IDR Blog
Operation Bluestar: The British connection
There seems to be an avoidable controversy over the British connection in the unfortunate Operation Bluestar in June 1984 that saw the Indian Army entering the sacred Golden Temple to flush out the Sikh militants. Some declassified British documents revealed on January 13 by Britain’s National Archives suggested that the then government led...
Who is India’s real ally?
During a heated debate in parliament before the 1962 Sino-Indian war, Prime Minister Nehru declared that he favored peace over war with China, making it clear that he was willing to negotiate with the Communist nation till the bitter end to resolve border disputes. Shortly thereafter, India’s pacifist founding leader got the shock of his...
Calling a spade a spade in dealing with China
A friend recently asked me: “In your opinion, how should the new government deal with China?” I answered that first of all, I do not know who will be the next Prime Minister and then, perhaps more importantly, who will the PM’s choice to look after Defence and External Affairs. …whoever ‘deals’ with China will have to be frank and...
India-Pakistan: Distancing the spark from the nuclear tinderbox
In a speech for the Subbu Forum Society for Policy Studies at the India International Center last April, Ambassador Shyam Saran, currently chair of India’s National Security Advisory Board, reiterated India’s nuclear doctrine stating: “…India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but that if it is attacked with such weapons, it...
Another partition?
The other day I was stunned to hear from a close confidant of former Bihar Chief Minister and union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav that unless somebody like Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, India would witness another partition sooner rather than later. Given the reactions of a section of Muslims and Muslim leadership in...