Dear All,
My article that appeared in The Tribune today is appended below.
Regards.
(Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, Former VCOAS)
Dialogue with Pakistan
Need to address Pak Army’s security concerns
by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)
Sadly, India has been unable to generate counter-strategies to put Pakistan on the defensive. For our strategic thinking is abysmally poor. Our undue reliance on ‘soft power’ propels us to opt for the soft options. And our political leadership has been unable to correctly gauge the true feelings of our citizens towards Pakistan.
Soft power is, no doubt, important but it is not a substitute for hard power. Both have to be wielded in tandem, varying the mix in accordance with the prevailing situation. The perceptions of the national polity are also important. The common man in India, although wedded to non-violence, strongly believes that Pakistan cannot be trusted. Till now, Pakistan has taken no concrete action to change this perception, but continues to nurture and use the Jihadi card.
Before we embark on a resumption of the composite dialogue, our leadership would do well to carry out a deeper analysis of what we would gain as no substantive changes in the policies and stances of Pakistan can be discerned.
The writer is a former Vice-Chief of the Indian Army
Click link to read the full article
Need to address Pak Army’s security concerns
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