The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
In a recent rally, ex-Indian Army Chief Gen VK Singh had called for dissolution of the Parliament and gheraoing the building to support the sugarcane farmers.
Some of the former Chiefs and seniors in the Army have come against it. Gen Deepak Kapoor, who was the Army Chief before Gen VK Singh says:
“It is not befitting of an ex-army chief to indulge in such activities. Even after retirement, he is looked upon by the serving people as their ex-chief and such things do not seem good.”
“The Parliament is a supreme body in a functioning democracy of ours and cannot and should not be held hostage on any issue,” Singh’s predecessor Gen Deepak Kapoor said
Others like Gen VP Malik have also found it “inappropriate”.
Lone fighter
The story of Indian Army in the last few decades is the legacy of the fight between SAm Maneckshaw and Indira Gandhi. Somehow, the political and intellectual class in India has convinced the Defense Personnel of India that they are sacrificial lions, who will be hauled up and down the altar at the behest of the politician. No matter what the politician wants these fighters to do.
The politicians sent them to Haji Pir, they went. Suffered numerous casualties. And then one day were asked to leave everything and return back. Simply. And they DID!
Rajiv Gandhi first messed up in Sri Lanka and then sent our own troops there to be massacred.
The Pakistani policy of India is reactive and rudderless and when they do terror attacks or surreptitiously enter the country’s border, the Army is asked to fight by tying its hands behind its back as was the case in Kargil.
These Army Chiefs who are pointing fingers at Gen VK Singh have – despite the odds stacked against the Army – seen the Pay Commission treat their fellow fighters and the people they led be treated like dirt. In salary scales an Army rank is at least TWO scales below the comparable rank in Indian Police Service!!
Gen VK Singh was the first “lone fighter” after the first Field Marshal who had the spine and the balls to stand up to the nonsense of the Political class. To dismiss his stand and work during and after his tenure as the Army Chief as his one off reaction is to fool oneself. I have discussed and read about this issue of disgruntlement in the Defense personnel – both, serving and retired – and I can say very categorically that Gen VK Singh represents a view of a substantially large number of Defense personnel – if not the majority.
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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