Category Archives: Culture

Why the Rafale deal, as predicted, has blown up in Modi’s face

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[For reasons unknown, an overjoyed Modi with Hollande at the Elysee Palace in Paris] Rajiv Gandhi “paid the political price…with regard to the Bofors gun. Modi will have to carry the can for this Rafale transaction—a boondoggle in the making … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Australia, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Indian Air Force, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, SAARC, society, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Weapons | 10 Comments

A flurry of messy justifications

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Defence Minister Sitharaman in a meeting with CAS, ACM BS Dhanoa, and his principal staff officers at Air HQ] What qualities, other than her readiness to take direction from the PMO, commended  Nirmala Sitharaman to Narendra Modi are not known. But … Continue reading →

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India’s Modi gunning for Pakistan but subservient to China, the US — Ál-Arabiya review of ‘Staggering Forward’

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[From right to left — Shivshankar Menon, Admiral Arun Prakash, Yashwant Sinha, Jairam Ramesh, Ajai Shukla (moderator) and Karnad, at the book launch] By S. N. M. Abdi, Special to Al Arabiya English, Monday, 17 September 2018 A new book by Bharat … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian democracy, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | 2 Comments

Is India still sovereign?

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

  [US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Defence Secretary James Mattis on the PM’s two flanks] A nation can lose its sovereignty, defined as the ability independently to make decisions in its own interest, in a rush or … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 28 Comments

Video of ‘Staggering’ launch

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

The two separate (or two-part) videos of the panel discussion at the launch on Thursday, Aug 30 at the India International Centre, of my newest book, ‘Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition’, published by Penguin, followed by a … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, disarmament, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Iran and West Asia, Japan, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 6 Comments

Why Not Show Pakistan The Same Consideration Shown To China?

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

The strikingly silly hoo-ha on Indian television over the non-event of the quip-a-second cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu – a rank made-for-television entertainer and Punjab government minister, embracing the Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the swearing-in ceremony of … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Bhutan, China, China military, Culture, Decision-making, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, SAARC, society, South Asia, Tibet | 13 Comments

Livestreaming the launch event today (Aug 30) of ‘Staggering Forward’

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

The launch of my book ‘Staggering Forward’, published by Penguin, will be  livestreamed from seminar rooms # 1, 2, & 3, 1st floor, the new multipurpose Hall, India International Centre, New Delhi, 6:30 PM – 8 PM, Thursday, today (August … Continue reading →

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What’s with Modi on Maldives?

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Yameen in Beijing with Xi] Has the Prime Minister lost it? Lost all sense about what works to keep the neighbourhood out of China’s grasp? Lost his marbles over the need to administer Abdulla Yameen, the calculating autocrat in Male, … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Missiles, SAARC, South Asia, South East Asia, United States, US., Weapons | 13 Comments

‘Staggering Forward’– an invite!

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

This is an invitation to all the esteemed readers of the ‘Security Wise’ blog to join in the event to launch my latest book – ‘Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition’ published by Penguin, scheduled for Thursday, August … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice | 18 Comments

Vajpayee — Nehruvian in domestic politics, yes, but also strategically foolish

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[The Dalai Lama and Vajpayee, PM) Amidst the paens of praise and hossanas being sung to honour the memory of the recently departed former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it may be churlish to bring up the wrong things done … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, disarmament, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian democracy, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Russia, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Tibet, UN, United States, US. | 19 Comments