WAR AND PEACE

Over the ages there have been wars and there have been negotiated settlements that have created a modicum of peace and stability. Almost from the first day of its existence as an independent nation freed from the yoke of British colonialism in 1947, when the world was still recovering from the second global conflagration,  India has been confronted with a series of wars and no-peace situations because of the machinations of its neighbours—Pakistan and China.

It is so unfortunate that in spite of all the development and progress that the world has seen over the millennia that one single question still remains unanswered: Why Power By All Means? The world has already seen two world wars and many other wars among many nations for various reasons, losing millions of lives. Yet many nations have not understood that this one single point of concern remains immutable and a few on the world map still want to hold the entire power in their hands and are in the process of destablising the whole of the world in their yearning for world power.

This notorious game of grabbing power by all means has been very well exposed in this era of social media influence. I don’t mind quoting here that the grownig consensus is that the biggest culprit of destabilisation of the world order is China with Pakistan hanging on to its coattails.  Now China has been completely exposed and its agenda of world dominance is very clear for all to see. India opposed China in a big way in June 2020 in the Ladakh region and then at the global level. India has tightened its national security at all levels—be it is on the land, in the air or in the oceans. Our forces are well equipped and their morale is very high under the current leadership. The Indian Army has already shown its power to the Chinese Army on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June 2020 and our brave soldiers are very well guarding the LAC in the minus 30 degree temperature with the same strength they had in summers. On the other hand,  the Chinese Army has lost its morale and confidence in front oIf ndian Army and nature too.

The Indian Air Force has shown its strength and strategy very well to the Chinese forces as how quickly we can support our army at the highest peaks with all the best arms, ammunition and other requirements and it is on the highest alert to counter any attack by the Chinese Air Force at any point of time. Now another very interesting fact I would like to share with you, our readers, that our Indian Navy is equally alert to counter any Chinese attack and you will be thrilled to know that the Indian Navy’s Marcos (Marine Commandos) are absoul tely ready at the Pangong Lake in the Ladakh sector to counter any challenge by the Chinese.

There is an old saying that birds with the same feathers flock otgether and it was a historical moment when India, very recently, organised Malabar Joint Naval Exercises with the inclusion of Australian Navy (along with the US and Japan), thereby, enhancing the interoperability between the nations of the Indo-Pacific region. The separate bilateral exercise with France underscored the point that five major maritime nations have come together to ensure rule-based maritime behaviour by the users of the littoral thereby hindering Chinas’ rampant expansionism in the region in violation of the UN Conference on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

December is the month when our two security forces are celebrating their Raising Day: Indian Navy and the Border Security Force. Team DSA salutes the entire Indian Navy and the Border Security Force which are doing a tremendous job in ensuring the securit yof India under their current leadership of CNS Admiral Karambir Singh and DG BSF Rakesh Asthana, IPS respectively.

I would also like to introduce Ms Samah Ibrahim from Jordan as our new columnist with this edition where she will be contributing a column in every forthcoming edition on the topical international issues pertaining to global challenges and threats on defence and security of the globe. Hope readers will like her contribution.

It’s the last month of 2020 and I wish that good virtues come back in our lives with the first ray of 2021 with good health and positive attitude and safe and secure India.

Jai Hind