Indian Intelligence - Thoughts on new approach to change

Ajit Doval, Director Vivekananda International Foundation

In constant race against time and ever searching for new ideas to defeat ingenuity of their adversaries, for intelligence agencies to change is not an option but a compulsive necessity. Regrettably, those who change only when they have to, pay an un-affordably high price. Worse, it is often preceded by a nation bruised if not bled. Imaginative changes, innovation in tools of intelligence generation and analysis and constant up-gradation of capacities only can keep them a step ahead of their adversaries. The paper analyses the dynamics of change in the Indian context and some of the new realities that Indian intelligence need to factor in for designing its strategy for change.

Is gun replacing deadly sickle?

Col R Hariharan 

Two recent incidents of crime using revolvers in quick succession in and around Chennai show gun culture is making headway in Tamil Nadu. The significance of real estate business connections in these incidents cannot be ignored at a time when ‘land grabbing’ cases is hogging the headlines.  People are shocked because they are brought up on the myth that Tamil Nadu is an amaithy poonga (garden of peace) unlike North Indian states like the UP or Bihar known for their gun culture.

Wanted: a national grand strategy

Col R Hariharan (Retd) 
 

India’s National Security Advisor Mr Shivshankar Menon, while delivering the Cariappa Memorial Lecture last October summarised the changing Indian security environment as: “If Asia is our theatre, South Asia is our home.” 

Asian theatre is vast – after all it is the world’s largest and most populous continent covering 30 percent of the world’s land space and hosting 60 percent of global population. India’s growth into an important economic power in this vast region must encompass a vision which stretches territorially in extent from the Bosphorous to Western Pacific. In keeping with this, India’s strategic vision has to expand from local to regional to Asian theatre  keeping pace with its complexities.

Sri Lanka Perspectives – September 2012

Col R Hariharan

Highlights

• President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at New Delhi during his visit to lay the foundation stone of the International University for Buddhist and Indic Studies at Sanchi.

• The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) swept the polls in North-Central and Sabaragamuwa provincial council elections underlining Rajapaksa’s national popularity. However, UPFA won a slender majority and formed the Eastern provincial council (EPC) government with the support of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

• Sri Lanka used the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Conference at Colombo to show case its achievements in rehabilitation and reconstruction in the post-war period.

• China continued its high profile forays into Sri Lanka with the visit of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Wu Bangguo and signed 16 agreements with Sri Lanka during the visit.

• The U.S. has continued its sustained engagement with Sri Lanka which gained momentum after the passing of the U.S. sponsored resolution seeking greater accountability from Sri Lanka at the last UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in March 2012.