Category Archives: domestic politics

Arundhati G, RIP

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

India was lucky to have Ambassador Arundhati Ghose, as the Indian Representative at the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD), Geneva, in 1995-96 negotiating the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Her diligence in keeping abreast of the often secret meetings and machinations … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, disarmament, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, nonproliferation, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, Weapons | 23 Comments

Wish IAF had PAF’s innovative, cost-benefit, mindset

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

There’s a report about the Pakistan Air Force acquiring a squadron of Mirage 2000-5s from Qatar. (See http://www.tacticalreport.com/view_news/Qatar:-Talks-with-Pakistan-over-Mirage-2000-5s/5055) But for the interventions by ACM S Tyagi (Retd) — yea, the same IAF chief since fingered in the Agusta-Westland scam, sixty … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Australia, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian ecobomic situation, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 61 Comments

Rid India of salafi-wahabbism — do it before it is too late

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Can one think of India without Muslims and Islam? Honestly, no. A sentiment reflected in Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in the Parliamentary debate on developments in Kashmir today that Indian Islam is peaceful. It is if one conflates sufi … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Bangladesh, Culture, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Pakistan, SAARC, society, South Asia, Terrorism, United States, US., West Asia | 34 Comments

F-16 or F-18 — making an end-run to nowhere

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

This is passing strange, but why did the Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson meet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley July 8 and why did she come away sounding optimistic? Because all important decisions by the BJP govt are taken by Modi … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Culture, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian ecobomic situation, Military Acquisitions, russian military, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, Western militaries | 41 Comments

Get on with testing A-5 and the on-shelf MIRV tech: No lame excuses please!

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Yesterday I was asked by the New Indian Express for my reaction to DRDO Chief Dr S Christopher’s reasons for the repeated postponement of the Agni-5 launch originally slated for 2015 Fall as not political but technical, specifically a “snag” … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Technology transfer, United States, Weapons | 13 Comments

Diplomatic mishap at NSG Seoul

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

It was an astounding misread of the international political situation for the BJP government to believe that just having Prime Minister Narendra Modi do rounds of his now trademark personalized diplomacy would get India a ticket into the Nuclear Suppliers … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, Culture, disarmament, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan nuclear forces, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 36 Comments

Washington — Heritage Foundation panel on ‘India’s Asia-Pacific outreach and relations with China’

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

In the lead-up to the Modi visit, there was a panel discussion in Washington, DC, at the Heritage Foundation May 25, 2016 on “India’s Asia-Pacific Outreach and relations with China” involving Lisa Curtis of the Heritage, Jeff Smith of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, Defence Industry, domestic politics, 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 democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 2 Comments

Jiang Zemin for the gallows & Xi as supremo — what does it portend?

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

In August last year, there were newspaper reports that the former President and Chinese Communist Party party boss in 1989-2002, Jiang Zemin, and his two sons were “placed under control,” meaning a sort of house arrest, with restrictions on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Latin America, society, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Vietnam | 6 Comments

How important is it for India to be part of NSG? — Rajya Sabha TV discussion

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

There was an interesting discussion on the Rajya Sabha TV panel discussion show — ‘The Big Picture’ on the subject of ‘How important is it for India to be part of NSG?’ aired on Saturday, June 10, 2016, involving G. … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Culture, disarmament, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, nonproliferation, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan nuclear forces, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | Leave a comment

Comparing and Rating Modi’s address to the US Congress

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Resisted the impulse to react to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the joint Houses of the US Congress June 8, until now. It must be said though that it was a mostly dull speech full of banalities and stock … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Culture, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian democracy, Indian Politics, Israel, Pakistan, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US. | 11 Comments