IDR Blog
India's Military Modernisation: Trapped in a Fiscal Strait Jacket
The nation budget was presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 1, 2017 and the allocation for defence offers some instructive insights about how India plans to nurture its military – that is the three armed forces: the army, navy and air force. The total allocation for the financial year (FY) 2017-18 is a reasonable Rs 3,59,854...
Non-Violence and Gandhian thought in Indian Strategic Thinking
30th January has been an important day in Indian history since last 70 years as Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated this very day in 1948. One can debate about the contemporary relevance of this day, but no one can deny that Gandhi epitomizes ‘peace and ‘non-violence’ around the globe till this day. Both these concepts are deep rooted in the...
A Matter of Honour
Major AVD Pillay was a soldier’s soldier. His father had served in the army. And he expected his son, Divakaran, to be no less. His family had a cherished tradition of bearing arms, now for the Indian Army, and in centuries past, for the kingdom of Kerala. His family had shed blood for the motherland. The Pillays were Nairs, a fighting clan,...
A Message to Pakistan
An eternal civilization was split as a parting colonial gift; The rupture continues to bleed from ever growing rift, Rivers of blood burst artificial borders in the torrential flow, It was the weapon of religion that dealt the fatal blow. . Hallucinating as descendants of conquerors demanded the’ land of pure’, Till today their...
Military Must Vote in Coming Elections but Do Service Chiefs Have it in Them?
If the serving soldiers do not vote in the forthcoming state elections, not only will it be a great pity but this would compound such earlier follies. Ensuring every serving soldier votes is part of the command responsibility of the commanders up the chain, right up to the Service Chiefs. Not letting the soldiers vote amounts to denying them...