India Under Fire Essays On National Security

From aggressive, devious neighbours to well-armed internal insurgents, the list of those taking aim at our nation is long. Our morally bankrupt political system and blinkered bureaucracy only compounds the mess. As the editor of Indian Defence Review, Bharat Verma lives by a simple philosophy: ‘Don’t give me a list of problems, give me solutions.’

Solutions are what he offers in this sequel to Fault Lines, a compilation of his writings since then. From ways to counter China’s imperial ambitions, to why a splintered Pakistan is in India’s interest. Why we need to develop not just cutting edge defence industries but also have an offensive orientation against those gunning for our democracy.

Because at the end of the day, national interest is supreme. In this riveting series of columns, Verma takes a 360 degree look at the strategic and military challenges facing India today, and suggests ways and means to overcome them.

1. Introduction

2. Develop cutting edge Defence Industries

3. Nervous China may attack India

4. India must counter China’s imperial ambitions

5. Unprepared and unwilling

6. Offensive Orientation

7. Blueprint to tackle the Maoists

8. China’s ‘New Cold War’ puts democracies in danger

9. The danger from China: 2011–2014

10. If Pakistan splinters…

11. Shrinking military capabilities

12. Defence technologies key to India’s security

13. Why New Delhi is unable to prevent terrorist attacks?

14. The myths on Pakistan

15. IAF: From 'bullock cart' to 'Mercedez Benz'

16. Pakistan at war with itself

17. Abu Jundal: New Delhi must change as Islamabad will never!

18. Time New Delhi calls Islamabad’s Bluff!

19. Strategic assertion indispensable for India’s survival

20. Lessons from Kargil

21. 1962: The Nehruvian Blunder

22. End the neglect of the military

23. Chinese are Coming…

24. The Chinese game plan

25. Military: The grid of violence

26. Defence Industry: Reach for the sky!