Journal of Defence Studies

Emerging India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

India and Indonesia recently upgraded bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a move that comes on the eve of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This deeper engagement serves to highlight the importance of the Indo-Pacific for both countries. India and Indonesia have recently witnessed some intensive engagement in the political, strategic, defence, security, and economic spheres.

Mission Overseas: Daring Operations by the Indian Military, by Sushant Singh

Military history has four main genres. The first is the ‘official’ military history, or a military historian’s narrative. It is a narration of facts given as accurately as possible, written in an academic manner with maps and sketches. These are difficult to follow by non-military readers and, for that reason, are almost never read by them. The second category are reminiscences (autobiographies or biographies) of those who took part in wars—mostly in important and commanding positions.

The Battlefields of Imphal: The Second World War and North East India, by Hemant Singh Katoch

In 2013, in a poll on ‘Britain’s Greatest Battle’, the twin victories at Imphal–Kohima during the Second World War were voted as the winner of the poll. If one recalls popular representations of World War II in this part of the world, what comes to mind immediately is the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, starring Alec Guinness. That the Japanese had reached the eastern borders of British India and posed a great threat to the war effort is something that people may take time to recollect.

Y.M. Bammi |
July-September 2018 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Maoist Finances

This article shows that the Maoists have been collecting not less than Rs 140 crore annually from a variety of sources: businesses—big and small—industry; contractors engaged in various trades; corrupt government officials; and political leaders. The largest and principal sources of income for the Maoists are the mining industry, PWD works, and collection of tendu leaves. They have been able to put in place a well-organised mechanism to extort money on a regular basis. Besides, they have conceived ingenious ways to store money and ensure its safety.

Inherent Structural Constraints Challenging India’s Internal Security

The words ‘internal security’ do not figure in the Constitution of India. At the time of the framing of the Indian Constitution, the lawmakers were more worried about preserving the unity and sovereignty of the new nation. The world was in a far more peaceful environment and issues like terrorism and cybersecurity were far from their minds. Their outlook was conditioned by the constitutions then in existence.

Jihadist Radicalisation in India: Internal Challenges, External Threats

The Indian strategic community has for long debated aspects of jihadist radicalisation in the country—particularly over its origins, causes, extent, trajectory and possible counter-measures. This article posits that in the absence of clear perspectives, the incipient threat of jihadist radicalisation has the potential to metastasise and snowball quickly, as has been witnessed in other parts of the world in recent times.

India’s National Security Annual Review 2016–17, edited by Satish Kumar

The volume under review is the sixteenth in the series of the project supported by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). The series has occupied an important niche over the past many years in catering to the significant need for quality analyses on issues of national security. The contributions in the volume, specifically those by the editor, continue to exhibit the same high standards and rigour that have characterised it since its inception.

Police and Counter-Insurgency: The Untold Story of Tripura’s COIN Campaign, by Kuldeep Kumar

The role of the state police in combating insurgencies has not been given due acknowledgement in India despite the success stories of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal where police forces successfully deployed to counter insurgency movements. For instance, in Punjab, with support from the central paramilitary forces, the state police successfully neutralised terrorists who were demanding a separate state of Khalistan. In Andhra Pradesh, the state police played a highly critical role through the efficient Greyhounds model of security force operation.

Keeping India Safe: The Dilemma of Internal Security, by Vappala Balachandran

The hedgehog’s or the porcupine’s dilemma is a metaphor about the challenges of coexistence. It describes a situation in which a group of hedgehogs seek to move close to one another to share the heat and survive in freezing weather. However, they must remain apart because they cannot avoid hurting one another with their sharp quills. Though they all share the intention of a close reciprocal relationship, this may not occur, for reasons they cannot avoid. Eventually they settle into an ideal distance, where they can derive some benefit yet not hurt each other.

The CRPF and Internal Security: A Perspective Analysis

This article critically analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), as the prime agency of the Government of India, attending to manifold matters of internal security. Many incidents, including classic achievements as well as downsides are presented here. The article highlights the need for a functional audit, urgency in professionalising the personnel, harnessing human potential in the best manner and the role of research and development.