Redefining Horizons

  PART 2: First War of Kashmir 1947 Change in Mind When I first sat down to write the article, I believed I could finish it in three parts. After all, I had studied these military operations, and all it needed was putting things in an easily readable form. Once I started reading up on the material I collected, I realised, my knowledge had been confined purely to the military perspective. The canvas on which each of the military operations was conducted stretched far beyond matters of arms. Their beginnings rested in complex geopolitical vortices, and the battlefields stretched far back and far ahead. To my horror, I also realised that we find ourselves repeatedly in a state of déjà Vu, moving forward linearly but in circles. This aspect shall be discussed in the concluding part of the article, dealing with “what lies ahead for us.”   Each operation India has undertaken demands deference. It is that deep respect and admiration for those involved in the operations that compelle...

  The Many Roads to Rome   Operation Sindoor continues to be a popular topic of discussion among military thinkers, policymakers, arms manufacturers, and the self-proclaimed vocal strategic affairs experts proliferating over the equally expanding audio-visual modes of communication. Every aspect of the operation continues to be flogged emotionally with  intentional or inherent bias, but with louder claims of being bias less. The common refrain in all these discussions and analyses is that Operation Sindoor was a multidomain operation combining military precision with diplomatic and strategic messaging, unparalleled in the history of independent India.  Let us first be on even keel on ‘multi-domain’ that experts now endlessly talk about. According to me, ‘multi domain’ typically includes the well-known conflict domains of land, maritime, air, and the recently evolved realms of cyber, information, space, electromagnetic spectrum, intelligence, and now the all-pervas...

Palaces, Castles, and Moats   In the days of yore, there were kings, queens, and kingdoms. Many of them lived in grand palaces, mighty castles, or formidable forts, spoiled by loyal servants, and surrounded by ruthless soldiers. These grand structures were normally surrounded by moats. Moats were usually deep and wide canals, often embedded with sharp stakes at the slushy bottom, and at times purposely populated with crocodiles or water snakes and served as formidable military obstacles. In his efforts to make the defence impregnable, the ruler spent considerable resources to ensure that the moat around his palace remained unbreachable. It was the most visible element of the defence. The moat was wide enough to beat the stand-off distance of the weapons of the potential adversaries he knew of. However, the ruler had weapons that could cross the moat and inflict injuries on the enemy.  The ruler considered himself secure only in the heavily guarded palace behind the moat, but l...

100,000 and beyond? Yes 101, 426 today morning. I take this opportunity to reach out and share with you, my reader, that this blog, our blog, the medium through which we communicated, has crossed a hundred thousand in readership. Interestingly, you, my readers reside in more than 180 countries.  As an author it gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction that I could connect and communicate with people across the world.  Thank you very much for reading the blog. Some among you took time to share your thoughts and comment on the articles I am indebted to you. As an author, there's nothing more satisfying for me than finding someone taking the time and effort to converse with me on the subject I wrote. It's heartening to see that all of you who commented on my blog have maintained dignity even when holding different perceptions or views. In a world where “with me else against me” is the norm and dignified discourse seems like an oasis in an endless desert, polite responses com...

    Kumaranalloor is famous for its Temple. But not many people, barring locals, would know of the Government Upper Primary school in Kumaranalloor. I went there first time in 2018. I was there once again, invited to speak, on 02 Jun, 2025, as part of the “ praveshanolsavam. ” “ Praveshanam” in Malayalam means admission, and “ Ulsavam” means festival or celebration.    Praveshanolsavam   The function was organised to give the children, starting their education journey in government-run schools, a sense of festivity. It was done to initiate children into the schooling system and coincided with the commencement of the current academic year. The authorities could have used the event to take stock of the infrastructural adequacy of government-run schools. “ Sarkar karyam mura pole ”, is what Malayalees say. It only means that things that the government does will take their course when it does. The strategic aim of the event seemed to be optics and eyeballs. ...

  A Dissection   The terrorist incident and India’s response, in time, will become statistics, like the previous ones. However, the objectives of the operation and the modus operandi adopted will become the subject of intense scrutiny by the militaries of the world. When two militaries come face to face, the optics of the hardware array and application strategy can be captivating. The social media, print and visual media are sizzling with conspiracy theories, propaganda in favour of one and against the other, depending on who is initiating it. But beyond the brute force, chest thumping, media carnage and the fleeting exuberance of public euphoria fanned by politicians, exists the reality of strategic victory. It is worthwhile to analyse the entire event to understand the long-term impact it has on each country.   Pakistan's army has led Pakistan to comprehensive defeats against India in all the confrontations between the two countries. No country, however irr...