Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. Click here for detailed profile
2013 witnessed the highest ceasefire violations in eight years, accompanied by a sharp increase in security force casualties. Some sections within the media and intelligentsia have misunderstood the army’s presence in disturbed areas as a reflection of its vested interests. It is time that the reality of its role and responsibility are better understood.
The infiltration by a large group of terrorists in the Karen Sector, is a harsh reminder for the police, army and security planners in the country that the ongoing proxy war from Pakistan will continue to challenge the Indian state.
There have reportedly been 57 ceasefire violations of the LoC this year, which, according to the MoD, are 80 per cent more than the same period last year, and the number of infiltration attempts have doubled.
Leadership and ethics have inseparable connect and have been an integral
part of the discourse on leadership in general and military leadership
in particular. This consistent focus on the subject for military men is a
manifestation of the role and responsibility of the armed forces. In the
Indian context, it is all the more important since the armed forces have
had a visible and critical role in nation-building since independence.
This role has extended from safeguarding the country from external
The June 24 ambush in J&K accomplished with proficiency and high level of coordination exposes the deceptive calm often showcased in the context of large number of tourists visiting the state.
It would not be a cliche to describe the strategic contours of Asia as being at the crossroads of history. A number of significant events are influencing the likely course that the collective destiny of the region could possibly take in the future. Some of the key issues and trends have been analysed in this year’s Asian Strategic Review
Morals, ethics and motivation are the bedrock of the Indian Army, since it is considered more than a profession: a way of life. These qualities are put to test under most conditions of soldiering; however, there cannot be a more difficult environment than involvement of an army in protracted counter-insurgency (CI) operations. The conditions faced pose peculiar challenges, which force a soldier to adapt. This adaptation can potentially become a morally corrupting influence unless the ethical standards of a force and its moral bearings continue to guide actions.
India's tryst with destiny began on 15 August 1947. It did not take long for both conventional and sub-conventional challenges to manifest in the onward journey of the nascent country thereafter. While a number of accounts have since been written of state and region-specific insurgencies as a subset of sub-conventional threats, this edited volume attempts to analyse the conflicts from a military perspective.
It is rare for Army officers to write their autobiographies and rarer still for those who have reached the very pinnacle of their careers. It is probably a mix of inertia and security concerns that stops the ink to make contact with paper. The autobiography of General J.J. Singh is therefore a welcome change to the trend. The publication is all the more creditable, as it has been written while the author continues to hold a constitutional appointment of Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
Is It Time to Withdraw the Army from Kashmir?
2013 witnessed the highest ceasefire violations in eight years, accompanied by a sharp increase in security force casualties. Some sections within the media and intelligentsia have misunderstood the army’s presence in disturbed areas as a reflection of its vested interests. It is time that the reality of its role and responsibility are better understood.