, has enhanced […]
I first saw Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw at the Navy Ball in Mumbai in Dec 1972, when I was still in school and had accompanied my parents there. He was already a legend for his leadership role in the 1971 war. He walked around with a slight hunch, the result of his bullet wounds of the second world war, personally […]
I had written in this column some time ago on the new strategy being implemented by the government for Kashmir. This strategy had a few basic elements. They included hard response to Pakistan along the LoC for attempted transgressions, multiple layered deployment for thwarting infiltration attempts, increased operations against terrorists operating in the valley, additional powers to police forces to […]
Recent press reports indicate that the US is preparing a new strategy for dealing with Afghanistan which would shortly be presented to President Trump. Inputs indicate a changed perception towards Pak including reduction of financial aid, more drone strikes and removing Pak from the status of non-NATO ally, an action already initiated in the senate, in addition to a surge […]
Newspapers and online news portals are packed with articles condemning the army and its chief for its recent actions in Kashmir. The common Indian may disagree with the criticism, as an unofficial online poll on the Gogoi incident proved, yet there seems to be no end to army bashing. The chief’s unstinted support of the officer resulted in him being […]
PM Modi is scheduled to meet President Trump over the weekend. The proximity which Modi had with Obama appears missing, hence expectations from this visit are low. However, for the US, India would be a key player as the US heads into a security isolation, solely due to Trump’s own policy of ‘America First’. Since his ascendency as the President […]
The last few days have witnessed a spurt of incidents in the valley. Increased attempts at infiltration have resulted in over fourteen militants killed. Junaid Matoo, a known militant with an immense bounty on his head was gunned down in an encounter. There was also a brutal ambush in which militants killed six policemen. An off-duty policeman, Shabir Ahmad Dar, […]