Two intertwined themes shape the November issue. The 16th BRICS Summit in Russia which has loudly announced a definitive shift in the world order and the Kashmir issue which is likely to be impacted by this shift. The government of India’s position on both these issues is one of obfuscation. While India is clutching on to the old order led by the United States, it is also maintaining the façade of riding the wagon being steered by China and Russia. It is a matter of time this wagon will speed away leaving behind those seeking their future in the old world. The commentary on BRICS encapsulates these momentous changes which find India on the wrong side of history.
The cover story on Kashmir chronicles the five years since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A; and how under the layers of projected peace and normalcy, the core issue remains alive and throbbing. Worse, the unresolved political issue continues to weigh India down, making huge demands on it in terms of human resource, capital and international reputation. With BRICS institutionalising cooperation at both economic and human development levels, unresolved political disputes will be increasingly seen as stumbling blocks to the global vision. In any case, the Kashmir issue has not only derailed India-Pakistan bilateral relations, but also other South Asian cooperative mechanisms. Narratives not built upon ground realities will not hold for long.
Talking about narratives, one that has sustained for over 62 years has been of China’s duplicity and historic hostility towards India. Brig. Poonia addresses this distorted narrative in this issue which has come in the way of building a positive public sentiment towards China, thereby preventing the emergence of a mechanism for amicable co-existence. This narrative has also fuelled prejudice against Beijing, pushing India away from global cooperative model, such as BRICS, because it is seen as being driven by China.
The other important articles in this issue include a detailed critique on the Agnipath scheme; a comment on the importance of disciplined public conduct by the uniformed class; and inclusion of soft skills in the training of border guarding forces. We also review the recently released joint cyber security doctrine.
In addition to these are the FORCE regulars, such as books, news and updates from the defence industry. Bite in.