The Free Press Journal | Realpolitik Will Define Indo-US Ties, Not Pannun

The US Department of Justice’s week-old indictment of Indian national Nikhil Gupta in the alleged attempt to kill New York-based Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun cannot be a barometer to measure New Delhi’s deep strategic ties with Washington, something both countries have worked on intensely for the last two decades. The Americans have not only been discreet in their investigation, they have been judicious in their approach by doing everything by the book in their detention and deportation of Gupta, an alleged drug trafficker and weapons dealer who is accused of trying to kill Pannun, an American-Canadian citizen. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Nijjar-Pannun saga is just a temptation to project a strong state. Arthashastra has answers

India’s alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and in the plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US against the so-called ‘Khalistani’ threat throws open a question that Chanakya’s Arthashastra offers an answer to. Morality and legitimacy in the utilisation of violence in statecraft are often in mutual conflict. According to the Arthashastra, if morality is seen as pursuing a ‘just cause’ that would eventually lead to a more prosperous and secure state, then it is the guiding light for the use of violence and other coercive means. There is, however, a difference between the means employed to address internal and external enemies. For the external enemy, Bheda (logic or trickery) and Danda (force) can be employed, but for your own people (especially those in the core of the kingdom), all means except force can be used. In the former, the use of force is seen as moral. However, Matsya Nyaya (law of the jungle) in the internal realm can also be curbed through force. These principles provide the guidelines for the legitimate use of violence. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | India-Pakistan can become Israel-Hamas. Lesson is not to fight terrorism by force alone

The Hamas-Israel war has entered its fifth week and deaths of innocent civilians remain the hub of its politico-strategic landscape. The cycle of violence initiated by Hamas on 7 October resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of over 200 hostages including children. This invited the Israeli invasion of northern Gaza, which continues to progressively enlarge the boundaries of humanitarian tragedy in Palestine. This article aims to explore the action-reaction cycle in the framework of ‘just war’ tradition, which categorises the moral criteria guiding two types of judgements under the captions of jus ad bellum (right to war) and jus in bello (right in war). It also touches upon the relevance of the issue in the context of India’s approach to Pakistan’s use of terrorism as a foreign policy tool. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Military is being politicised by selfie points, social work. But don’t dismiss Project Udbhav

For the first time in our history, an Indian Military Heritage Festival was held in New Delhi on 21 and 22 October 2023. It was organised under the auspices of India’s oldest Inter-Service organisation, the United Service Institution. It was supported by the Army Training Command. The festival was showcased as a flagship event to highlight India’s military heritage and traditions. Unsurprisingly, it has been perceived differently by members of the strategic community. The main point of the detractors is that such projects are part of several initiatives aimed to politicise the armed forces. Read the full article here.

Mint | The world cannot escape repercussions of the ongoing war in West Asia

The externalities of Hamas’s perverse terrorism and Israel’s massive military retaliation will haunt the whole world for at least another generation. The conflict is still in progress, but its course over the past month has already given us three terrible assessments. First, Hamas demonstrated that terrorism can succeed in advancing political objectives. In this, it has reversed the post-9/11 strategic consensus that terrorism is not only ineffective as a political strategy but can delegitimize the political cause it seeks to advance. The world had forgotten the Palestinian cause. A month ago, Israel was close to a rapprochement with Arab powers, while Western powers were focused on Russia, China and Iran, and Palestine was off the global agenda. Even before Hamas invaders were beaten back, the ‘two-state solution’—meaning the creation of a viable Palestinian state—was back in circulation. Read the full article here.

Deccan Herald | Unambiguous on terror, principled on Palestine

Within hours of the Hamas terror attack on Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.” This was even as Israel itself was coming to terms with the attack, and before it began its retaliation. However, this statement was construed as a shift in India’s policy towards Israel and Palestine. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | India joined the information warfare on Gaza. Now it must prepare for tougher times

Information has the power to create, shift, or sustain already held  beliefs. Beliefs, in turn, influence and determine individual and collective behaviours and are often shaped by the narratives at play. In the ongoing Hamas-Israel war, the battle of narratives could play a crucial role in determining the course of events, including the cessation or continuation of hostilities. Hamas, the initial instigator in this round of conflict, has ravaged Israel by killing, wounding, taking hostages, and destroying property. Its methods involved breaching the border fence and launching attacks, primarily against civilians and some military targets, often accompanied by rocket fire aimed at cities and towns, including capital Tel Aviv. In response, Israel hit back primarily with air power, triggering a major humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Read the full article here.

ORF Expert Speak | The Kautilyan legacy of spycraft and the India-Canada diplomatic row

From a magically successful G20 Summit exemplifying trust management, consensus building, and diplomatic sophistication to being alleged of its agents’ involvement in the killing of a Khalistani separatist in Canada, New Delhi continues to draw the world’s attention. Though the allegations are still unsubstantiated and appear “absurd and motivated,” it is pertinent to throw light on the ancient practice of intelligence and espionage in India. If G20 was shepherded around the age-old concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, where might the legacy of India’s spycraft lie? Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Canada blinded by its absolutist human rights values. Sikh hardliners will bite it back

Canada has alleged the involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on 18 June 2023. On an ideological level, Canada likes to project that its liberal values with human rights as its lynchpin have shaped its policies and actions in dealing with Khalistanis after Operation Bluestar in 1984. In reality, what Canadians should be worried about, in the future, is that the Khalistan issue could find realisation in their own country if Canada does not change its policies based on ideological underpinnings that are blinded by absolutist human rights values. Read the full article here.

Mint | Covert action is a troublesome but often useful tool of statecraft

There is not enough information in the public domain to assess the Canadian government’s allegation that Indian officials were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but we should not be too impressed by media commentary along the lines of “India wants to be like Israel but is ending up like Russia" or that “democracies don’t engage in targeted killings." Covert action—including targeted killings—is an instrument of statecraft that exists in the toolkit of all sovereign states, including democracies. Opening his history of Israeli targeted killing operations, Ronen Bergman, an Israeli journalist, states that since World War II, the country has assassinated more people than any other in the Western world, killing more than 1,000 people by the turn of the century and carrying out another 800 operations in the years since. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Delhi Declaration first step to global no-first-use treaty. India should take the lead

The text of the G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration certainly adds a feather to India’s political and diplomatic cap. The declaration states that “the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible”. If this is their commitment then they should agree to a global no-first-use policy. Steered by the MEA, the Declaration mentioned nuclear weapons in the section about the ongoing Ukraine War. It stated – “While recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly (A/RES/ES-11/1 and A/RES/ES-11/6) and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible”. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | At LAC, China is not settling ‘disputed’ borders. It’s containing India

Interconnectedness of events and diplomatic exchanges often provide clues to the state of power play that shapes relations between countries. Two recent events in the landscape of India-China relations seem to indicate that the outlook may not be encouraging. The first was the 19th round of military commander-level talks held on 13 and 14 August. Second — the 15th BRICS meeting at Johannesburg on 22 and 23 August. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Why Assam Rifles’ vilification is a calculated, conniving move for revenge

The Assam Rifles is a central paramilitary force responsible for border guarding and internal security in Northeast India. Also utilised as a combat force in times of conflict, it has been administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1965 but is under the operational control of the Indian Army since the 1962 India-China war. The Assam Rifles’ rank and file is recruited by the MHA, but it is led by Army officers on deputation. India’s oldest paramilitary force, it was originally raised in 1835 as Cachar Levy, has had several designations and got its present name in 1917. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | CDS to DMA, Modi govt raised Indian military’s hope for a theatre command. It’s been 4 yrs

It was on 15 August 2019 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would have a Chief of Defence Staff. On 30 December, General Bipin Rawat was appointed the first CDS and the Department of Military Affairs was created in the Ministry of Defence. Among other issues, the DMA was mandated to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands. The CDS was mandated to bring about jointness in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc of the three Services, within three years of assuming office. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Why is Indian Army keeping the martial race theory alive? The British left 76 years ago

Even after 75 years of Independence, India still subscribes to the martial race theory in the manning of some of its combat and combat support segments of the Army. Nepal’s repeated blocking of recruitment of Gorkhas under the Agnipath scheme could have been used by India to dissociate itself from this British belief of separating races based on their physical and behavioural characteristics as well as climatic conditions. But India continues to see substance in the theory birthed by the First War of Independence in 1857. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | At defence PSUs, bring new appraisal system. Job security doesn’t help national security

Some of the recently corporatised Defence Public Sector Undertakings such as the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will be put to test by deals, including the production of the GE F414 jet engine. HAL’s record of productivity and quality assurance is far from encouraging and is perhaps illustrated in an interaction, a friend once told me, between the head of a foreign aircraft manufacturing company and the Chairman of the HAL. The foreigner was first given an impressive presentation of HAL at its Headquarters in Bengaluru and thereafter taken on a tour of the PSU’s extensive infrastructure facilities situated all over India. On returning to Bengaluru, he was asked by the chairman – ‘What are your impressions’? The foreign head replied – ‘Your infrastructure is extremely impressive; in comparison to yours, ours looks like poorly organised workshops. But why don’t you make aircraft?’ Read the full article here.

The Hindu | Will signing Artemis Accords benefit India?

The story so far:

On June 21, India became the 27th signatory to the Artemis Accords, a set of non-binding guidelines that underpin the Artemis programme, a U.S.-led project to return humans to the moon permanently.

Read the full article here.

Times of India | How, finally, India is reaching for the Moon

On a remote patch of celestial wilderness near the moon’s south pole lies the wreck of the Chandrayaan-2 lander, a testament to the soaring ambitions of India’s lunar programme and the difficulties of achieving them. Its predecessor, the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter, made history in 2008 by confirming the presence of water ice on the moon. The more audacious Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 was to deploy a lander called Vikram. However, Vikram crash landed in a spray of lunar dust, leaving it, and the small rover inside, inoperable. Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Modi has signed the defence deals with US. Now DRDO, private sectors must deliver

Two major defence deals were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, building on previous agreements since the nuclear framework agreement signed between PM Manmohan Singh and President George Bush in 2005. These deals are rooted in India’s geographic location and its growing economic and diplomatic clout in the context of the ongoing global geopolitical struggle. They also align with the US’s efforts to protect its global hegemony, which is couched in a security framework, and involve India in defending common interests against a rising and aggressive China. Read the full article here.

The Hindu | Explained | India has signed the Artemis Accords. What is at stake?

On June 21, 2023, India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Taranjit Sandhu, leaned over a table at Washington, D.C.’s historic Willard Hotel to sign the document confirming India’s acceptance of the Artemis Accords. It was a relatively modest event amid a pageantry-filled state visit that has seen a slew of deals on technological cooperation. Like those other deals, India’s signing of the Artemis Accords was undoubtedly the result of careful preparatory work and hard-nosed quid pro quos. Read the full article here.