While explicit political control cannot be questioned, it is critical to involve the military as equal partners in the overall decision making process so as to leverage their knowledge, operational experience and unmatched organisational capacities for the well being of the state.

In the aftermath of the disastrous meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan, there is an all-pervasive air of despondency if not frustration as India seems to be running out of options.

Modern democracies are much more than about simply throwing the rule book at their militaries. Armed forces expressing their views on grave issues of security should be taken in the right spirit.

The current discourse which is mostly about the role or the absence of such a role for the military in decision making misses out on key currents and issues like overcoming the massive import syndrome and sustaining the positive image of the soldier in society.

In the wake of Director General IDSA’s initiation of a debate on civil-military relations through his piece in the Indian Express of 9 July 2010, this Comment outlines the two major positions in the debate.

It is essential to have an army which is capable of responding to conventional as well as sub-conventional warfare requirements with bare minimum turbulence while switching roles from one form of warfare to another.

A strategic dialogue mechanism with Pakistan at the level of NSAs, assisted by representatives of the national security establishment including the military on both sides, needs to be initiated to address core questions like the strategic balance and reconciling strategic doctrines.