Category Archives: Internal Security

Targeted execution of Dawood Ibrahim?

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of the BJP surely startled many viewers in an ABP TV Hindi discussion show “Live Debate” starting at 1800 hours today (Aug 29). In response to a remonstrance by a Pakistani, some Pirzada, that Dawood was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, guerilla warfare, India's Pakistan Policy, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Pakistan, Pakistan military, South Asia, Terrorism | 7 Comments

More nuclear claptrap from another ex-diplomat

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

I suspect that whenever former civil service types, ex-diplomats, and growingly even retired militarymen feel the inner tug to be in the public eye, they pronounce on things manifestly beyond their ken and areas of expertise, revealing their quite appalling … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, disarmament, Europe, Geopolitics, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Japan, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | 12 Comments

‘Why Congress keeps winning and may do so again’ — brilliant analysis

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

In the 50 odd years the Congress Party has ruled India, it has been elected to power invariably by around 25 percent of the popular vote — meaning, it has never enjoyed majority support, not for itself nor for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Indian Politics, Internal Security, South Asia, Terrorism | 3 Comments

Unforgiving take on past

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

(Review of Lt Gen V.K. Nayar’s book, ‘From Fatigues to Civvies: Memoirs of a Paratrooper’, Manohar, 2013; Rs 1395/-) Lieutenant general V K “Tubby” Nayar (Retd) is among a rare breed of military officers. Despite being outspoken with his seniors … Continue reading →

Posted in civil-military relations, guerilla warfare, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian para-military forces, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Pakistan, Pakistan military, South Asia, South East Asia, Special Forces, Terrorism | Leave a comment

French frankness and Defence hard-sell

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian at a talk in IDSA straightforwardly presented some of the points in the ‘Defence and National Security White Paper 2013’ (the last such document was issued in 2008). He emphasized the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Defence Industry, DRDO, Europe, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, South Asia, Special Forces, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Western militaries | Leave a comment

India – America’s 52nd State?

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The pull on Indian legislators of “planet America” (in Christopoher Hitchens’ words) is so strong that some 65 Members of Parliament — 40 of them from the Rajya Sabha, have allowed themselves to be sucked into that planet’s orbit and … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Indian Politics, Internal Security, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | Leave a comment

BJP Rajnath’s wrong steps

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh has taken a few missteps. The first one was his unthinkingly parroting the line that education in the English language medium is a measure of retrogression when, whether any body likes it or not, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Indian Politics, Internal Security, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | 3 Comments

Unprepared for anything

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

There are three unalterable constants when natural and man-made disasters strike in India – there is almost always a prior alert or intelligence report that is ignored, local administration and police and government generally at all levels (local, state, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian para-military forces, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism | 1 Comment

America’s trump card in the subcontinent

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The Four-man “Abottabad Commission” to inquire into reasons why the US Special Forces could hunt down Osama bin Laden, swoop down all the way from Jalalabad on his safe-house just outside the gates of the Pakistan Military Academy, kill him, … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Pakistan, Pakistan military, South Asia, Special Forces, United States, US., Western militaries | Leave a comment

Muddle of succession politics

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Contextualizing L.K. Advani’s truculence and sulk-sodden antics that have prevented a smooth transfer of power to a new generation of leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party is the perennial problem afflicting all politics in the subcontinent – the absence of … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, Internal Security | 4 Comments