Celebration Is Tough Under Pandemic

It was a sombre moment immediately after the Mumbai blasts in November 2008 when the idea of creating the Defence and Security Alert (DSA) magazine occurred. And it took almost a year to shape your most accepted magazine, DSA and the first edition was released in October 2009. It was not an easy journey for DSA as we complete ten years of its inception in October 2020. A lot has happened in the defence, security and world affairs genre not only in India but across the entire globe, and, Team DSA has always been presenting all the core issues in each edition every year. As a matter of fact, all the editions of DSA have been very well read and the points raised in every article were very well taken by policy and decision-makers in defence, security and world affairs.

The DSA coverage was not restricted only to the Indian borders and we have been covering the global threats, challenges and possible ways to counter them in the past editions in the last ten years. On the DSA platform, we are committed to raise every issue concerned with the safety and security of mankind and the planet in the best possible way. In the past five months, we were compelled to stop the publication of the magazine due to the long lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the first time in the history of DSA that we have had to discontinue its publication for such a long duration. However, during this period, Team DSA was equally active online and our biggest support was from our esteemed contributors who participated wholeheartedly to bring more and more awareness among our readers.

From March 2020 to date, there has been NO joy, happiness or any sort of celebration across the globe because of the universal baleful presence of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is an all-pervasive grimness in the manner in which every human being is trying to protect himself and his kin from falling prey to the pandemic even as resources are shrinking, exacerbated by the need to impose lockdowns to try and contain the disease. The death toll exceeds the recovery rate and the world is waiting impatiently for a vaccine that will deal effectively with the virus even as a ‘second wave’ is threatened.

So, due to this, all pomp and show has vanished from our lives and we hardly celebrate with the same gusto as when we used to invite all our friends and near and dear ones on any occasion. Initially, Team DSA had decided to organise a conference on the State of Defence and Security of India in the last ten years on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the magazine but unfortunately we have had to defer this conference till we see normalcy in the current scenario of the Covid-19 effects.  So, we will be organising this event sometime in 2021.

Even as we were coming out of the shocking state of this pandemic,  we got another shock from our notorious neighbour, China, in April 2020 when its army entered the LAC in the Ladakh region. Our brave soldiers fought with the Chinese army personnel and we lost 20 men but our brave soldiers killed more than 40 Chinese soldiers on the borders and could push the Chinese army back at some vital points. But it was an unfortunate incident and the sole responsibility lies on China as it tried to build-up structures on the LAC and entered our borders.

A strong retaliation was expressed by India on the defence level as well as on the diplomatic and economic levels and as a matter of fact, India received unusual support from the world community. Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi went to the border to motivate our men. All our three defence forces were kept on high alert and when China proposed to hold talks, India agreed and the process is underway at several levels – both military and diplomatic.  However, I am not at all sure that these talks will ever bring a concrete solution to this problem with China as it has been working on a bigger plan to have control over all the parts of the globe. But, China has forgotten that the India of 2020 is not the same as it was in 1962 when we had a weak leadership and the Indian defence forces were not well prepared for such war. But now in 2020, our Army, Navy and Air Force are very well equipped and are with high morale to counter any such war with China or may be with Pakistan. Recent induction of Rafale aircraft in the Indian Air Force has increased the air power whereas the Indian Navy is also well prepared on the oceans for any attack by China or Pakistan. Be it war or peace, India is all ready to defend its people under the current leadership which has the best association with the world community.

So, on this 11th anniversary of DSA, I am thankful to every esteemed contributor who has been a great support in shaping this magazine and to all the past and the current associates for shouldering all responsibilities from time to time and devoting more than 100% of effort.

I congratulate Indian Air Force on its anniversary too. May they fly high and higher to safeguard our people and the nation!  

In the end, I seek blessings and good wishes from all our esteemed contributors and associates to continue their support as always to bring out DSA with the same high standards.

We, at DSA, would like to pay our Homage to A Soldier turned Politician: Shri Jaswant Singh, a stalwart personifying India and its culture who was also our guiding torch to initiate the DSA platform.

Jai Hind!