Category Archives: Great Power imperatives

India’s first line of defence

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

Nations establish moral ascendency over other nations only by victory in war. Shrugging off the possibility of American nuclear attack, China crossed the Yalu River in October 1950 and almost brought the United States led-forces in Korea to their knees, … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East | 1 Comment

No buckling down to China

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

Many years ago, an Indian flotilla out in the Gulf led by Rear Admiral Madanjit Singh (later Vice Admiral and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command) was asked by an United States naval ship to identify itself and to its … Continue reading →

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

Can India say “Don’t Mess with us”?

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The significant thing about the successful effort to locate and kill Osama bin Laden, the global symbol of Islamic extremism and head of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, is its doggedness. Stretching out over three Administrations and some ten years, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, Indian Politics, Internal Security | Leave a comment

Rethinking Pakistan

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

“Cricket diplomacy” and the meeting of the Indian and Pakistan Home Secretaries are important because these were approved through the back channel maintained by Delhi with the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani – the hub of power … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Army, Indian Politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear Independence

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

At bottom, the unrest in Jaitapur is not about the prospective Areva nuclear park and its perils but rather about angry locals feeling cheated and is akin to the agitations in Singur, Nandigram, and several other locations identified for big … Continue reading →

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

Lurking Opportunity

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The one thing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, instinctively, gets right every time is what next to do with Pakistan.  The execution of Osama bin Laden, the iconic al-Qaeda leader, has put General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his Corps Commanders strung … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Politics | Leave a comment

Weak PM, Limp Policy

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

Dr. Manmohan Singh, by his own reckoning, is “an accidental prime minister”. That he has no leadership credentials worth talking about, is not a surprise. Install a career economic bureaucrat — he has been successively adviser to the commerce minister, … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, Indian Army, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Military Acquisitions | Leave a comment

A Flying Lemon

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The anger and angst in Washington policy circles when the US fighter planes — the Lockheed Martin F-16IN and the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet — did not make it to the Indian Air Force’s Medium-range Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) shortlist … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Relations with Russia, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment

‘First Mover’ Disadvantage

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

                              India has an unbeatable record. There is no arms control bandwagon it has not jumped on to with reckless alacrity. Indian political leaders and  diplomats are no lotus eaters or yokels easily conned into disarming the nation even as powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Nuclear Policy & Strategy | 1 Comment

Message from Modi

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

Finally, there is a political leader of stature, with significant achievements to his credit, daring to think big for the nation. Having proved himself a remarkably adept administrator and a hard driver and shaper-upper of the ordinarily lax, lethargic, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, Indian Politics | Leave a comment