Gunners Shot

In this edition of The Generals Speak, Lt Gen Satish Dua, Aadi Achint and I discuss about various issues which will dominate the India China equation in the next five years. The idea was to identify the markers of the equation rather than trying to prescribe as to what should be done. We believed that if the problems are identified in the correct perspective, solutions will be the natural outcome.     

Original Version is in English and is available @ Who Will Tell the Prime Minister https://www.gunnersshot.com/2021/04/who-will-tell-prime-minister-by-lt-gen.html प्रधानमंत्री ने संयुक्त कमांडरों के सम्मेलन (सीसीसी) के मान्य सत्र को संबोधित करते हुए राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा प्रणाली में स्वदेशीकरण को बढ़ाने के महत्व पर बल दिया, न केवल उपकरण और हथियारों पर बल्कि सशस्त्र बलों में अभ्यास, प्रक्रियाओं और रीति रिवाजों में भी। उन्होंने एक समग्र दृष्टिकोण का भी आह्वान किया, जो सिविल-मिलिट्री (सैन्य-नागरिक) के संबंधों के प्रसार पर केंद्रित था .... उन्होंने सैन्य सेवाओं को विरासत प्रणाली और प्रथाओं से छुटकारा पाने की सलाह दी, जिन्होंने उनकी उपयोगिता और प्रासंगिकता को खो दिया है .... कई वर्षों में पहली बार राजनीतिक कार्यपालक सशस्त्र बलों के साथ बातचीत कर रहा था और निरर्थक भाषण के बजाय उन्हें कुछ करने के लिए निर्देश दे रहा था। काफी सुखद। हालांकि अभिभाषण का समग्र रूप शानदार और सकारात्मक था, लेकिन सशस्त्र बलों में स्वदेशी सिद्धांतों, प्रक्रियाओं और रीति-रिवाजों और नागरिक-सैन्य संबंधों की जरूरत के बड़े संदे...

‘Sir, will China invade us?’  ‘We hear China has increased activities on the border’. Chinese consolidation activities on the LAC have prompted such reactions and fears. Lot of such inquiries from citizens within and outside India. Why?  Bodies floating down Ganga, mass graves, lack of oxygen, medicines or hospital beds, botched vaccination program, uninterrupted work on Central Vista - all these have eroded our political capital immensely and seeded such doubts. Our national institutions are being compared to ‘rottweilers’ in the media. Economy? Unemployment figures and stock markets – both rattling up. Strangest combination. Rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. An ominous divergence which bodes ill. Leadership? Kis Chidiya ka naam hai bhai? National level paralysis in responding to the second wave. Erosion in comprehensive national power.  Many have never experienced India being so weak. Nor did I for that matter. This frightening experience ...

Followup Reflections on   Governance by The Unelected @ https://www.gunnersshot.com/2021/05/governance-by-unelected-by-lt-gen-p-r.html The leadership mantra When the problem is ignored, The problem becomes the leader and, The leader becomes the problem   …The WhatsApp University of Wisdom   In 2001, China was only slightly ahead of India on most metrics. Both were rising middle powers in the unipolar world of USA. China was expected to be the second pole in about a quarter of a century. It was also predicted that India would be the growing third pole despite everything. There was vibrancy in the air. The economy was galloping.  The third pole was indeed rising. In 2007 the subprime crisis happened. Financial contagion wreaked havoc. By 2008, major economies were tottering. In 2009, I was at the National Defence College , listening to experts dissecting this phenomenon , wondering where India was headed. At that time, the Chief of the US Army addressed the cours...

This is the inaugural session of Neighbourhood Watch. If India's Neighbourhood First policy is to succeed, we must know and analyse what is happening in the neighbourhood. Neighbourhood Watch is an attempt to bring to all of you, as to what is happening around us with some analysis. In this inaugural session, Aadi Achint and I have touched upon all our neighbours to get the entire canvas into focus. Henceforth we will focus on important issues. Feed back is important and we will welcome it.    I am also proud to state that GUNNERS SHOT has crossed 1.5 MILLION in viewership since I started the blog.  I started the blog since I faced a lot of rejection from established newspapers, magazines and web portals who wanted me to change my views or dilute them to suit their ideas.  One of them threw my article submission back at my face very rudely. On that day I started GUNNERS SHOT.  I felt that unless we have honesty and in...

In the second edition of The Generals Talk,  Lt Gen Satish Dua and I, anchored by Aadi Achint, discuss about what the armed forces can do at  this point of time during this unprecedented national crisis. we go into the capabilities and limitations of the Armed Forces in such a situation: specially when the situation on the LAC is still nebulous.    We would be very encouraged if you can put your comments and suggestions either on the blog or in You Tube.  

Today I had a live hangout with Mr Sree Iyer of P Gurus. We covered a wide range of topics from China's distasteful picture to its rocket crash, the second wave in India, China's likely offensive intent, the bio warfare speculation related to the Chinese Virus, Indian Armed Forces in response to the current situation,  and the current status in India. There were quite a few questions at the end of the talk which I answered to the best of my capability. Happy Viewing.    

The Generals Talk is a new platform from where Lt Gen Satish Dua and I will be discussing various geopolitical issues concerning India. It is going to be a regular feature anchored by Aadi Achint of DefTalks. This is the first edition of The Generals Talk . In this edition we discuss the likely geopolitical fallout of India's Covid Crisis. We have focussed on China, Pakistan, USA and neighbourhood.    

NEXT ARTICLE: THE COLLAPSING THIRD POLE @   https://www.gunnersshot.com/2021/05/the-collapsing-third-pole-by-lt-gen-p-r.html?m=1 Earlier articles :  Who Is Leading Delhi Out of The Crisis?   , I ndian Leadership Vs Chinese Virus  and  India on the Mend I hear the hollow rattle of death racking up our toll of sorrow. The rattle starts when the wail of the siren fades. Today is the tenth day when the death toll has crossed 3000. As the toll inches towards 4000, death is palpable by its proximity. People we knew, who could have lived till tomorrow, are dying today and are leaving a void. Sorrow is spreading without a full stop or a comma.   There is no doubt that some states are recovering. Some states are battling. Some stand on the edge of the precipe; off which, Delhi has fallen without a parachute. The Central Government blames the State Government. The State Government blames the Hospitals. The Hospitals go to High Court. The High Courts’ ...

Earlier articles :  Who Is Leading Delhi Out of The Crisis?   and  I ndian Leadership Vs Chinese Virus Overview   We got caught unprepared due to some plain incompetency, lack of teamwork, power greed at political and administrative levels. We are paying an inordinately heavy price for it. The death toll due to the Chinese Virus has been heavy. The Chinese and international media are having a field day mocking at our situation and grief. Many of us feel affronted at this turn of events. There is also a palpable sense of panic and trauma in the air. However it is not all gloom and doom. Things are OK in many places. India is on the mend. Make no mistake. It does not matter what noise others make.         At this juncture of our national crisis, look beyond Delhi to understand the fight back. Before analysis, I would like to put across a few fundamentals. I have realised that infections should not scare us unless they overwhelm our medical faci...