According to the TOI today, the army is back to her old tricks. This time it has once again raised the old, much debated and flogged issue of demanding helicopter and fixed wing assets from the Indian Air Force. (IAF) This is ostensibly because the IAF does not know enough about 'Close Air Support (CAS) and is not generous with allocation of sorties for this task. This is not borne out by facts. All I can say is that the army needs to learn a lesson from its history and stop raising such absurd demands.
This also makes it clear why the army is constantly asking for a CDS. It wants air power 'under command' and not 'in support'. The trouble is that air power is so much in demand that everyone wants it. With Air Superiority anything is possible; without it everything is at risk.
India is neither rich nor advanced (technologically) to be able to afford a separate air arm like the US Army or Marines.
Go back to the basics, you need a primer in air power employment
In any case what sort of conventional conflict is the army thinking of and against who?
Wednesday 14 September 2011
The Gall
Watched with interest Arnab Goswami interview Anna Hazare between 2030 and 2100 hrs last night. It was gratifying to see that the septuagenarian did not falter even once during the grilling at the hands of this seasoned anchor. Arnab did not spare a chance to trip the simple man. He was worse than the BBC's Hard Talk veteran Tim Sebastian in so far as his tone, tenor and language, bordering on the impudent, carefully adding "Ji" to Anna but smiling all the same when he thought he had asked a difficult question. Wonder if Arnab will ever treat a ruling party member or a minister with such tone that bordered on rudeness and I say this after having watched him question Mr Pranab Mukherji who is usually quite short tempered.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Sir, Please dont insult our intelligence
The government and its agencies continue to be completely clueless about the likely perpetrators of the Delhi High Court bomb blast. It is clear that terrorists are becoming more and more emboldened with every strike that goes unpunished or unsolved.
We are told the investigative agencies are working round the clock. If only those charged with preventing terror had worked round the clock, the attack would not have taken place in the first place. We need to send some police officers and ministers to the UK and the US to learn how both have managed to keep their respective countries terror free over some five/ten years.
Unless those in authority lose sleep over this problem, terrorism will not be stopped.
We are masters at closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted.
Strangely, all those waxing eloquent against the civil society during the recent JLPB agitation are strangely tongue tied. Not a whimper, no condemnation, no ideas, no advice, no sloganeering, no pledges!!! Sad Sad Sad no?
We are told the investigative agencies are working round the clock. If only those charged with preventing terror had worked round the clock, the attack would not have taken place in the first place. We need to send some police officers and ministers to the UK and the US to learn how both have managed to keep their respective countries terror free over some five/ten years.
Unless those in authority lose sleep over this problem, terrorism will not be stopped.
We are masters at closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted.
Strangely, all those waxing eloquent against the civil society during the recent JLPB agitation are strangely tongue tied. Not a whimper, no condemnation, no ideas, no advice, no sloganeering, no pledges!!! Sad Sad Sad no?
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Delhi Blast
Another bomb blast; this time outside the High Court. HUJI has allegedly taken responsibility and threatened more such blasts if a certain man convicted in the December, 13, 2001 Parliament Terror Attack is not released. Whatever the truth but one thing is clear: India cannot afford to inordinately delay important decisions nor can it make vague excuses of our Democratic and judicial system being responsible for the same.
While investigations and court trials take time our leadership must not delay their decisions hoping to derive some political or other benefit.
People will demand and get a bigger contingent of police outside the High Courts; tomorrow it will be District Courts. How many policemen can we spare?
As I have repeatedly said "terror must be stopped at the gates", and homegrown terror has to be fought on a daily basis and not when a blast takes place. Investigation and deterrent punishment are of course very important but prevention is far more so. if it means that more and more people/organizations/groups have to be brought under close surveillance then it cannot be avoided.
Unless the people in charge of security take their duties more seriously we cannot defeat terror.
Finally, if the government is squeamish about enforcing law, it might as well abolish death penalty and accept the consequences.
Today we a great big country with big aspirations are looking like 'pushovers', something the law minister said last week that we are not.
While investigations and court trials take time our leadership must not delay their decisions hoping to derive some political or other benefit.
People will demand and get a bigger contingent of police outside the High Courts; tomorrow it will be District Courts. How many policemen can we spare?
As I have repeatedly said "terror must be stopped at the gates", and homegrown terror has to be fought on a daily basis and not when a blast takes place. Investigation and deterrent punishment are of course very important but prevention is far more so. if it means that more and more people/organizations/groups have to be brought under close surveillance then it cannot be avoided.
Unless the people in charge of security take their duties more seriously we cannot defeat terror.
Finally, if the government is squeamish about enforcing law, it might as well abolish death penalty and accept the consequences.
Today we a great big country with big aspirations are looking like 'pushovers', something the law minister said last week that we are not.
Friday 2 September 2011
Not a Pushover
According to TOI of 01 Sep, 2011, Shri Salman Khurshid has said that the government might have lost some ground but would soon regain it. "We are not pushovers". Commendable if it means that the GOI has taken the Civil Society challenge seriously and will curb/eliminate corruption.
In many other areas including national security, GOI appears to be a 'pushover' as it invariably avoids retaliatory action. Does not even declare its intention to discipline the offender.
While I am not suggesting that India should resort to use of military force at the slightest provocation/threat, there is an urgent need to at least warn the habitual offenders.
In many other areas including national security, GOI appears to be a 'pushover' as it invariably avoids retaliatory action. Does not even declare its intention to discipline the offender.
While I am not suggesting that India should resort to use of military force at the slightest provocation/threat, there is an urgent need to at least warn the habitual offenders.
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