Gunners Shot

There is a lot of discussion going on about Theatrisation of the Armed Forces. Many reports give different versions and most give only the current status and decisions. We have now put together the whole concept of Theatrisation of the Armed Forces in two parts. In the first part we discuss Theatrisation in general and explain what it involves and why we need it. In the second part we will touch upon specific issues of concern which are dominating public discourse. This is the first part, which was actually recorded prior to the issue taking centre stage. The second part will follow in a couple of days. Happy viewing.     To see Part 2 @ Please Click Here

This is the sixth article on threatrisation.  Previous articles can be accessed by clicking on the following titles    Thoughts on a Webinar on Theatrisation Jointmanship – Pluck The Low Hanging Fruits Some Ideas From The Nichols-Goldwater Act Theatrisation - Are We Ready ? Prickles of Theatrisation of Commands Shapes of Theatres   A high-level committee of the Vice Chiefs of the three Services, the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff , and representatives of other Ministries are to undertake wider consultations to implement Theatrisation.  It is well known that while the Army and Navy are fully onboard with the concept of Theatrisation, the IAF still has certain reservations. These reservations were always there and have only resurfaced. The public impression being generated  is that there is no solution except ‘shoving it down the throat’ and to implement it by a date in the near future. Such a thought is detrimental to national sec...

  India was a poor country in the decade prior to 1971. Two debilitating wars with China (1962) and Pakistan (1965), truant monsoons, high inflation, food shortages and imports  dominated headlines.  Five-year plans were suspended from 1966 to 1969 due to lack of resources. Prime Ministers Nehru and Shastri died in quick succession to cause political instability.  Rupee devaluation (1966) triggered huge price rises. Banks were nationalised in 1969.  There was a huge refugee problem throughout 71. The economy was in complete tatters. Despite all this India did not flinch when it came to funding for defence. Post 1962, we started to  arm to defend ourselves. Indian politico military leadership prioritised the integrity of the nation irrespective of the cost.  The outlook came good in 1965. Our historical GDP and defence spending tell their own story (see graphs). In 1971, India could ill-afford a war. However, it deliberatel...

This is an interesting discussion I had with Aadi Achint on China being its worst enemy. The noteworthy and interesting part is that the issues identified are autarkic and will run their course. In my opinion China has turned from being "aided" to "impeded" in its growth cycle. Most importantly on its own doing.  They have a lot to introspect upon.  

Galwan is a turning point in our history. It was India’s ‘Casabianca’ moment when our boys stood on the burning deck to turn tables. It was that moment in time when India and the world realized that the Chinese can be overcome. It was the N th  coming of the Indian Armed Forces from behind. It ensured that India regained its strategic confidence. Many articles have appeared to commemorate the incident. However, a strange dichotomy has emerged. Most analysts say that India is in a state of asymmetry with PLA which has hung a Damocles sword over Ladakh to tie us down to our Northern Borders at the expense of our maritime interests in the IOR. One detects ‘Strategic Hesitancy’ due to a gross overestimation of Chinese capabilities despite Galwan and its aftermath. We need to understand the strategic gains of Galwan and their implications.  Fact 1 .   In Mar 2020, the  Belfer Centre  analysis stated “ China is regularly operating with a permanent Indian con...

Originally published in the PINNACLE, The ARTRAC Journal, Vol 19, 2020, Pages 165-179 The formatting of the article is not great but the content is!  The Fundamentals   Population . By 2100 the global population will be around 10 billion.    Compared to the present population, it is approximately 40 to 50% greater [1]  (see fig 1). Indian population is set to rise from 1.3 billion to a peak of    1.6 billion between 2050-75  [2] (see fig 2). That is about a 20% increase.                                      Figure  1  World Population By Region                                                 ...