The Army, in a post on X on Friday, conveyed its deepest condolences over the demise of Naib Subedar Giriraj Prasad Yadav. It stated, “A Naib Subedar of the Indian Army has made the supreme sacrifice in the bona fide line of duty within the operational area of the Dibang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh. General Manoj Pande, #COAS, and All Ranks of #IndianArmy salute the supreme sacrifice of Naib Subedar Giriraj Prasad Yadav, who laid down his life in the line of duty in #Dibang Sector, and offer deepest condolences to the bereaved family.”

However, the precise cause of his death remains undisclosed. It's notable that when the Army attributes a sacrifice to the "bona fide line of duty" in a specific operational area like the Dibang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh, it typically implies enemy action. Otherwise, if it were an accident, the Army would have surely provided clarification. This lack of transparency not only fails to serve the nation but also risks demoralizing both the soldiers and their families by not adequately recognizing their sacrifices.

Naib Subedar Yadav's sacrifice is just one example among many instances where crucial information has been withheld. Earlier this year, during an award ceremony at the Western Command, known as the investiture ceremony, deeds between September 2021 and November 2022 were honored. These actions, following the Galwan incident, hint at border skirmishes, as evidenced by citations indicating attacks on Indian Army posts by the Chinese. However, such information was swiftly removed from social media platforms by Army authorities.

Despite China's public assertions regarding parts of Arunachal Pradesh and physical confrontations with Indian soldiers, detailed accounts have not been made public. While the bravery and steadfastness of Indian Army troops are commendable, it's imperative that such actions are communicated transparently to the nation.

Since the Galwan incident in 2020, numerous meetings between the two sides have occurred, yet the nature of these negotiations remains unclear, as to what are we negotiating, particularly when PM himself in an all-party meeting in 2020, said “no one had ever entered Indian territory and there was no one inside.” is surely not understood.

 Statements from various government officials offer conflicting perspectives, while the Foreign Minister characterizes relations as abnormal, and the Chief of Army Staff describes the situation as stable but sensitive.

It has been reported that a research paper was tabled at the annual Director Generals of Police Conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau, by a police officer, which indicated that we may have lost access to 26 out of the 65 Patrolling Points on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The paper obviously was not discussed at the conference, which was  attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and the government made sure the paper was taken off the web site.

The overarching concern is straightforward: if the Govt is hiding information just to preserve its own MACHO image then my fear is that this will further embolden the enemy, because When the enemy knows that you are hiding information from your own people, He squeezes you further and all this shall back fire.

Transparency is not just a matter of accountability; it's essential for national security and stability because it prevents own people falling prey to enemy's psy ops (propaganda machine). However, the more one hides the more harm it causes to its own force.

Did Lal Bahadur Shastri hid information in 1965 when hundreds of Pakistani troops had infilterated into Indian territory. Did Nehru hid information when Chinese troops were ingressing into India's territory in 60s. Do we not know how brutally we punished Chinese in 1967 at Nathu La, Did Mrs Gandhi hid information. 

In the pursuit of grabbing headlines on social media, governing with a hypernationalistic agenda can have far-reaching consequences, as exemplified by the recent events , India- Maldives.

The strategic importance of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has turned it into a battleground for influence between India and China, leading to a dangerous situation with potential repercussions on not only India- Maldives relations but in entire South Asia.

The geostrategic significance of the Maldives has fueled a power struggle between India and China, both vying for a foothold in the region. India has traditionally enjoyed cordial relations with the Island nation, having thwarted a coup in the Maldives in 1989. The political landscape saw former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih maintaining close ties with India, while the current President, Muizzu, found favor with China. Solih's opponent, Male Mayor Mohamed Muizzu ( current President) signalled a shift towards China, raising concerns about the possibility of anti-India sentiment gaining traction.

The anti-India campaign in Maldives gained momentum unexpectedly, with a targeted disruption during an International Day of Yoga event organized by the Indian High Commission in 2022. This orchestrated incident, reportedly supported by hardliner groups and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), provided Muizzu with an opportunity to exploit anti-India sentiments in the run-up to the crucial elections in September 2023.

Parallelisms can be drawn to domestic issues, such as the rise of hardline elements supporting leaders like Mr. Modi in India. Muizzu capitalized on an 'Indian Out Campaign,' advocating for the removal of Indian troops from Maldives, a sentiment that resonated with certain factions in the country. China, recognizing an opening, seized the opportunity to advance its interests through infrastructure and connectivity projects.

Political posturing in India, particularly related to the Lakshadweep islands, became a target for criticism in the Maldives. This, in turn, led to calls for boycotting the Maldives by Indian celebrities and travel companies, exacerbating the diplomatic rift. So, the fallout extended beyond politics, affecting tourism ties between India and the Maldives

The Maldives controversy coincided with President Muizzu's visit to China, emphasizing the delicate diplomatic balance at play. The situation underscores several crucial points:

1. Hypernationalism's Pitfalls: Excessive nationalism, particularly that is based on RELIGION, whether in India or the Maldives, does not serve the interests of any nation ; both within and outside. It can lead to tensions and conflicts detrimental to all parties involved.In this case, it is China’s gain. 
2. The Domino Effect: Newton's third law applies not only to physical objects but also to politics ; Within and International. Hyper nationalism in one country triggers reactions elsewhere, as witnessed in the strained relations between India and the Maldives. Mr Modi's visit to Bangladesh few years back had lead to desecration of Hindu temples there.
3. Secularism as Strength: India's strength lies in its secular values, not religious fundamentalism. A departure from secularism could lead to internal as well as External challenges and diminish India's influence in the South Asian region. SAARC is already dead now. What is happening within the country today is getting telecasted allover and that is likely to have Newton's effect.
4. Government's Role: The government's focus on social media optics over substantive governance, is a cause of concern, as highlighted by Arun Shourie. He had said - "Indian Govt is increasingly not acting like a Govt but A WhatsApp Group", . The undue concern over perception management on whats app is like a media channel being concerned about its TRP. A more measured and strategic approach is essential to navigate complex international relations.

In conclusion, the Maldives incident serves as a cautionary tale against the perils of hypernationalism, emphasizing the need for countries to pursue balanced and diplomatic approaches to foster stable international relations.

The security experts, world over have been trying to decipher and analyse the lessons that one can draw from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Almost 150 years ago the great German statesman Bismarck had remarked, “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise learns from the mistakes of others.” 

So in that sense, General Naravane, the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff was right, when he said;

“We should be ready for a Conventional war and learn lessons from the Ukraine war”.

He had said this because many security experts have been advocating for decades that the current geo political situation does not allow a conventional war to take place and even if it takes place, it will be short and intense. The invasion by Russia has brought back the reality of conventional war. Hence this war waged by Russia has finally changed the mindset; It is Conventional and it is not short.

Notwithstanding the above, we can only be ready and prepare ourselves provided we derive right lessons from this ongoing Russia – Ukraine war and execute them.

We live with Dangerous Neighbours and We are alone. At no stage we must forget that we have two rogue nations as neighbours to deal with. Though war is the last option adopted by Nations when all other measures have failed to achieve the Foreign policy objective but it still remains a potent option for a rogue state/ ruler and this fact must never be lost sight of that we have two such states adjoining us. We must also keep in mind and keep ourselves ready for Pakistan is not likely to remain weak forever and we may in future have to face a resurgent Pakistan.

No other country or Alliance will come to our help if we are attacked. Yes, they may provide us weapon systems and financial help and also impose sanctions on the invader but that also depends on many factors. For instance, if China attacks India, China may not face the same kind of stringent sanctions as Russia is facing now.

So, if the invader has done his homework well and insulated his economy from initial shock, the current geo – political situation emboldens rogue nations to take such steps as has been taken by Russia.

Wars are not fought on battlefield today with few sq kms of frontage. Even urban areas, thousands of Kms in depth can face destruction, and now with technological advancement the wars are fought at various domains including psychological and cyber domain. If India has to face a conventional war now it will not be restricted to only border areas, unlike it happened in 1962, 1965, 1971 and in Kargil war. Now, even our cities, hospitals, schools located thousands of kms away from Border can be targeted and can come under enemy’s fire. Hence, besides being geared up administratively to control the destruction and sufferings in depth areas, we need to make our entire administrative set up strong enough to sustain itself against cyber-attack. Modern societies are hugely dependent on computer systems and the internet to manage the infrastructure that supports urban centres. A major cyber-attack can paralyse the whole administration and can cause great harm to a nation's security and capacity to defend itself.

Become a Porcupine. In view of the fact that wars today are fought in various domains, it is important for a country like India which has two rogue nations to deal with to become like a Porcupine.

The porcupines are basically rodents weighing barely 7 kgs are armed with spines or quills which protect them from predators. The quills, or spines, are almost 30,000 in number that are embedded in cluster in his skin. Although a single spike may not appear to be sharp but together in a cluster, they are so sharp that they get embedded in an attacker.

Hence, we may not be able to fill the Quality and Quantity gap with China any time sooner, but can surely integrate our resources like the Ukrainians have done and inflicted heavy losses on Putin’s forces. The Ukrainians because of the integration of surveillance systems, hand held anti-tank and anti-air craft weapon systems have been able to deter superior air force and powerful armoured columns. One Ukrainian soldier reportedly commented “If Russians have more tanks, we have more anti-tank weapons”.

They have shown how a small force, if appropriately employed and equipped with hand held weapon systems can still stop the powerful invader.

Therefore, taking a cue from Ukrainians, we can meanwhile attempt to become a PORCUPINE, develop spines/ quills in cluster; focusing on Quantity/ Numbers, integrating our surveillance systems, integrating our hand-held anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems and achieving ability to employ hard hitting mobile teams, developing teams for waging cyber-attack on enemy systems rather than merely focusing on Quality of weapon systems, this can happen in due course of time.

Once we develop these spines or quills and are able to deploy them in clusters, we can deter these two predators effectively.

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It was in 2013 that a 21-day standoff took place between India and China in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector(DOB) in Eastern Ladakh, thereafter next year, the two sides were locked in a 16-day standoff in the Chumar sector of Ladakh, then, in 2017, the two countries were involved in a 73-day tense standoff in the Doklam region , then, the Ladakh standoff in 2020, where the two warring sides fought with Lathis and Bats and now in Tawang.

So, although the history of stand offs is old but What is new now is that ; both sides have kept their weapons in their respective kotes and are resorting to Lathis.

When the world over, the armies are known to fire for effect, we have these two armies fighting with Lathis, is there a reason for this? Does Lathi attack accrue some advantage?

What Weapons Had Achieved ?

In 1967 and 1987 stand offs at Nathu La and Sumrodong Chu, the Chinese were surprised by the use of weapons by the Indian army troops. Gen VN Sharma who was the Eastern Army Commander in 1987, while describing the incident said in an interview ;

 “There was a Captain in charge, and he’d been told not to allow the Chinese to come inside there. The Captains are very fine officers of the Indian Army; they don’t think very much of their superiors but they are very well trained and they act on their own. When the Chinese Brigadier came up, he saw these chaps occupying the pass and he said— “Get the hell out of here. This is Chinese territory.” That captain answered, “I’m sorry, you are wrong, this is Indian Territory and you don’t come forward here.” The Chinese said, “No, you go away. We don’t want to tussle with you but please go away from Chinese territory.” The captain said, “Sorry, we are not moving.” But the Chinese kept advancing. When they were about fifty yards below him, the young Captain winked at the LMG gunner who fired off a burst, about two feet above the Chinese brigadier’s head. Even his cap flew off and went rolling down the khud [ravine], and that shocked him because he didn’t expect Indian troops to Fire. He went running back".

Although, the incident led to a diplomatic issue for many years but then even these skirmishes are also becoming a routine challenge, since last nine years and it is allowing Chinese to nibble our area inch by inch.

India and China share a long border of almost 4000 kms. In the Western Sector it is almost 2150 kms but the two differ on perception of the boundary line and in Eastern Sector IT spreads over 1350 kms and once again china does not recognise the border.

So, this leaves a huge frontline of almost 3500 kms to defend. With the tension building up and every inch becoming important, most of India’s best fighter aircrafts must have already been deployed to face the challenge from China and 1/3 of its fighting land force must be poised to deal with the Chinese along the 4000 kms long border.

So, Why the Lathis Now ?

Continuing with what Gen VN Sharma further said on that incident of 1987 ;

“The Chinese Brigadier reported to his headquarters that the Indians fired at us, and the Chinese foreign ministry contacted the Indian foreign ministry and the Indian foreign ministry contacted the Indian Army chief, the army chief contacted the Eastern Command and from there down back to the corps commander, Lt Gen Narahari and to the Divisional commander: “You should tell your chaps, you are not supposed to fire at the Chinese as per our hukum [order] and cross the line of actual control. Come back.”

This brings us to a point that our policy makers inorder to avoid taking a Confrontational approach against Chinese are issuing orders to the troops on ground to use Lathis instead of weapons ; It’s a defensive measure.

But then the question arises ; why are Chinese attacking us with Lathis instead of weapons - at Galwan and Tawang. In Tawang the Lathi attack took place at 3 AM and reportedly 35 Indian soldiers have been wounded.

The answer perhaps is - Chinese are using Lathis, because it suits them.

One, they know that they cannot stand a chance to fight Indian soldiers with weapons and Secondly, Lathi attacks would get them the same result as they desire. Along this huge mountainous frontline , they can afford to attack with Lathis any isolated post without the fear of any fatal injuries and also force Indians to deploy troops to guard every inch.

They are forcing us to Dissipate our scarce resources, scattering them all over, Right from Indian Ocean to Bay of Bengal, Arabian sea and on a land frontier of almost 4000 kms, making it difficult for us to challenge them in future.

Earlier the land border opposite China, was manned by few thousand troops, it is now being guarded by almost 3-4 times more troops and in addition more number of artillery guns, more fighter aircrafts and so on.

We may still not be eye ball to eye ball situation like on LC with Pakistan but gradually Chinese are turning this into a similar situation and this may suit them.

The LC between India and Pakistan is thousand kms long and it requires enormous number of troops and equipment to guard it and deter Pakistan from trying any adventurism, so imagine how many would be required to guard A FRONTAGE of almost 4000 kms, particularly when the fear is that it can be intruded from anywhere.

If we continue to fight with Lathis we will be scattering our resources all along the wide frontage, thereby making their task easier. We are in order to avoid the Confrontation inadvertently allowing the enemy to do the same as they did in 1962 ; They came and set behind us.