The Indian nation has a deep sense of history and a proud tradition of soldiering, yet today there is a distinct lack of strategic psyche. New Delhi is more adept at thinking economically and garnering votes. Matters defence are always under played and there is a culture of allowing the events to adrift thus following a wait and watch policy.
India follows a reactive policy as far as its geostrategic interests are concerned. As a nation post-independence New Delhi is always reacting, China in Tibet,
Pakistan gave away Aksai Chin, Pakistan’s invasion of “47, infiltrators in ’65, recent Kargil, and an ongoing violent insurgency for which there have been no clear cut directions; New Delhi, is never proactive. The net results are two, firstly the nation lost whatever strategic space there was to China, and with Pakistan it’s a history of blunders right from 1947 onwards. Secondly the security forces are always hampered as the geostrategic environment to ensure success except Bangladesh in ’71 is not created.
There is no use crying over spilled milk, the current situation in J&K, and internally the Maoist security related operations, all are bleeding the Indian state.The cream of the nation is bleeding and this will increase as those who are affected it seems, neither have the answers, or psyche to be affected by the harsh reality. The cowardly acts will always be regretted by the spokesperson, but that is where matters rest.
How long will the forces fight with one hand tied to their backs? To cap it all, with due respects to its diligence and sense of fairplay, at times the Supreme Court ends up protecting those fellow citizens who do not believe in its jurisdiction, than whose rights are the security forces protecting.
Indian history is replete with examples of many great warriors. It was the British who ensured that they portray themselves as warriors because a handful of them ruled a couple of crores of Indians. They made up for their lack in numbers by clever means of portraying themselves as superior. The policy of divide and rule and the concept of martial race divided the people. A close examination reveals a simple truth, most of the so called martial races, were the ones who stayed loyal to the British during the first war of Independence (1857).
The Gita, India’s holiest book was spoken and conceptualized on the battlefield and ensured that the soldier in Arjun remained steadfast.Yet the Gita today is not the soldiers’ textbook but a way of life. Similarly the great Chanakya born in 4th century BC also called Kautilya, has written 6000 sutras into 15 books, 150 chapters and 180 topics all by himself and was responsible for bringing down the Nanda dynasty and ensuring Chandragupta Maurya became the emperor.
He was the world’s most renowned strategic thinker, yet Indians quote Confucius, and in modern era,quoting the Americans in low intensity operation which Indian Army has been fighting since 1957,is considered the "in thing". As a nation we have lost our great past and with that the manner of thinking strategically, rather than build from where the nation lost, India today thinks economics first and other issues later. The political class of India and those in policy making decisions are schooled in a thought process of what is good for the elections and not what is the geo strategic reality.
The strategic environment of India today remains alarming.The nation from a single front war with the near similar forces levels barring aside raising an incomplete Mountain Strike Corps faces a two and half front hybrid front threat. During Second World War, Germany with a force four times the size protecting a small piece of land lost the war. India today spends 1.6% of GDP on defence, this is when India has unresolved border disputes.
China and Pakistan have achieved force synergy and the current threat to J&K is orchestrated by both of them. The Chinese have successfully conducted a joint military exercise with Nepal; this simple fact is loaded with strategic possibilities. The Indian Ocean littoral stands threatened and the Navy is short of all types of ships and equipment.
The stock of the PM of India is riding high and the youth of India by and large find him iconic. As per current rate, the stock is going to go higher, because the youth of India, and a large number of us find in him, dedicated, dependable, honest, and purposeful leadership, in a corruption free, business and purposeful manner. If that be so, why do the youth of J&K, pelt stones at security forces, and one learnt firsthand shockingly in a seminar on Nepal, that the youth of Nepal, too hate India, which has deep religious and cultural ties with India.
Why is the PM drawing such strong reactions in diametrically opposite directions, in areas of strategic concerns? Why is his leadership inclusive to some and exclusive to others, because the others are in the geostrategic domain?
The current drift cannot be allowed to continue because each and every time a security force person is ill-treated and the video goes viral a lot of Indian youth are demotivated. "Gosh is this what I intend to sign up for," is what the youth of India are wondering? Where is the junior leadership why do only Army Officers achieve martyrdom?
Should we as parents send our children to such areas, that the Indian policy maker has forgotten? The drift comes about from poor governance and needs to be checked. There is an external problem Pakistan and an internal issue Kashmir, it needs two different answers. As far as Maoists are concerned, it needs development and first class leadership from the front, not air conditioned cabins. Currently the Modi government is riding high but geo-strategically, India is at its lowest, a course correction is needed and the correct leadership is in place, and so is the environment.
(The author is retired soldier and belongs to a family in Dehradun which has served the Indian Army for six generations.)