Sunday, 21 December 2014
Friday, 19 December 2014
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Forget Kissinger, India should use Arthashastra for world dominationby
Forget Kissinger, India should use Arthashastra for world dominationby Rajeev Srinivasan Dec 2, 2014 07:21 IST
There has been no end of self-congratulation by well-meaning Indians over the fact that grey eminence Henry Kissinger talked about Chanakya in his latest book. Sadly, this shows how we still need some white guy to validate us.
I, on the other hand, feel a little queasy, because I have been dreading the day the West discovers the Arthashastra. Because I have been hoping that it was our little secret, which we could use to, well, become number 1: more on that shortly. And because it means the gems of Indian thought have been accessed by the West, while their fifth columnists in India itself ensured that Sanskrit is destroyed in its birthplace.
That last, of course, is behind the godawful ruckus made by the usual suspects over the MHRD’s recent decision to restore Sanskrit to the Kendriya Vidyalaya curriculum. The venom with which these people attacked Sanskrit was a wonder to behold: and the word that leaped to mind was “crusade”. In action is the same cabal of leftists/religious fanatics who have conspired to denigrate Indian culture and civilization throughout the Nehruvian era.
The fact, though, is that despite the fact that Sanskrit is the liturgical language of Hindus (which is the primary reason the usual suspects are trying to kill it off), the body of non-religious writing in Sanskrit is enormous. In fact, it is likely that secular Sanskrit literature is greater in volume than that in any other classical literature, quite possibly as big as Greek and Latin put together.
Macaulay’s demeaning claim that all of classical Sanskrit literature had less value than a schoolboy’s shelf in Victorian Britain was pure self-deluding nonsense. If you take Sanskrit alone, and certainly if you take the manipravalam literatures (where there are words from another language – say Tamil or Malayalam – intermixed in), the amount of pure information is immense. That is the reason a number of schools and universities in the West have begun to teach Sanskrit (no, not love of India, sorry to disappoint).
Representational image
In fact, it also contradicts the occasionally-stated axiom (usually in hushed tones, as though it were a deep and important discovery) that the nation-state is a European concept, and that India is a civilization-state. Yes, it is true that there is a civilizational unity that holds all of India together, and it has been so since even before Chanakya’s time; yet, the day-to-day concerns of kings were exactly the same as elsewhere: the social contract with the public, and the strategic intent of empire-building.
In business literature, there are innumerable references to two strategists: Sun Tzu of China and his The Art of War, and von Clausewitz of Germany, and his On War. Sun Tzu is credited with having been the spiritual leader of China’s renaissance, and in particular the rise of military power.
An interesting thing about Sun Tzu is that much of his work is ambiguous and elliptical, so that you can see in it what you want to see. Nevertheless, it has been cited as a major influence by China’s Mao Tse Tung (especially his guerilla tactics), Japan’s influential shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (who held the West at bay) and Admiral Tojo (who defeated the Russians in the Yellow Sea in 1905), and Vietnam’s General Giap (who defeated the French at Dienbienphu in 1954).
Similarly, von Clausewitz is cited as an influence on the West, although his main claim to fame is a misquote: “War is the continuation of politics by other means” (he actually said “War is a continuation of policy with other means” which is less Machiavellian, and less colorful). Prussian generals, and later the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Lenin, as well as China’s Mao Tse Tung, were fans of his theories, including those about ‘total war’. Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince was also a major influence on the way Western strategy has evolved.
And all these thinkers have been influential in the way business strategy has developed for example by Michael Porter at Harvard, who focused on competition, and later by CK Prahalad at the Michigan and David Teece at Berkeley, who focused on core competence.
In contrast, Chanakya has remained largely unknown in the West, and I have been happy that this is so, because the Arthashastra is simply superlative. I was astonished at the brutally honest realpolitik he espoused. For instance, Chanakya states categorically that your neighbor is going to be your enemy, sooner or later. This stands to reason, because there is ample opportunity for petty jealousies and animosities to fester. Just look at China itself: it has problems with its entire neighborhood.
And Chanakya may have anticipated Anatol Rapaport’s winning tit-for-tat strategy in the repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma game that diplomacy is basically all about.
Another Chanakyan gem is that if you are a minor but ambitious king you should engage with the Far Emperor, anticipating the day when you will need powerful, distant friends who have no immediate stake in disputes between you and your neighbor. You need to convince the Far Emperor that it’s better for him to ally with you, generally to the detriment of the neighbor.
That simple tactic is the essence of China’s munificence to many a (nasty) regime that is ostracized by the West for some reason or the other. China presents itself as the preferred Far Emperor, who will give them goodies like heavy weapons and diplomatic cover at the UN, rather than the other Far Emperor, the US, which will scold them.
That is precisely what India should do too: make itself the (benign) Far Emperor to various distant States biding the time they become more important. No, I don’t know which these States are. That’s why we have all these clever people in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Incidentally, the iron fist in China’s velvet glove is beginning to irritate some of its erstwhile clients, Exhibit A: Myanmar. This is an opportunity for India. Of course, this presupposes a strong military and a fair amount of money: without these, India cannot be an Emperor, far or otherwise.
To be honest, today India cannot compete with the de facto G2: US and China. But that’s no reason why we cannot aspire to create a G3 by 2020: US, China and India as three poles in a multi-polar world, more or less balancing each other out. As CK Prahalad notes, it’s not where you are now, but where you can be if you work towards a clear plan. This would be the very antithesis of non-alignment: you compete to get others to align themselves with you..
Delhiites breathing highly polluted air
Delhiites breathing highly polluted air
The Hindu India is the third largest polluted country in the world and its rapidly growing vehicle number is one of the known culprits of air pollution.
Air pollution level four times higher than the permissible limit
Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu on Friday got a first-hand report of just how poor Delhi’s air quality is — his court room reported air pollution level that was four times higher than the permissible limit.
The air quality inside the Chief Justice’s court was determined using a handy air quality-measuring instrument by former Solicitor General Harish Salve. It was found that the particulate matter (PM) 2.5 – the worst among air pollutants, which gets embedded deep inside the lungs – was at 250 micro gram per cubic meter as against the permissible 60 micro gram per cubic metre.
“The Supreme Court is located in Central Delhi, which is one of the greenest parts of the city, and even here the pollution level was found to be so high. This only highlights the vulnerability of the 17 million population of Delhi, who is in the midst of a major health emergency. Senior advocate Mr. Salve was appearing as amicus curiae in a PIL on maintaining air quality in Delhi and the instrument and manpower was provided by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE),’’ said CSE, associate director research and advocacy Anumita Roychoudhary.
She added that air pollutions level across the Capital, including PM 2.5, PM 10 and nitrogen oxide were recorded four times the permissible limit. “Since October the PM 2.5 levels have remained significantly elevated and during smog episodes the levels have gone as high as three to four times the standards,’’ she added.
While the World Health Organisation had earlier warned about Delhi’s air quality being very poor, health experts in the city has warned that PM 2.5 is an extremely fine particle (of less than 2.5 micro metre in diameter) that is linked with increased rates of chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease as they penetrate deep into the lungs and can pass into the bloodstream.
“It is an undisputed fact that air pollution in Delhi is getting worse with each passing day,” said Ms. Roychoudhary. Doctors in the city, too, admit that air pollution has become a ‘health hazard’ and advised early morning walkers, children and those with health woes to be cautious.
Delhi Medical Council member Dr. Anil Bansal said: “Breathing-related health issues, health woes among asthma, heart and blood pressure patients and infections are on the rise. The cool weather conditions and lack of wind have caused a spike in air pollution leaving the city gasping for clean fresh air.’’
India is the third largest polluted country in the world and its rapidly growing vehicle number is one of the known culprits of air pollution.
Muslim prayers banned in govt buildings, schools in Xinjiang
Muslim prayers banned in govt buildings, schools in Xinjiang
Dec 1, 2014, 09.45PM IST TNN
[ Saibal Dasgupta ]
Religious activities will now be restricted only to take place in registered venues like mosques. (Getty Images)
BEIJING: The restive Xinjiang region in western China has banned prayer meetings and other religious practices in government buildings, schools and business offices. It has also imposed steep fines on the use of mobile phones and Internet to disseminate messages that 'undermine national unity'.
Religious activities will now be restricted only to take place in registered venues like mosques. The new rules also disallow people from wearing or forcing others to wear clothes or logos associated with religious extremism.
But it was not clear what types of clothes and logos are being targeted.
The government's orders will affect Muslim employees, many of whom are known to conduct at least two of the day's five prayers in quite areas of office buildings during a work day, informed sources said. Many Muslims are also known to use mobile phones and computers to study or practice religion hymns, which are embedded in alarm clock and other software.
"An increasing number of problems involving religious affairs have emerged in Xinjiang," Ma Mingcheng, deputy director of the Xinjiang People's Congress and director of its legislative affairs committee, told the local media.
Chinese officials have earlier said that Xinjiang has seen a sharp growth in religious fundamentalism, which may be affecting young minds and turning some of them towards terrorism. The region, which borders Pakistan, is a hotbed of a violent separatist movement run by the East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement.
The new rules, which come into effect January 1, also prohibit people from distributing and viewing videos about jihad, or holy war, religious extremism and terrorism in or outside religious venues, and requires religious leaders to report such activities to the local authorities and police.
The region's local parliament passed a law on Friday stipulating penalties of between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan ($4,884) for individuals who use the Internet, mobile phones or digital publishing to undermine national unity, social stability or incite ethnic hatred.
The last major case of violence took place Shache county near the Pakistan border on Friday when 15 people were killed. Four were killed in knife attacks by the ultras, and 11 "mobsters" were killed by the police.
Last March, knife-wielding militants from Xinjiang killed 31 people and injured 141 at the Kunming railway station in southwest Yunnan province.
The new rules, which come into effect January 1, also prohibit people from distributing and viewing videos about jihad, or holy war, religious extremism and terrorism in or outside religious venues, and requires religious leaders to report such activities to the local authorities and police.
The region's local parliament passed a law on Friday stipulating penalties of between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan ($4,884) for individuals who use the Internet, mobile phones or digital publishing to undermine national unity, social stability or incite ethnic hatred.
The last major case of violence took place Shache county near the Pakistan border on Friday when 15 people were killed. Four were killed in knife attacks by the ultras, and 11 "mobsters" were killed by the police.
Last March, knife-wielding militants from Xinjiang killed 31 people and injured 141 at the Kunming railway station in southwest Yunnan province.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Barak Obama's visit to India
Barak Obama's visit to India twice during his tenure as President, a pledge to support India for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and to sell high tech weaponry to India which is otherwie sold to only its closest ally is a clear indication of the US getting comfortable with India's rise as a global power.
Barak Obama's visit to India twice during his tenure as President, a pledge to support India for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and to sell high tech weaponry to India which is otherwie sold to only its closest ally is a clear indication of the US getting comfortable with India's rise as a global power.
Israel and America have surged ahead of Russia as India's top choice of weapons exporters after a series of delays and mid-way cost escalation of signed military contracts with Russia. This is a lesson learnt by Russia the hard way by loosing billions of dollars to rival countries at a time when it deserately needs the funds to oil its military industrial base. Recent world sanctions led by the US has not only isolated Russia but has also pushed it closer to communist China.
Russian weapons for Pakistan ::
Since orders dried up from India, Russia was actively seeking new export markets for its military helicopters, fighter jets and tanks. Pakistan took advantage of the drift between India and Russia and requested for the purchase of Mi-35 military attack helicopters from Kremlin. The request was immediately approved by Moscow and the deal was signed after lifting an informal arms embargo.
India on the other hand had rejected the Russian attack helicopter which was on offer and instead opted for the state-of-the-art American made Apache Gunships which are much more stealthier and pack a deadly punch. It is also purchasing 15 Chinooks heavy lift transport helicopters. The helicopter deal alone is valued at $2.4 billion. Russia has literally lost an important source of revenue by aligning with India's arch rivals China and Pakistan.
Moscow still supplies 75% of India's defence equipment, followed by the US at 7% and Israel at 5%. It also provides India technical assistance with some of its more classified strategic programmes, such as its nuclear-powered attack submarines.
Strategic alignment of India and the U.S. ::
The U.S. had viewed India as an adversary for much of the Cold War era but in the past few years, America has been increasingly accommodating India in every sphere, may it be diplomatic or military. China's aggreive approach to territorial claims has sent alarm bells ringing in Washington which is desperately seeking for a new ally in Asia to counter the ever-growing China threat. The U.S. realised that India is the only country that can fill the void and it started making policy changes to get India on-board and create a new democratic world order.
It all began with the 123 Nuclear Agreement which allowed India to purchase Nuclear Fuel for its Atomic Power Plants without signing the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). This brought the U.S. and India closer and laid the foundation for further military co-operation. In the past decade the US sold hi-tech weapons to India to the tune of $10 billion from almost nothing. The year 2014-15 will see the two countries move on from a buyer-seller relationship to co-designers and co-manufactures of weapon systems.
Co-production deals for advance weapons systems will promote closer integration of the US and Indian militaries as part of a broader goal of military, strategic, economic and diplomatic co-operation. It will also harness India's potential as a low-cost manufacturing hub and generate wealth for both the countries.
Both countries have an extremely vibrant space programme and 2015 will see them merging resources and assets for joint space exploration. NASA and ISRO have already confirmed on joint space projects in the coming months.
With a new extremely vocal and nationalistic government installed in New Delhi, the relationship between the oldest and the largest democracies is set to get stronger and bolder in the coming years. Prime Minister Modi has declared "modernisation" of India's armed forces as priority no. 1 and he is also eager to take advantage of the US offer of co-production and technology transfer deals which is logically the fastest way to catch up with China's growing military prowess.
The End of Non-Aligned Movement ::
India is slowly and steadily aligning with countries like the US, Israel, Japan, Australia, the U.K. and Vietnam all which have a problem with an unpredictable China. The notion of Non-Aligned Movement in Delhi's power corridors is fast fading and a new world order is coming into force.
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Article written by Darshil R Patel exclusively for Defence News.
Bsc. in CASFX (U.K.)
Email address: info@DefenceNews.in
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