Islamic terrorism in Kashmir

Followers of this blog know well that its often via videos I share my views. Given my fondness to our heaven Kashmir this video in particular has been long on my mind. I feel apologetic for not being able to share with you so far. We Hindus have just one nation in the world which we can call "ours" and yet within this only nation of ours we fail to pay attention to issues of our own Hindu brothers and sisters. Compare that to Jews or Muslims. Remember during 26/11 Mumbai attack Israel's Government strongly insisted to help Indian Govt to kill terrorists, just so that they can save 6 Jew lives.(Strategically empty headed Congress run Govt of India refused to accept help is another story) Remember how ethnic riots related simple questioning of Muslims in China's Urumqi drew ire of Turkish and other Muslim nations ? Compare that to our response to misery and devastation of Kashmiri Hindus, who are considered the most revered Brahmin clan per our Hindu scriptures. Honestly speaking to some degree I detest our previous Hindu generation for failing to rise to the occasion of protecting them from the onslaught of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. If I put it bluntly, I detest them for their cowardliness. Inciting passions in the name of "Shri Ram" or Ram temple was not real bravery. Saying let's go to Kashmir and save our Hindu brothers and sisters would have been the right call then.

How to express Patriotism ?

If I asked you which is the word spoken far too often and yet almost NEVER practiced in India, what would that be ? You would jump off your couch and say righteousness or honesty but that's not what I was referring to. Although they can be very optional choices for this question, the word I am referring to is "Patriotism". If asked, almost every Indian will tell you proudly, "I am VERY patriotic."(with the emphasis on VERY) Ask him/her the next question. How do you practice your patriotism ? Umm,Ah,Well,Its,???,WHAT?...That's quite an answer, isn't it ? Of course there would be a few who would be able to answer that but most of our people are clueless about how to practice what they believe themselves to be. Ideally it should be simple. For example, if you call yourself Jew or believer of Judaism, you practice it by regularly going to Synagogue and living by the principles embodied in Hebrew Bible called Tanakh. If you call yourself a Hindu, you practice by going to temple regularly and living by the principles of Sanatan Dharma described in Vedic texts. Patriotism should be no different. There "ARE" simple ways to practice your patriotism. So today I want to share with you all how I practice my patriotism. You are welcome to share your views/comments.

If I told you Nyoma, Bomdila, Demchok, Chushul, Chumbi Valley, Dibang Valley, Pangong Tso Lake, Tawang you would start thinking I am naming some sights in China. Well, all these are places well with-in India. You may not have heard since these are towns/villages on India's international borders. You, being smart-chap is already wondering what is the connection between expressing patriotism and our nation's frontiers. IMHO(In my humble Opinion) the best way to practice patriotism is by "conveying" respect and gratitude to the people who guard our borders, OUR Army. One of you will ask, how do you convey gratitude exactly to Armed forces ? How do you convey it in your daily life to others for big/small favours they do to you? Either by a simple phone call or dropping by in his/her cube/office/home and saying "Thank you" ! For big favours we also tend to gift certain people, i.e. our boss for promotion. That is never hard. Correct ? Similarly how can we neglect to thank people on whose shoulders the burden lies to ensure we sleep safely every single night? All we have to do is pick up the phone and call the border check post, talk to any soldier there and tell him "Thank you"! Of course you will have to put some efforts to find the contact number but that should neither be hard nor discouraging. Depending on your degree of your patriotism you can also do what I do.(Since I am in USA, I only get a chance when I visit India) Visit such border areas/locations once a year(which are by the way stunningly beautiful landscapes), meet our soldiers there and thank them. If possible also bring gifts for them. Our Gujarat's Chief minister Shri Narendra Modi does that every year. Why can't you and me do that? It would be rather a perfect get-away along with our friends and family once a year from our banal urban life-style. If you travel, you will come back craving for next trip to the most beautiful, hidden and well-protected of India's geographical beauty. If simply thanking soldiers does not motivate you, the beauty of these places will. To me it is very appalling that people don't understand such simple things.

Opting for any Govt/public services professionally is also definitely another way of practicing patriotism and there could be many more ways but I wanted to focus primarily on the idea pitched above. I just have overflowing respect for our Armed forces.

One quick note : If you said, I express my patriotism by citing examples like I follow traffic signals OR I do not trash streets with my cigar butts or plastic bags then that's just common civic sense dummy ! It has nothing to do with your patriotism. Learn right way to practice what you believe in.

Know your Army : Tatra Trucks

Just how 33 vertebra forms your backbone and enables you to stand strong, supply lines form backbone of any Army. Ever wondered what is the backbone of our Indian Army ? How does the world's forth largest army full-fill its supply needs during peace-time or war-time. Check out in these videos to find out what forms Indian Army's backbone..Njoy !

And they say Kashmir belongs to them

An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly that made the world community smile.

A representative from India began: 'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi(sage) Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named. When he struck a rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath.' He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.'

The Pakistani representative jumped up furiously and shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren't there then.'

The Indian representative smiled and said, 'And now that you have made that clear, I will begin my speech. 'And they say Kashmir belongs to them. :)'

India's true young Bofors : Shri Kiren Rijiju

As promised earlier, here is the video of Mr. Kiren Rijiju, a true energetic nationalist leader of the future. He is perhaps the only competition to Mr. Rahul Gandhi of Congress from BJP side. While he is not having the family label as his opponent, he sure has more "Indian" appeal to his character and ideology. Listen and feel his "Indian-ness" below...

Classic Example of Fun at Work : Gujarat Police

Did you know that Gujarat State police would provide Free escort services to girls at night after garba(Dance) for their safe return to home, keeping parents away from worries ? The Central Govt of India can take cues from Gujarat Govt which provides excellent work environment to the state police forces. Check out this video of Gujarat Police celebrating Navratri with AK-47 !!! What an original idea !! Can you cite any better example of fun at work !! It also tells us why any single girl would be able to roam alone at 3 am without any fear in Gujarat.

China hype in media

"Red Peril", "Dragon breathing Fire", these are some of the recent headlines showing tensions between India and China in Himalayan border region due to disputed border. Well,it must be thought in retrospection. If you think carefully, the hype in media underlines the psyche of Indian people who has come out of oppression, slavery and captivity only before 62 years. We Indians are paranoid about not falling victim to another cruel regime like the British Empire. It is rather a good thing that we are so much concerned about the every possible threat to our nation and we are bringing such issues to public debate by means of media. But the hype and discussion should not scare people nor should it create a notion that we cannot defend ourselves against Chinese communist regime. Do not forget we are the people who fought the British without a single gun and forced them to vacate our beloved nation. Today we are a nuclear power with 1.1 billion people willing to defend their freedom. China has no recent war experience which is very important for any Army. We have Kargil experience to our advantage. China can NOT defeat us just with their numerical edge in military equipments and manpower. Just to get an idea how seriously Indian Army is preparing to counter the border violations by Chinese, take a look at this video...And rest assured our mother-nation is safe and well-protected. Let those commies come, we are a big country. we have enough space to dig their graves.

China training terrorists "INSIDE" Indian state of Manipur

Mao said, " You wave a gun"

Like it or not, China has much better leaders who work their butt of for their motherland. Not only they will stand by what they believe in or what they speak, they will motivate their men for what they believe is the right cause. For instance, before 1962 war between India and China, Mao Zedong their leader then said, "You wave a gun," referring to Nehru, "and I'll wave a gun. We'll stand face to face and can each practice our courage." When was the last time any Indian leader stood up like that to back our Army/defense forces and boost their morale? I bring this up because these days there is lot of hue and cry about China grabbing Indian land inch by inch in Jammu and Kashmir, but then when the top leadership of country is cowardly, no amount of press reports can make any difference. It is for people to take their questions to the parliament through elected MLA/MP of their residential area. When at least one Indian from every constituency will force his/her MP to demand answers from Central Govt, we will be able to save our nation and stop loosing more and more land to communist bastards. Read the following small report to understand gravity of the situation on the India-China border. Following report is by PTI(Press Trust of India), one of the most trusted Indian media company.

By Sumir Kaul

Leh (JK), Sep 13 (PTI) The Chinese army has done some construction activities along the international border across Karakoram ranges in Ladakh sector for the first time since the 1962 stand-off between the two countries with a report of Jammu and Kashmir government saying that they have been taking "land in inches and not in yards".

The Chinese Army ? PLA ? has been engaged in construction activities across the Karakoram ranges which could be used for either stationing of additional personnel or mounting a camera for monitoring Indian troop movement, official sources said.

The Karakoram pass falls precisely on the boundary between India and China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, marking northern end of Sino-Indian border, known as the Line of Actual Control.

Muslim Demographics....

Friends,

A picture is worth thousands words, a video is worth million words. Check it out.

Become a terrorist, get paid by Congress run Indian Govt.

Dear Global Indians,

As promised, I continue to bring you news that Indian English media would purposedly not present to you. Please share with others and let truth spread.

YOU decide, who is communal and who is secular.

Our Indian English media these days is flooded with tainted reports on most of the Saffron leaders such as Narendra Modi, Lal Krushna(Yes in Gujarati its Krushna and not Krishna) Advani and Varun Gandhi. It is amazing to know how so called elite journalists can twist the facts,disregard the basic principles of journalism, disregard the judiciary and vilify a veteran leader who has done all the ground work for past six decades to bring up a true nationalist and secular political party. Read above and be your own judge.(Click on the image to read) Journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai, Karan Thapar, Barkha Dutt and Sagarika Ghosh who are offsprings of communism and pseudo-secularism will pay for their sins in this very life according to theory of Karma.

Did you learn this in your History book as a Kid in India?

Dear Global Indians,

Some of you may have learnt following by self-exploration on the internet but most of you would be enlightened to learn the following which unfortunately was NOT taught to us in history books during our school days in India..

Brief Introduction :Mr. Thomas Macaulay was a 19th-century British poet, historian and Whig politician and one of the two Members of Parliament for Edinburgh. He wrote extensively as an essayist and reviewer, and on British history. During colonized India under cruel British Raj,in 1833 in his position as the first law member of the Governor-general's council, he was credited for convincing the Governor-General to adopt English as the medium of instruction in higher education, from the sixth year of schooling onwards, rather than Sanskrit or Arabic then used in the institutions supported by the East India Company.

On 2nd February,1835 in his speech to the British Parliament he said,

Quote :

"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."

Unquote.

Honorable Shri Kiren Rijiju on Nation-building

Dear Friends,

As I promised earlier, I present to you a thought-provoking video by Shri. Kiren Rijiju. By far he is the most dynamic, most talented and most promising young politician that India has today. He represents India's "State of the rising sun", Arunachal Pradesh. That's is where India's international borders begin and stretches up to my state of Gujarat. I absolutely LOVE the part of the video where he says we greet people by various slogans here in Mumbai like "Namaste" or "Sat Sri Akal" or "Good Morning", but in Arunachal Pradesh there is only one Slogan, JAY HIND. My salute to such nationalist state. Its a shame that such a state has been neglected by AICC(All India National Congress) for decades as its tiny population did not form major vote-bank.

Its time to choose Nationalist Leader.

VOTE, OH MY INDIA VOTE...........




Translation of the lyrics.

Chalo Zara, Utho Zara >> Lets go,Lets get up,
Deshbhakti se Bhara >> Filled with Patriotism,
Netrutrva hai bula raha >> Leadership is calling you,

Ye ek Shankh-naad hai >>This is awakening call by "Shankh-naad" (Sound produced using large Sea-shells)
Pukarata Prabhaat hai >> Beautiful morning is calling you,
Uthani hogi ek Lahar >> We Need to generate New wave,
Ye Nirnayo ka hai prahar >> This is moment of decision.

Kyu much raha ye shor hai >> Why is all these noises,
Ye kiske haath dor hai >> Whose controlling/commanding who (from behind the scenes)
Na path se hath >> Never stray away from your path,
Tu ruk Zara >>Wait a bit,
Dhairya Dhar >> Be Patient
Na zuk Zara >>Never bow down down to odds,


Ye desh tera swpna hai, pahechaan hai, abhimaan hai >> This country is your dream,your identity, your pride,
Jo Hruday me dhadak raha wo tera swabhimaan hai >> The feeling that beats in your heart is your self-pride,

Jo zukna na jane na kabhi >> The one who never gives up (under pressure)
Har faisla jo le abhi >>The one who takes every decision right away,(Not procrastinating)
Jo loh ke irado se rachne ko taiyaar hai >>The one whose determination is as strong as Iron,

Drudhta jiska astra hai >> Confidence is his weapon,
Aur nirnaya jiska vaar hai >> Decisions are his actions/attacks,

Ye tat pe khal-bali si kyu >> Why so much perturbance on sea-shores,
Laher laher me ghaav kyu >> Why wounds along with every breeze,

Tu Nirnayo ki naav chun >> choose the boat with decisions,
Wahi to sachhi naav hai >> That's the only right boat,

Jo paar leke ja sake >> The one that takes you to the other side, (of troubles)
Wahi tera chunaav hai >> is the only right election.
Wahi tera chunaav hai >> is the only right election.

STRONG LEADER,DECISIVE Government, (Bhartiya Janata Party) BJP.

China is working towards diverting Brahmputra river away from India

China’s move to divert the Brahmaputra will force private power project developers in the North-East to be wary of investing with the hydrological risk of not having adequate water.

Article by S. Padmanabhan in Hindu Business Line on April 14th 2009.

China’s attempt to divert the Brahmaputra has reared its head again. The Chinese are apparently eyeing about 40 billion cubic metres, out of the annual average inflow of 71.4 billion, of the Brahmaputra’s waters. The river skirts China’s borders before dipping into India and Bangladesh. China has a serious need to feed water to its north-west territory, the Gobi Desert, which contains almost half the country’s total landmass, but only seven per ce nt of its freshwater. The Gobi occupies an area of 13,00,000 sq.km making it one of the largest deserts in the world. Desertification of Gobi since 1950s has expanded it by 52,000 sq.km and it is now just 160 km from Beijing. It is said to expand by 3 km per year.

China has the will and the necessary resources — manpower, technology and, above all, large foreign currency reserves in excess of a trillion dollars — to take the Brahmaputra diversion project forward; the country’s economic stimulus in infrastructure could create employment potential for more than a few million people.
Hydrological risk

What does this diversion mean for India? The move by the Chinese Government will put almost 40 per cent of India’s hydel potential in trouble. India has hydro potential of 1,50,000 MW, of which 50,000 MW is in the North-East. Arunachal Pradesh, mainly fed by Brahmaputra’s tributaries — Siang, Subansiri and Lohit — supports development of 28,500 MW hydro projects. Of this, 2,000 MW is under development by NHPC and almost 23,500 MW has been awarded to Reliance Power, Jaiprakash Power, Athena Energy and Mountain Falls Ltd, besides NHPC.

Most of the awarded projects are awaiting environmental clearances, which may take two-three years, before work can begin on the ground. Since Brahmaputra is fed mainly by melted water from the Himalayan glaciers, the hydrological flow is expected to be affected during the lean flow season (winters), affecting generation from the planned plants. A move by China to divert the water will force private developers to be wary of investing in projects with the hydrological risk of not having adequate water even during normal times.
Funding mechanism

With this in mind, the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) is reported to have recently held a joint meeting with the Home Ministry, the Planning Commission and the State Governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to work out a suitable funding and compensation mechanism for storage projects on the Siang, Subansiri and Lohit Rivers.

It was suggested at the meeting that 90 per cent of the funding of the flood moderation cost component of storage projects could be released to Arunachal Pradesh, which could then be passed on to the project authorities and, second, the amount equivalent to flood protection benefits accruing to Assam, as a result of the storage projects could be monetised and released to Arunachal Pradesh by the Planning Commission.

Hopefully, this should speed up the process of the project development so that the country can claim its first user right over the waters in terms of the MoU entered into between India and China in 2002.

The Brahmaputra flows 2,900 km from its source in the Kailash range of the Himalayas to its massive delta and the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. The river drains a vast area of nearly 9,36,800 sq. km. This river system forms the largest river delta and the third largest free water fall out into the Ocean in the world — next only to the Amazon and the Congo rivers. More people live in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river basin than Western Europe and the entire North American continent.
Issue to be addressed

This river system is of critical interest to all the four countries, including Nepal. China is an upper riparian state and, therefore, has the freedom and capacity to divert the river. Should that happen, the irreparable loss will result in destruction of a large part of the North-East and Bangladesh. This step will also drive millions of refugees from Bangladesh into India for their livelihood. There is thus an urgent need to address this issue trilaterally.

Water sustains life, environment and our culture. With global demand for water on the rise, we cannot be surprised if one country responds to its needs unilaterally; it is for us to take adequate steps before such disaster strikes.
(The author is a consultant in power.)

China Vetoes Indian ADB Loan

China has withheld approval for a multilateral development loan by the Asian Development Bank to India, the first time such a move has been taken. The situation is now worrying global leaders, concerned that an increase in China’s lobbying capabilities on an international basis will see a parallel increase in its veto powers being used for self interest, rather than global and regional purposes.

The loan was to have been used for projects in flood management, water supply and sanitation in the northeast region of Arunachal Pradesh, which China has territorial claims on. Although the area has never officially been part of China, the two countries fought a border war over the territory in 1962. China won that skirmish, but then pulled back its troops. China in recent times has however continued to claim the region as disputed and minor border incursions by China have not been uncommon. The area is agriculturally fertile. The other disputed border area China has with India is in the Himalayan plateau, on the border with Tibet. No recent conflicts have occurred in this location.

India was the biggest recipient of ADB loans last year, lending for projects worth close to US$3 billion. The ADB had never previously deferred a loan to the country.

The conflict raises concerns of future conflicts should China gain more concessions over voting rights and additional veto powers as part of its growing stature within the international community. Beijing is lobbying hard for a greater say within the IMF and other international organizations, and fears are if provided, China will use these to influence programs its sees impinge upon its national or political interests. China appears to be pursuing a path that could see it wield veto powers against projects or even rescue packages for countries that did not comply with China’s own political demands.

China's brutality in Tibet

Be aware that this video contains gruesome images that may be disturbing to viewers.This video is worth million words. It explains in a nutshell why I hate China and communism/communists. India must do everything to stop communism spreading within. Its demon that will engulf our democratic society that took 60 years to build.(And still building)

Taliban enters India

Islamic Terrorism in INDIA's Kashmir

Dear Indians,



The least I expect from everyone is to observe silence for a minute at the end of the video to pay homage to dead Kasmiri Pandits.If you feel the urge to do more,like how I have always asked in my posts, lets do something TOGETHER. Only our unity can solve such problems. Individual efforts will not gain momentum. It has to be mass movement.

Mighty Indian Navy in 1741 : Battle of Colachel

The Battle of Colachel: In remembrance of things past

A dramatic and virtually unknown past, in an area of bucolic calm surrounded by spectacular hills: that is Colachel, a name that should be better known to us. For this is where, in 1741, an extraordinary event took place -- the Battle of Colachel. For the first, and perhaps the only time in Indian history, an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force.

The ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma, routed an invading Dutch fleet; the Dutch commander, Delannoy, joined the Travancore army and served for decades; the Dutch never recovered from this debacle and were never again a colonial threat to India.

It was a remarkable achievement for a small princely state; yet not one of my Indian friends has ever heard of the Battle of Colachel. This, in my opinion, is another example of our sadly skewed education -- we have adopted wholesale a Macaulayite curriculum that was designed to drum into Indians the notion that we were inherently inferior, mere powerless pawns in a European-dominated world.

We study events where Indians were crushed, massacred, trounced, humiliated: Plassey, Panipat, Tarain, Chittor, the failed First War of Independence, Jallianwallah Bagh. We study about every invader, from Alexander the Macedonian onwards, who came over the Himalayan passes and laid waste to the land. We study the disastrous history of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

We never hear of the far more lustrous history of the Peninsula -- not of Rajendra Chola's maritime Southeast Asian empire, nor the wealth and power of fabled Vijayanagar, nor the chivalrous chaver suicide squads in the Zamorin's kingdom at Kozhikode, nor even about perhaps the greatest of Indian philosophers, the Buddhist Nagarjuna.

Colachel is on the route from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari, which has some dramatic shifts of scenery. You drive down the ill-named National Highway 47, in reality an overcrowded two-lane road with no centre divider, no more than a city street with a continuous population along its entire length.

A typical interior Kerala landscape surrounds you -- tropical abundance, coconut palms, rice fields, plenty of greenery, banyan, jackfruit, tamarind and mango trees, and houses within a stone's throw of the road. Then you cross into Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, and you pass my personal landmark, a century-old aqueduct.

Suddenly, without warning, the landscape opens up -- you come upon an immense flood-plain, with paddy fields, lotus-filled pools, a small river, and occasional clumps of banana trees stretching all the way to the horizon. Except, that is, where the hills are -- the very last redoubts of the Western Ghats, as the land yields grudgingly to the oceans at the Cape: A series of jagged and menacing peaks towering over you.

One especially well-shaped, conical mount resembles, in its symmetry, the Grand Tetons of Wyoming; but otherwise, the forbidding, brooding peaks of granite remind you of rogue elephants. Nestled incongruously amongst these hills is Mahendragiri, where the Indian Space Research Organisation's rocket testing facility is located.

It behooves us to understand that even at the height of the European colonisation spree, there were Indians capable of resisting and winning. Most of us know that in 1905, the Japanese under Admiral Tojo trounced the Russians in the Yellow Sea. This is considered the first example of an Asian power defeating a European power in a naval engagement. Yet here we have little Travancore defeating the Dutch two-and-a-half centuries ago; the same Dutch who went on to conquer and dominate the entire Indonesian archipelago.

As the saying goes, those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. History is one of the most precious possessions of a people; the other being their common culture. Somehow, a common Indian culture has emerged over several millennia; nevertheless, we have been distressingly lax about remembering our past.

Background

Almost all the pepper that the Dutch imported into their country came from the Great kingdom of Kayamkulam. When the then Maharajah of Travancore, Marthanda Varma, realised that the Rajah of Kayamkulam was involved in certain conspiracies against him, he became bent on destroying Kayamkulam and annexing the kingdom. This endangered Dutch interests and Marthanda Varma, who feared the British would give the rights of pepper trade to them, ending the Dutch monopoly. With this in view the Dutch Governor wrote of Marthanda Varma asking him to end aggressions against Kayamkulam to which the Maharajah wrote back asking him not to interfere in matters that did not concern him. The Governor then met the Maharajah in person and threatened war on the basis that they were a "superior" power. The interview was closed by a scornful remark from the Maharajah that if the "superior" power should attack them "there were forests in Travancore into which he and his people could retire in safety" and that he had himself been planning to invade Europe with his fishermen. This last interview ended, thus, in tension and the Governor decided to attack Travancore.

The Battle

The battle began when a force of Dutch marines under the leadership of a Flemish commander, Captain Eustachius De Lannoy (also spelt D'lennoy) were sent to Travancore to secure a trading post from the Raja. They landed with artillery in Kulachal, then a small but important coastal town, and captured the territory up to Padmanabhapuram, the then-capital of Travancore. The arrival of the Raja's army from the north forced the Dutch to take up defensive positions in Kulachal, where they were attacked and defeated by the Travancore Nair forces. The key element of the Raja's army was his personal army, known as the Travancore Nair Brigade or locally known as the Nair Pattalam. This unit was later integrated into the Indian Army as the 9th Battalion Madras Regiment and the 16th Battalion Madras Regiment in 1954.

Some twenty eight Dutch soldiers were taken prisoner. After the defeat, the commander joined the Raja's army in return for his life being spared, and served in it for over two decades.

A pillar of victory which gives details about the war still stands near the coast of Colachel. There are some folk tales among the local Mukkuvar people about this war. The tale says among other things that the local Mukkuvar (Malayalam for fishermen) fishermen were asked to stand along the beach in multiple rows with their oars kept along the shoulders so that it would appear like soldiers standing with their guns. This might have been a trick meant to create a psychological fear for the Dutch navy. The local christian fishermen, cooperated very much with the Raja's Nairs during this war.

Impact

A direct outcome of the event at Kulachal was the takeover of the black pepper trade by the state of Travancore. This development was to have serious repercussions on the Dutch and the trading world of Kerala at large. In 1753 the Dutch signed the Treaty of Mavelikkara with the Raja agreeing not to obstruct the Raja's expansion, and in turn, to sell to him arms and ammunition. This marked the beginning of the end of Dutch influence in India. The VOC continued to sell Indonesian spices and sugar in Kerala until 1795, at which time the English conquest of the Kingdom of Kochi ended their rule in India.

Capitan De Lannoy, who joined his service, was promoted to the Senior Admiral (Valiya Kappithan), and modernised the Travancore army by introducing firearms and artillery. He was granted the Udayagiri fort (now also known as D'Lennoy's fort) to reside.

Tributes

• The Indian government has built a pillar of victory in Kulachal to commemorate the event.
• The Indian Post Department released a Rupee 5 stamp on April 1, 2004 to commemorate the tercentenary (300th anniversary) of the raising of the 9th Battalion of Madras Regiment.

P.S.: PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO THANK Indian Congress party for they decided to educate you through school history books on how Britishers and others humiliated us for centuries but suppressed stories like thess which spoke volumes about India's glorious past.

Sources: Wikipedia and Rajeev Srinivasan (Writer on Rediff)

Rahul Gandhi says India is bigger than USA !!!!

Guys,
Either to laugh your belly off or to feel sorry about this Indian leader is matter of choice. Either way you just cannot afford to miss this video.

Facts about China you MUST know.

Eavesdrop some shop-owners chit-chat at any shop in any main bazaar across towns in India and you will hear one common tune. They all boast about how cheap Chinese goods keep the cash-registers full and business strong. I hate to pin-point but they fail to realize that their profiteering is only making their enemies strong. A common man needs to be made aware of Communist China's present day geographical ambitions and that they have not yet returned OUR land of North-Eastern Kashmir(referred as Aksai Chin) which they seized in 1962.(Lets bow our heads for our leaders who chose to forsake the issue)Political leaders like Kiren Rijiju or Swadeshi activists' voices get lost in thick crowds of buzzing Indian metropolises. What is more discomforting is that its not only making enemies strong but at the same time makes us weak. How ? By providing sub-standard quality FMCG goods such as milk,cheese and water.I wish I could go to those shop-keepers and explain that even if you don't understand how your business is aiding our enemy, you should know that a lot of Chinese products contain melamine which is highly toxic and VERY harmful to you as well as your customers. Here are some facts and figures about what I call "Melamine Menace".

What happens when Melamine contaminated milk/food is digested ?
Melamine remains inside the kidney. It forms into stones blocking the tubes. Pain will be eminent and person cannot urinate.Kidney will then swell.Although surgery can remove the stones,but it will cause irreversible kidney damage.It can lead to loss of kidney function and will require kidney dialysis or lead to death because of uremia.

Did you know that India is the only country with whom China has chose to NOT to settle border issue through dialogues?? They settled their border issues with Russia and North Korea in a peaceful way by negotiations. Rather they threaten us from time to time that they will annex Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim which they consider their territory ?? Does that sound like my personal crazy thought ? Its actually not. Now even Indian Army is going public about their fear of sudden and swift assault by PLA(People's Liberation Army of China).This is a grave situation.What it means is that IA(Indian Army) is throwing its hands up in the air saying we are not prepared to face China because our defense demands have not been met in past 20 years by uneducated idiots in the parliament and we cannot face a huge PLA army without much required equipments,weaponry and infrastructure.Whose to blame? Army ? Politicians ? No,the highly educated class of India which forms 40% of the population and prioritizes Coffee at Barista over voting once in five years. Don't you just feel like punching such educated idiots? They are worthless citizens adding to the number of population. Interestingly they are also the same people who will complain and whine about ills of India. Read attached article from Hindustan Times.Once you finish reading the piece join me in praying God to save India ! Or optionally lets march to Sansad and demand guarantee for our beloved mother nation's security from fat headed babus sitting there.Choice is yours! (Believe me, I will quit my job in USA and come back to India if there are people willing to kick start group efforts)

I am proud of this Rajya-Sabha member.

It is a very lovely and beautiful day today. Its because not everyday someone like Shri Mahmood A. Madani will stand up and speak on behalf of the entire nation in a public summit. It becomes all the more important when the speaker is from the world of politics at a national stage. Shri Mahmood A. Madani is Rajya-Sabha (Upper house of Indian Parliament) memeber who recently was one of the high-profile attendees at India Today conclave on 6th and 7th March 2009. His words during the summit made me so proud that I could not wait a moment to write this piece up and share the video with you all.He is exactly the kind of Indians we need to become super-power. There should be only ONE identity of a billion+ people, "INDIAN". Period. Njoy the Video..Jay ho !

Facts about Rahul Gandhi you must know.

These days a growing Indian young population is welcoming Rahul Gandhi's entry into national politics. Upon entering the politics he has attempted to take Mr. Narendra Modi head on with his vicious verbal attacks. As a silent politics observer I find this very amusing. To me this is like Venktesh Prasad coming in as an opening batsman in a highly anticipated one day match attempting to hit six on the first delivery of Shoaib Akhtar(Rawalpindi Express).While I love the fact that young Indians are getting plugged into Indian main stream politics, I wish they work hard on fact finding. It is for that reason I would like to share with young Indians following facts about Rahul Gandhi and improve their knowledge base. Njoy !! (Dr. Swamy in the video is Harvard Graduate)

Why nationalists Love Mr. Narendra Modi ?

Here is a simple question that I put forward. Why people of Gujarat whole heartedly LOVE Mr. Narendra Modi(3rd time Chief minister of Gujarat with full majority in Vidhan-sabha) and why rest hate him. The answer is simple. Those who are willing to take up India's enormous problems as challenges love him for his optimism and energy. He is not afraid to ask questions on issues that really matters to us as a nation. He is not afraid to take actions that will change India at grass root level. Modi bashers/haters are those who likes to live in India "as it is" without making efforts to "change" things/systems. In my humble opinion only those living with "I dont care for my country(India)" tends to hate him as change is sometimes painful. People who cant bear short-lived troubles for long term benefits that comes with "change" loves to hate him.

Following is sample of his direct line of questioning to Congress led government and failure of India's Home minister to allay his concerns. Home ministers seems to be loosing his sanity.

From The Hindu (Wednesday, February 11, 2009 : 2230 Hrs)

Modi, Chidambaram locked in war of words over Mumbai attacks

New Delhi/Ahmedabad (PTI): Home Minister P Chidambaram and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi were on Wednesday locked in a war of words over the controversial remarks made by Modi recently on the Mumbai terror attacks.

"You should ask Narendra Modi whether he and Pakistan are in contact with each other," Chidambaram told reporters in the morning when asked about Modi's remarks that the Mumbai terror attacks would not have been possible without support from locals.

on Tuesday night, Modi said he was quoted out of context. "I meant to say that if Pakistan executed such a massive operation then it would not have been possible without a local recce. There must have been some networking. The Indian Government should also probe that angle," Modi said.

Reacting to Chidambaram's remarks, Modi hit back asking him what kind of "friendship" he has with Pakistan that the Centre has not completed fencing work on Gujarat border.

"I ask Mr Chidambaram, why you have not completed the fencing of Gujarat border with Pakistan. What kind of friendship you have with Pakistan," Modi said.

He was addressing a gathering of BJP workers on the death anniversary of BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhayay here.

"Don't force me to react, or it will be difficult for you to handle what I say," Modi said.

Mr. Home Minister, now answer him back.....WE AWAIT YOUR REPLY.

How countries deal with separatists ?

Every time a young leader like Shri Kiren Rijiju(14th Lok Sabha member elected from Arunachal Pradesh on BJP's ticket) calls for strong action necessary to guard nations borders, other Lok Sabha members can be seen yawning,talking on the phone, chit-chatting or at best sleeping. This time I want to share wisdom of (again) Shri Arun singh ji(retired Vice-Admiral, Eastern Naval Command,Indian Navy) on how other countries deal with separatist movements within their states. Also very soon I will share great articles written by Shri Kiren Rijiju about the urgency required for us as a nation to look into Arunachal Pradesh's border problems.

Following is excerpts of his words as appeared in Asian Age on August 28th,2009.

QUOTE:
"We need to look at how other nations have dealt with secessionists and terror. Russia used brute, overwhelming force in Chechnya because it realised that after the breakup of the USSR, Chechnya would be the catalyst for further disintegration. How have Spain and Britain dealt with Basque separatists and Ireland - did they give them "azadi"? What about China's application of brute force in Tibet? Look at how Sri Lanka is fighting and using not only its Army, but also the Air Force and Navy to fight terrorists and separatists. Can we learn from their experiences before it's too late?

The time has come to stop the policy of appeasement and deal with Kashmir firmly, but fairly, because the future of a secular, democratic modern India is at stake. No leniency should be shown to anyone talking about "azadi" or dual currency or waving the Pakistani flag. Any talk of aiding and abetting secession, a la Arundhati Roy, must be dealt with under the existing law - the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967. India must formally declare that it is in a state of war with terrorism within our borders. The time has come to deal firmly with Pakistan and fight fire with fire, since political and diplomatic niceties seem to further embolden the Pakistan Army and the ISI." UNQUOTE

Anyone willing to take up case against politicians responsible for not taking actions against those secessionists who boldly host Pakistani Flag at every crossroad in Kashmir Valley in India ?? If I had a watch that can turn me into "Mr.India" I would most likely use that to assassinate those vote hungry, disgusting, character-less politicians who have allowed India's problems to grow tremendously by not paying attention to it for decades.

Divine Indian Prophecy :Repeating 1962.India will loose against China in future war.

With a heavy heart as an Indian nationalist,I share with you report indicating immediate danger to our country.India is only waiting to be victim of Chinese aggression as in the past in 1962 and face another face-loosing war. BECAUSE YOU, THE CITIZEN OF INDIA FAILED TO FORCE POLITICIANS INTO ACTION TO PROTECT OUR MOTHERLAND.(I QUESTIONED THOUSAND TIMES, NOT ANSWERED SO FAR)

Following report is written by Arun Kumar Singh, retired Vice-Admiral, Eastern Command,Indian Navy.

DECCAN CHRONICLE, Hyderabad , India
January 26th, 2009

On the eve of India’s 59th Republic Day, while reports of terror threats come in, few have read the Chinese media articles of “teaching India a lesson” on Arunachal Pradesh. In India doubts remain about control of India’s “nuclear button,” while the PM recuperates post-surgery at a time when the future of Pakistan and the safety of its nuclear weapons is under global debate. Terrorism, “nukes” and the Chinese threat make a deadly cocktail.
The Western world has kept a close watch on events in South Asia after 26/11. A fortnight ago I was on a television panel discussing the latest Rand Corporation Report on the theoretical “one bomb each” nuclear exchange scenario between India and Pakistan. In this six-stage scenario, India finally reacts militarily to Pakistani terror strikes. And in the final stage, responding to an advancing Indian conventional military thrust, Pakistan uses one of its 20-kiloton uranium bombs on Jodhpur, and India retaliates with a single 200-kiloton thermonuclear plutonium device on Pakistan’s Hyderabad before a ceasefire comes into force.
If the Rand Corporation Report is correct then India does possess the “optimum bomb,” albeit untested.
It is my opinion that, in an unlikely doomsday scenario, a dozen such 200-kiloton devices would suffice to knock Pakistan back to the pre-stone age era.
Pakistan, which has been doing daily diplomatic flip-flops since 26/11, sees the change in guard at Washington as a golden opportunity to use brinkmanship to get another $15 billion worth of gifted arms and a $60 billion grant from the new Obama administration.
On January 10, 2009, India TV telecast a brief interview of former ISI chief, Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul (Retd), where he said (in Urdu), “Look what 10 boys did in Mumbai. If 10,000 to 12,000 are sent, then Bharat ko naani yaad aayegi (India will remember its granny)”. Such statements indicate that Pakistan’s Army has not given up its goal of dismembering India.
In India much needs to be done urgently. My comments and questions — which should be addressed as soon as possible, ideally before the nation swings into election mode — are:
l What are the preventive measures — organisational, accountability, manpower, hardware — that have been approved and budgeted for time-bound implementation?
l When will the government undo the demoralising impact the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission have had on the military?
l Are we prepared for a simultaneous, conventional China-Pak threat?
l Is there a need to review India’s nuclear “no first strike” policy? Does it cater to a simultaneous China-Pak threat?
l How will we respond if terrorists use WMDs?
l Given its failure during the Bihar and Assam floods of 2008, is the newly set up disaster management authority ready and equipped to deal with the effects of WMDs? (In Hiroshima, 90 per cent of the doctors and medical staff were killed in the first few seconds of the blast.)
l An audit of our port security needs to be done, specially for “actual” ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) code compliance. Some coastal states do not even have a state maritime board.
l The IEA (International Energy Agency) stipulates that nations should keep 90 days’ “strategic oil reserves”. India’s strategic oil reserves, being increased from 15 to 45 days, should finally reach 90 days. Pakistan has oil reserves of 21 days, China 30 days (increasing to 90 days) and the US 180 days.
The 7,000-strong Indian Coast Guard (ICG) would be marking its 31st Raising Day on February 1. Presently, this professional but tiny and ill-equipped force cannot meet the ground reality of “no war-no peace”. The long-ignored ICG needs to double its strength by 2015, and again by 2020. In the interim, most of its coastal security tasks would need to be augmented by the Navy.
Legally, the peacetime role of the Navy does not cover maritime terror or coastal and port security. However, common sense dictates that the Navy play a major interim role in combating coastal and blue water terror from the sea, while simultaneously combating piracy in the distant Gulf of Aden. Hence, in addition to doubling the size of the Navy by 2020, new legislation needs to be urgently put in place to enable the following:
l The government needs to emulate the American system which permits any US Navy ship to carry out US Coast Guard (USCG) tasks, simply by having one USCG officer on board and hoisting the USCG flag (in addition to the Navy Ensign) at the time of action.
l Permit Indian naval ships to stop and search any suspected ship in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, i.e. 200nm from the coast), well before it enters Indian port.
India could also emulate the website of the US homeland security department which, in addition to “do’s & don’ts,” gives citizens an updated terrorist attack threat warning, separately on the nation and domestic and international flights in the following simple five-colour code: Red (severe threat of terrorist attacks); Orange (high threat); Yellow (elevated threat); Blue (guarded threat); Green (low threat).
The Indian leadership needs to focus on combating asymmetric terror strikes by all available means. Remember this quote from Leon Trotsky:“You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you”. War is indeed terrible, but defeat is worse. India desperately needs leaders of the calibre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indira Gandhi if it wants to win its war on terror.

Vice-Admiral Arun Kumar Singh retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam

India Rising part 1

India Rising part 2

How India lost Political battle against Pakistan after 26/11

Friends, Its my firm belief that only and outsider can paint a real/neutral picture of any ongoing conflict between nations. For long, I have loved this journalist for his outstanding coverage and unmatched detailed analysis...Please Read,Share and Remember !

By : M. J. Akbar, Arab News (Published Sunday 25 January 2009)

Pakistan has advantage over India.

Foreign policy is not made in a day, much less on inauguration day. The smiles that broke out in Delhi when President Barack Obama cautioned Pakistan that nonmilitary aid would be cut if it did not curb domestic terrorism were premature. In any case, it is military aid rather than civilian aid to Islamabad which should be of more concern to Delhi, but the government in Delhi has become so dependent on the United States that it gets pleased with very little. An inaugural speech can only be peppered with markers that will slowly be fleshed into policy. But amateurs in Delhi have rushed to judgment where professionals fear to tread.

There was an air of simulation in the bluster with which Pakistan reacted. The boys of Islamabad know a charade when they see it; they are experts in the game themselves, after all. They don’t need spectacles to read between the lines of Obama’s South Asia policy.

Obama, still brimming with the audacity of hope, has promised peace all over the world and war in one corner: Afghanistan. Pakistan is not very competent in the disbursement of peace. Its expertise lies in the dissemination of war, by declaration or proxy, on enemy territory or the land of friends. And now of course it is fighting more than one war on its own soil. Pakistan knows that America cannot fight in Afghanistan without force, intelligence and logistical support provided by Pakistan. As long as this material situation does not change, America needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs America. Pakistan has decided to not merely extract a financial price for this support, but also a political price.

London and Washington already know what the price is, and are getting ready to pay it in some abbreviated form. Pakistan has begun with a tremendous advantage over India in the Washington diplomatic game. It engaged with the Obama campaign and the transition team, while Indian diplomats, taking their cue from Dr. Manmohan Singh’s near-obsessive love for George W. Bush, concentrated totally on Bush and the Republicans. This has been a great failure of foreign policy for which we have already begun to suffer. Pakistan has persuaded key advisers of Obama that it cannot fight the Taleban with its full resources as long as it has to simultaneously defend its border with India. The Indian threat can only be lowered with a resolution of the Kashmir issue. Therefore, it is time America and Britain persuaded India to discuss and settle Kashmir.

In an extraordinary maneuver, Pakistan turned around the Mumbai terror attack, organized on its soil. From predator, it refashioned itself into a victim. It used the war rhetoric from the Indian government to warn the West that it would pull out of the war against the Taleban. Delhi’s hot air proved doubly insipid. It did not frighten Pakistan one bit, but it scared the wits out of Washington and London, who rushed to Delhi and leaned on it. Delhi succumbed. India has lost twice over through Mumbai. It has become a laughing stock at security conferences. And it has allowed what could have been a diplomatic coup against Pakistan to become a diplomatic coup against India. This is incompetent governance, not just abysmal security.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was audacious enough to contradict India’s prime minister on Indian soil, by saying that the terrorist attack was not sponsored by the Pakistan government, and that India had better do something about the core cause, Kashmir. Instead of snubbing him, Rahul Gandhi, Congress’ proxy prime minister, took Miliband for some private tourism of poverty. British correspondents in Delhi have applauded Miliband for telling it like it is, throwing in a sentence that this is going to be Obama’s line as well.

Hillary Clinton, the incoming secretary of state, has already enunciated the Obama doctrine at her confirmation hearings in the Senate. The “hard power” of Bush will be replaced by “smart power.” This has been defined as the application of a “full range of tools ... diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural” in the pursuit of American interests. Pentagon awe will be accompanied by nudge and arm-twist. By the time the twisting is over, Delhi might need a heavy bandage on the elbow.

Obama’s policy toward South Asia will be controlled by the compulsions of a war he wants to win in a hurry, before fatigue and a rising death toll turn it into another Iraq, or, worse, Vietnam. The battlefield will not be Afghanistan alone. American forces might soon have to fight in the western half of Pakistan, from Karachi to Swat, which is already being christened Talibanestan (the eastern half still remains Pakistan). Americans have reached that curious state of mind in which they want to win wars without losing soldiers. Their military research is concentrating on the robotization of the armed forces where even the infantry could become mechanical instead of human. But that is a long way ahead. The war for Afghanistan will be won or lost long before that.

Muslims across the world are taking comfort in the semantics of Obama’s initial remarks. After being misbespoken to for eight years, it must be a relief to hear correct grammar. Some of them have taken partial ownership of his presidency because he used his middle name, Hussein, while taking the oath. But the issue is not what Obama says. It is what he does.

Will he be able to get a resolution to Palestine except on harsh Israeli terms? Even if we ignore his campaign rhetoric — he could hardly afford to alienate the most powerful lobby in the United States — there are powerful interests protecting the expansionist reach of Israel. At all events, it will not be easy. Neither will be a victory in Afghanistan. As pressure mounts on him, he will be tempted to mount pressure on India through Kashmir.

It is going to be a complicated game, which might drift endlessly to a point where every side looks like a loser. Hope needs to be handled very carefully if it wants to remain audacious.

Inaugural Post on how India had to "back off" from war in 2008.

Dear Indians,

First of all I convey my special thanks to my friend and colleague,Nishant Sheth for all the motivation he provided me to share my patriotism with friends by starting up a blog. On carefully picked day for the launch of my blog,26th January,60th Republic day of my beloved motherland, in my inaugural post, I would like to share with you the REAL "behind the scenes" story of what happened in long,beautiful and empty corridors of South Block in New Delhi after 26th November,2008, post terrorist attacks on Mumbai. For beginners, South Block is that part of the magnificent Secretariat Building where office of the defense minister of India resides. It is the same building which houses Office of India's Prime Minister, office of the home minister, office of external affairs minister and finance minister. The truthfulness of the following story has been confirmed with me by very high positioned figure in New Delhi.

Before reading the article everyone should clearly understand that N-war between India-Pakistan is NEVER going to become reality. Here is the reason why. If Pakistan was to ever DARE to Nuke India, they know very well that retaliation will be so much more powerful that it will wipe out entire Pakistan as a nation. So all those people saying "Oh !! we should not forget they have Nukes" are mistaken. Nukes looses their appeal if your enemy is even bigger nuclear power, which is the case for Pakistan in context to India and which is also the case for India in context to China. So nuking India would be a suicidal move for Pakistan, which they VERY well know and despite all the vocal threats from their leaders, they will NEVER use nukes against us in real war. In simpler words, we can afford to nuke them, they CANNOT !! This is to say we can confidently go to war with them without worrying about nukes because they can never challenge us in conventional non-nuclear warfare. Their forces are inferior to ours in terms of size,quality and equipments. That being said, If there is someone who should fear war, its them not us !!

Neutrality of the following article is disputed. Nevertheless, present PM(Manmohan Singh) owes answers to every INDIAN to questions raised in the report. So I request DEMAND answer from lame duck politicians. It is OUR country. If we won't demand answers, who else will ? THE TIME TO DEMAND ANSWERS IS NOWWWW. Call them/E-mail them/Fax them....Ask me for contact info.

By Siddharth Srivastava, NEW DELHI

Indian army 'backed out' of Pakistan attack

- Reluctance for battle by an ill-prepared army could have resulted in India not launching an attack on Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pakistan-linked terror attack in the Indian city of Mumbai on November 26 in which nearly 200 people died. High-level government sources have told Asia Times Online that army commanders pressed the political leadership
in New Delhi that an inadequate and obsolete arsenal at their disposal mitigated against an all-out war.

The navy and air force, however, had given the government the go-ahead about their preparedness to carry out an attack and repulse any retaliation from Pakistan. Over the past few weeks, it has become increasingly apparent from top officials in the know that the closed-door meetings of top military commanders and political leaders discussed the poor state of the armory (both ammunition and artillery), and that this tilted the balance in favor of not striking at Pakistan.

According to senior officials, following the attack on Mumbai by 10 militants linked to Pakistan, India's top leadership looked at two options closely - war and hot pursuit.

Largely for the reasons cited above, the notion of an all-out war was rejected. Hot pursuit, however, remains very much on the table.

The government sources say that a framework for covert operations is being put in place, although India will continue to deny such actions. Crack naval, air and army forces backed by federal intelligence agencies will be involved. The target areas will be Pakistan-administered Kashmir and areas along the Punjab, such as Multan, where some of the Mumbai attackers are believed to have been recruited.

The coastal belt from the southern port city of Karachi to Gwadar in Balochistan province will also be under active Indian surveillance.

Thumbs down to war

Following the Mumbai attack, New Delhi's inclination was to launch a quick strike against Pakistan to impress domestic opinion, and then be prepared for a short war, given the pressures that would be exercised by international powers for a ceasefire to prevent nuclear war breaking out.

The expectation of New Delhi was that the war would go beyond the traditional skirmishes involving artillery fire that take place at the Kashmir border, essentially to check infiltration by militants, or the brief but bloody exchanges at Kargil in 1999.

It was in this context that the army made it apparent that it was not equipped to fight such a war, given the military's presence along the eastern Chinese borders, and that India was at risk of ceding territory should an instant ceasefire be brokered with Pakistan.

This would have been highly embarrassing, not to mention political suicide for the Congress-led government in an election year. So instead, New Delhi restricted itself to a strident diplomatic offensive that continues to date, and the option of hot pursuit.

The air force, on the other hand, was confident that it was prepared to take on the first retaliatory action by Pakistan, expected at forward air force bases along India's borders in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Indian-administered Kashmir. The role of the navy in the operations was not clearly defined, but it was to cover from the Arabian Sea.

Not ready to fight

Various experts, former generals and independent reports have voiced concern over the past few years about the state of preparedness of the Indian army.

For example, the Bofors gun scandal of the 1980s stymied the army's artillery modernization plan, with no induction of powerful guns since the 1986 purchase of 410 Bofors 155mm/39-caliber howitzers. The army has been trying to introduce 400 such guns from abroad and another 1,100 manufactured domestically, without success.

The latest report by the independent Comptroller and Auditor General said the state's production of 23mm ammunition for Shilka anti-aircraft cannons and 30mm guns mounted on infantry combat vehicles lacked quality. Further, supply was nearly 35% short of requirements.

India's huge tank fleet is in bad shape due to a shortage of Russian spare parts, while indigenous efforts, such as the main battle tank Arjun, have failed.

Signs of trouble emerged during the Kargil war when it was revealed that India's defense forces were dealing with acute shortages in every sphere.

In remarks that underscored the problems, the then-army chief, V P Malik, said his forces would make do with whatever was in hand, given the fears of a full-scale war that was eventually avoided due to pressure by America, then under president Bill Clinton.

The Kargil review committee report noted, "The heavy involvement of the army in counter-insurgency operations cannot but affect its preparedness for its primary role, which is to defend the country against external aggression."

Although there have been attempts to hasten India's overall defense modernization program, estimated at over US$50 billion over the next five years, gaping holes need to be plugged, including corruption and massive delays in the defense procurement processes.

India's defense expenditure has dipped below 2% of gross domestic product for the first time in decades, despite experts BEGGING 3% as adequate.

Other defense arms are in dire need of enhancement. Fighter jet squadrons are much below required strength, while the bidding process for medium fighter planes has only just begun and may take a few years to complete.

Meanwhile, the prospects of an India-Pakistan conflict are not over. India's army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, said last week that Pakistan had redeployed troops from its Afghan border to the western frontier with India. "The Indian army has factored this in its planning," Kapoor said.

Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com.(Copyright 2009 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

Truth about Pakistan's Nuclear program.