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Ashok K Mehta
Ashok K Mehta is a retired Lt General of the Indian Army. He writes extensively on defence matters and anchors Defence Watch on Doordarshan
Stalemate in Ladakh
India has accepted a China-dictated disengagement model: The creation of buffer zones while withdrawing from its own territory and forfeiting legitimate rights of patrolling Twelve weeks after the intrusions in Ladakh, Lt Gen YK Joshi, in charge of managing the Line of Control (LoC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC)...
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Muddling through
15 July 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Stand up to the dragon
02 July 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Not an ordinary face-off
17 June 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Reset ties with Nepal
01 June 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Power games in Nepal
20 May 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Afghan quest continues
06 May 2020 | Ashok K Mehta -
Sun will shine, again
22 April 2020 | Ashok K Mehta
Diplomacy is the key
Surgical strikes after Uri and at Balakot have not ended terrorism and infiltration has increased despite lockdown. The post-COVID-19 environment may provide a window to restart process For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the use of surgical strikes has become the new-normal in resolving intractable problems like cross-border terrorism, black money and...
Foreign policy put to test
For Nepal, balancing India and China is challenging; expecting it to also balance America and Beijing would be walking a tightrope. For India, regaining space lost to China will be a long haul I go to Nepal twice a year. Once during Holi and the other on Tihar (Nepali bhai dooj)...
Neighbourhood challenge
Irrespective of India’s Look East and Act East policy, bilateral relations between New Delhi and Naypyidaw have been stalled because of China’s dominance Following an infructuous spell of looking east, India’s Act East Policy (AEP) is hobbled by snags in connectivity, continuing insurgencies, agitations, blockades and extortion in the North-east and...
Door to diplomacy
As we celebrate the first anniversary of Balakot, one of the biggest challenges facing the Indian subcontinent and West Asia is of managing cross-border air strikes On the first anniversary of Balakot, which is today, challenges of managing cross-border air strikes are worth recalling. Prevention of high-stake military action — initiation...
No josh in defence Budget
Winning elections and wars are not in the same league. The Govt can no longer camouflage its declining defence modernisation programme with high symbolism and hyper-nationalism Two recent trends inimical to the country’s national security — the politicisation of the military and a flat and negative defence modernisation Budget — worrying...
Mixed bag of achievements
The Modi Government must be complimented for taking hefty decisions on the defence front. Yet, the truth is that its focus has been on symbolism and politicising the military The format of the Republic Day parade is still evolving in finding the right balance between displaying military prowess, cultural heritage, technological...
Take the bull by the horns
The architecture under which the newly-appointed CDS has been placed and the charter given to him is commendable, provided the system lets him do his work As the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin Rawat has hit the ground running. He has been tasked with — or is expected...
