Dear Colleagues,
You all would have heard the news of K Subramanyam’s sad demise on 2 Feb 2011. Born in 1929, he was the most well known strategic analyst who wielded considerable influence in India’s security policy formation. Founding Director of our Institute of Defence Studies, he also chaired many committees and commissions of inquiry. This included one on the Kargil War.
He had argued in favour of our military intervention in East Pakistan in 1971. This had attracted criticism from several quarters including from our then Army Chief Sam Manekshaw.
Subramanyam was a major advocate of the 2007 Indo-US Nuclear Deal, thus adding strong support to the Manmohan Singh government that was facing still opposition on the issue. In fact he might have also played a formal role in helping the deal come through.
He was one of the few eminent Indian strategists who pushed hard for a pre-emptive strike on Pakistan's Kahuta nuclear complex in early 1980s when news broke that Pakistan was in advanced stage of developing a bomb. He must have foreseen the coming Pakistani nuclear blackmail, of which General Harwant has spoken eloquently in his Tribune article today click here. Views may differ but there is no denying the fact that India is still paying the price for missing that opportunity. Pakistan's support to Punjab militancy and the initiation of a jihad in Kashmir, not to speak of Mumbai and other terrorist attacks, would perhaps never have happened had India paid heed to Subrahmanyam's advice.
In K Subramanyam’s passing away we have lost a great thinking mind.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
K Subrahmanyam (1929 - 2011), the strategic guru for most Indian security analysts who passed away on Feb 2 after a long struggle with diabetes and cancer combined the finest qualities of head and heart. A civil servant who shunned the trappings of power in a hierarchy obsessed society - he opted for the monk like austerity of the think-tank.
K Subrahmanyam - Strategic Guru: Read more
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