Bandhgala And The Bandolier

The strong political mandate allows for strategic reforms of the nation’s military.

- Lt Gen. (Retd) Subrata Saha

ELECTIONS 2019—strong political will has eventually triumphed. India has demonstrated unequivocal preference for decisive military action and effective diplomacy. In giving Prime Minister Modi a second resounding win, India has entrusted him to lead the nation to fulfill Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s idea of India: “Where

the mind is without fear and the head is held high.” As the sixth largest economy in the world, aspiring to become the third largest by 2030, i.e., a $5-trillion economy by 2025 and $10-trillion by 2032, India must overcome multiple security challenges, both in the military and non-military domains. For a country that is home to one-sixth of the world’s population to grow and its people to prosper, India must be strong and secure.

The global security environment is changing fast. There is triangular polarisation taking shape, with China on the one hand and the US on the other, and Russia emerging as the third pole. This new polarisation is less ideological and more political and economic. National sovereignty and security are supplanting erstwhile international commitments and alliances. With its new NARA—national ambitions and regional aspirations— there are greater international expectations from India. Non-alignment cannot be a cover for indecision.

While China’s Belt and Road Initiative is marvellous in its scale and sophistication, it has serious technological, economic and strategic implications for India and the rest of the world. In the larger Sino-US power rivalry, India is becoming strategically more important to the US for its potential to influence the Indian Ocean region, maintain a landward threat, and hold levers for internal dissension in China. India must have the capability to balance power for pursuing its own interests.