Facing China in the face

Indian diplomacy vis a vis China has been one of caution combined with cooperation. Contrary to the popular observation that this has been the case post 1962, the fact is that we haven't glared at China since independence. The only reason behind this is a weariness to have unnecessary confrontations with a neighbour and a pyschological block with respect to the rapid military modernization of the Chinese.
The Chinese are aware of this and are taking a very good advantage of the same. Their foreign policy vis a vis India is to talk sweetly but give away nothing. At the same time it makes moves which are without doubt counterproductive to India's intrests in the region. The latest being the proposal of a railway line through the Karakoram pass in the Himalayas. And I have not even started on the nuclear deal with Pakistan.
So what does all this mean? one thing for sure: China does not want India to settle down as a stable country in the region. This would mean an increase in India's presence not just in S.Asia but also Eastern Asia. This is a typical carrot and stick mentality by China. Where on one side we have irrelevant border talks where they have no intrest in resolving any issue to building railway tracks right next to our border facing states.
So what can India do? To start with assert itself in terms of a regional power. The latest development by India has been placing of an attack corps on the border with China. This is probably for the first time that India is laying the ground for a quick response into enemy territory after the recent opening up of an airbase in Assam. More such units need to be established on the border to make the message to Beijing absolutely clear: We understand the games that you are playing and while we are completely receptive to any peaceful solution of the border issue, we will have our own detterents in place.
At the waters China seems to be on a mission to have it's influence in the Indian Ocean. As previously mentioned in this blog, submarines with warheads need to be purchased quickly to counter these moves by the Chinese navy. More maritime cooperation with E Asian countries, diplomatic lobbying could be a potential blocker to Chinese intrests in the Indian Ocean.
On the diplomatic front we continue to try and bring a peaceful solution to the border issue with sincere effort and some hard bargaining.
What we need to keep in mind is that China has no intention of letting India gain a stratergic hold on East and South East India. India could not and never should be involved in any direct military confrontations with China since it would not have favorable results economically and could spiral into a major crises. What India can do is to be proactive and thrawt any Chinese moves which are to our detriment by facing China in the eye and having our own counter moves ready.

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Bhopal Tragedy

The judgement by the court on the Bhopal Gas tragedy has sparked an uproar over pinning the accountability for Mr. Warren's getaway. So far this seems to be leading to a witch hunt.
Where many names have cropped up, not one single person has been asked to come clean on the 'escape' of Anderson. The media is having field days in trying to showcase the event as 'breaking news'. Photographs of little toddlers affected by the tragedy are being put up as themes by news channels and as a sign of protest by protestors.
But, why all this after 27 years?? Did we require a rocket scientist to conclude that Warren Anderson and his company are guilty of the mass leakage? Why was the matter not persued year after year in a proper manner? What would have happened if there was a similar case between now and then?
The point I am trying to make is why should we be in a reactive frame of mind instead of being in a proactive one. We tend to be in a state of 'active hibernate', waiting for that moment which will make us get out of our hibernating state. The press could have persued this matter since a long time. It has proven to be a very effective tool in the past to bring culprits to justice. Similarly, our Government should have not allowed such a grave matter to be forgotten by the culprits.
Overall, we should be looking at ways to plug holes where people like Anderson alongwith their companies are not allowed to be lax about maintaining basic compliance with our laws. The laws themselves should be contemporary and our leadership should be cognizant of the times we live in so that law making reflects all impact analysis scenarios that are possible in all fields.
That being said, our GOM has already taken the right steps in ensuring such hazards are not repeated. We can take heart in the fact that the law minister has promised such an event will never take place again.

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Regional Checkmate

The USA and EU have recently decided to withdraw from Afghanistan in a phased manner. Initially withdrawing from the safe and 'sterile' pockets of the country and then gradually from Afghanistan itself. This will ensure that the country will be self-governed in the near future.
The million dollar question is: Who will govern next?
Hamid Karzai and his governmet? Or the ISI backed Taliban? Or is it going to go all the way back to history with local warlords?
We could never know. So what can India do about this? India has very gradually and subtly established it's presence today where before it was proving to be a momentous task. It was a brilliant move on our part to pour in aid, build strategic highways and provide medical aid. All this we stand to lose if a rouge party comes to control the country. Notwithstanding the amount of investment we have poured in but also in a very strategical front. The strategical part can be easily understood by the recent attacks on our embassy, missions, kidnappings and a whole bunch of other activities that clearly suggests we are actually creating an impact against the anti-Indian lobby in the region.
Can we give in to this threat we are facing especially in the light of what could happen post withdrawal?
We should never.
This presence has been established after decades of struggling to find a footfall in the region. The future strategic potential that this country provides, especially as a passage to oil rich Middle East. Another advantage would be the Pakistan encirclement scenario where it would have to look both ways before misbehaving.
Anti-Indian groups will continue to try and destabilize our presence. This can be prevented by making our missions more encompassing and putting all our eggs in one basket. Since nowhere else can Indian forces be deployed, it would make things breathable for us and give a uniform security blanket for all Indian citizens there.


Next Post:  Setting a dynamic policy for the future in the region.

Divided India or Governable India

With the recent debate on the Telangana statehood gaining widespread coverage and inducing a lot of voices, it's fitting to visit the historical roots of the separate statehood problem.
In the 1950's the State Reorganization Committee (SRC) was formed to look into issues and frame general guidelines for the procedure to be followed when creating new states. The committee submitted it's report in 1955. The report established that the formation of states follow a linguistic pattern as a primary guiding force. Hence, the Indian Republic's states so far have been on a common denominator of language. However, in a special exception, the report made it's point clear that the merger of Hyderabad state and the Andhra region would not be conducive (although having the same language) owing to a lot of concerns of the Telangana people. The chief of those being, disproportionate taxation burden on the Telangana region post merger, creation of jobs for them since the Telanganas were less educated compared to the Andhra population, and the loss of control of the headwaters of Krishna and Godavari rivers.The then Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was against the merger on the same counts, terming the merger plans as "expansionist imperialism".

However, following what is called as the "Gentleman's agreement" the unification went ahead and the state of Andhra Pradesh now included the region of Telangana. Ever since, differences have cropped up between the two populations.
The situation has since then worsened with several Central Governments including a separate Telangana in their manifestos. The issue however was never given a higher priority by any Government which snowballed into widespread agitations and the consecutive decision by the Government in Dec 2009 to allow for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

With hindsight, the decision was long pending. However, the crux of the matter is: What constitutes the basis for a separate state?
There are many factors, the chief being the language. Indian culture has been termed as a "salad culture" when compared to the "melting pot culture" of the USA. Where one merges and becomes one with the place in the USA, we in India love to differentiate ourselves with each other and calling ourselves Indian. The Indian does not lose his distinct identity. This then is the primary reason for the SRC to draw state lines on the basis of language.
The second part is the economic sustainability of a state. The states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh occupied vast stretches of land. Governance was often the loser in those cases. Today, Bihar is showing promise once Jharkhand has been carved. Chattisgarh and Uttarkhand can now be micromanaged.

Does this indicate that creation of states are up for taking? Hardly. The Indian Constitution clearly defines the role of the Centre vis a vis States. India is a federal structure with a strong Centre. Not surprising seeing the history we had. Should creation of new states be entertained in the future with around five regions already asking for statehood?

The solution lies in appointing a new Commission which can take the present scenarios in context and frame fresh guidelines. The focus is slowly shifting to economics today, the revenue generated, the taxes collected and the value of the land in question. A new time should be accompanied by new thinking by our intellectuals.

India gets policing powers

India, with it's growing military power can be a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond, states a once in four years report in the U.S.
This comes at a time when the Americans alongwith China asked India and Pakistan to resolve their differences for a stable region. India can take comfort in the absence of any Chinese mention. There have been many instances of Chinese naval boats patrolling in what was traditionally India's forte. These aggressive Chinese movements are nothing but attempts to increase it's sphere of influence vis a vis India. The Indian Navy's successful missions off the Somalia coast, where India sent frigates to counter the piracy threat were soon followed by the Chinese sending in their own vessels. Reports also showed both the navies indulging in a cat and mouse game mid-sea trying to test each other's radar capabilities.
The only way to counter the Chinese naval threat is to fast-track the procurement of modern submarines especially nuclear-carriers. Currently, India is around 5-7 years lagging when it comes to submarine strength compared to China. With repeated Chinese naval vessels being spotted in the Indian Ocean, a buying spree will help us stockpile, inch closer to Chinese naval strength and act as a deterrent to the Chinese plans of expanding in what today is India's monopoly in the Indian Ocean.

Hikes in the offing

Companies are reviewing their hikes and salaries across the board in response to a strong growth.
Catch the story at : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/As-growth-story-picks-up-cos-look-at-pay-hikes/articleshow/5525912.cms

More to look forward to this year!!

AR Rahman bags 2 Grammys

Continuing on the high of the Oscars, AR Rahman bagged two Grammy awards - for best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture and the best motion picture song. Considering that another Indian, Ustad Amjad Ali was also in the race, this shows the coming of age of Indian music especially where it matters.
Undoubtedly Indian music boasts of some of the best artists in the world scenario but the Grammys were something which we thought would not be our cup of tea.
Congratulations to AR Rahman since if someone from India did deserve the highest international recognition in music, there can be no doubt about the choice. May he enthrall us all with more magic in the days to come.

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All the latest happenings and implications that it holds for India. Will regularly update the blog with associated links.