Monthly Archives: December 2011

Passive-Defeatist Attitude, true on the cricket field as in foreign & military policy sphere

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The sad and humilating spectacle of Dhoni and his team of losers being bent and beaten by a near new, relatively inexperienced, Australian cricket team  in Melbourne was par for the course. Our “heroes” complemented the Aussies’ “take no prisoner” attitude, … Continue reading →

Posted in India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment

Padma Awards Farce

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The late P.K. Iyengar, former chairman of the atomic energy commission, head of the theoretical group at BARC and father of the implosion-triggered fission device tested in May 1974 — incidentally, still the only proven weapon in the country’s nuclear … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian Politics | 4 Comments

A few fatal flaws

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

When does a flawed system of government become a threat to the security of the state and the wellbeing of the people? This is a question that must now concern all citizens witnessing the country’s dangerous decline in certain salient … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian Politics, Internal Security | 1 Comment

Playing hardball with China

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once again pooh-poohed the threat from China, this time on Dec 14 in Parliament which undercuts the raison détre  for the India-Japan-United States strategic discussion. Originally planned for mid-October, it was postponed at the eleventh hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment

A Big Deal

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The eventually twenty-two billion dollar (not ten billion dollar, as has been reported) deal for the Medium-range Multi-Role Combat Aircraft could become a Bofors-like political liability for the ruling Congress Party, if it fails to get it right. Inordinate amounts … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence Industry, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Military Acquisitions, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Strategic Relations with the US & West | 4 Comments

Japanese slow-burn on China, even the US

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

In a small group interaction at the USI this afternoon with a Japanese team led by retired Lieutenant General Noboru Yamaguchi, former head of Training and Doctrine-development Command of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces, and presently Director, Center for National Security & Crisis … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment

Faint Hearts and Pre-emptive Kowtow

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

For a brief moment it seemed the Indian Government had sprouted a spine, shown strategic imagination, when it became known that the Ministry of External Affairs had cancelled the forthcoming border talks with China. One had hoped that this was … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment

GOI’s noodle spine

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

At the recent USI National Security Seminar, Nov 17-18, on ‘Peace & Stability in Asia-Pacific Region: Assessment of the Security Architecture’, retired Taiwanese Major General Liu Kuang-Chung informed me that a visit to Delhi scheduled for end-October by Dong Kuo-Yu, Adviser to Taiwan … Continue reading →

Posted in India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy | 1 Comment