Why Kashmir Needs Investment in Political Capital

India needs to clearly outline its endgame in Kashmir beyond petty politicking within the ambit of a grand strategy, harmonising Kashmir politics and governance with a firm control on the terror emanating out of Pakistan.

Kashmir 2011: The Turning Point

Editor’s Note: Kashmir has reached a turning point because of the dint of hard work by leaders and people operating to make Kashmir safe. Personalities are important but secondary to the doctrines and people friendly strategies they have implemented. These strategies need to be evolved further by all stakeholders to make Kashmir what it is [...]

Pakistan’s Army: Divided it Stands

Why is the (Pakistan) Army getting weaker? The problem is not the lack of materiel – guns, bombs, men, and money. These have relatively easy fixes. Instead it is the military’s diminished moral power and authority, absence of charismatic leadership, and visibly evident accumulation of property and wealth. More than anything else, the Army has sought to please both the Americans as well as their enemies

Beyond Memogate: Possible Coronation

The context and contents of memogate have defied logic in an environment where the military is firmly in control of the facade put up by the civil government in Pakistan. The scandal has rocked the world of Pakistani politics, exposing widening rifts between civilian and military leaders and highlighting the tense nature of the country’s relationship to the US, which is viewed by many with deep resentment.

AFSPA – The Larger Picture

Pakistan, therefore, is using the current period to consolidate by silently building constituency for a popular support base. Currently it finds violence counter productive to its overall aim as it would suck away its Afghan resources and make it fight two proxy wars to its east and west.

SAARC 2011- Optimism or Pragmatic Realism

To ensure a favourable neighbourhood, India needs to take proactive initiatives that combine good economics and astute diplomacy. A shortsighted approach vacillating between appeasement and coercion has not yielded the desired results. In the prevailing environment, smaller neighbours are not averse to India playing a lead role as long as their interests are well served.

Afghanistan: Fight, Talk, Build

For the strategy to work US may have to “Fight” in Afghanistan (not Pakistan), “Talk” to Kayani above all others and “Build” Pakistan more than Afghanistan. Then probably the Istanbul and Bonn summits might have some meaning.

OBL – The Original Photo

Here it is

Will the Military Save Egypt?

So, in the final analysis it may well be assumed that Egypt may be forced to adopt the Pakistan model in the short term with tacit US approval. There may be another revolution later to take the battle the Iranian way.

Kashmir – A Way Ahead

All seems to be quiet in Kashmir for the time being and there are political voices emanating from the Home Ministry that a political solution to the imboglio in Kashmir is in sight. The separatists deny any such initiative. It is in these relatively quieter times that India needs to once again revisit the earlier [...]

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