China and Its Waters!

Development is needed. India never objected when, in 2007, China’s State Council had approved 180 projects worth $10.2 billion for Tibet under the Eleventh Five-Year, which, inter alia, included construction of the Alihunsha Airport (opposite Ladakh), the Railway Line to Shigatse, Zhangmu Power Plant, Nyingchi Airport, Linzhi Airport (across the border from Arunachal Pradesh), Zhikong hydro-project, and Shiquanhe hydro-project (on Indus River). Across the border from Ladakh, China is developing the entire stretch of Menser - Gunsa and Rudog - Senge Tsangpo corridor with several high profile roads, airports, and townships. A new airport replacing the formerly tactical airstrip at Gar-Gunsa facing Demchok on the Indian side is likely to be put in operation by 2010. China's infrastructure development close to Indian Border is quite substantial. Provides strategic advantages, in fact both ways.

Water is likely to become a source of another tension between India and China. Judging by its latest actions, China is set to embark on a series of river diversion plans including on the Indus and Sutlej, and especially the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) plan. Yarlung Tsangpo project has been in the drawing boards of Chinese planners for several decades. But on October 14, 2008, Chinese engineers began digging a tunnel through Tibet’s Galung La mountain in Nyingchi Prefecture to build the most difficult highway to China’s last road-less Medog County located 30 kilometres from India’s border. The road construction to be completed by 2010 is linked to the proposed dam construction at the Great Bend of Brahmaputra. China’s increased infrastructure activities near the Great Bend were even visible on Google Maps.

China is hard-pressed to implement the Brahmaputra project as an answer to its growing water woes arising from demographic explosion, industrial upsurge, rapid expansion of cities, and greater demand for irrigated agriculture farming. Click for full Article: http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/PStobdan231009.htm

Brigadier(Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.defenceoffsetsindia.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit:The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, http://www.idsa.in/ , India's Think Tank on Matters Defence.

Kashmir of Ours

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 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 we have made that clear,I will begin my speech. 'And they say Kashmir belongs to them........ ......... ......... ......... .........

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.defenceoffsetsindia.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: Contributed by Sandeep Budhiraja, Noida.

FDI Norms in Defence Production

The Finance Ministry is taking up the new regime for calculating foreign investment in Indian companies. The MOD has voiced concern that it opens up the possibility of foreigners taking ownership in defence production companies in excess of the 26% if allowed now, and creating more pressure to modify the policy later.

The Ministry has argued with the Finance and Commerce Ministries the need for putting safeguards to prevent the abuse of the new norms that do not recognise indirect foreign investment if the investing company is owned and controlled by the Resident Indians.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) ceiling for defence production is not applicable to services such as defence product design and development. Therefore, companies in this service segment with up to 49% FDI can invest in defence production without their investment being counted as FDI as they are 51% owned and controlled by resident Indians. Click http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5140216.cms for the full Article.

Brigadier(Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.defenceoffsetsindia.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: The Economic Times.

China’s Experiments with Weather Modification

An important facet of China’s conduct of the Olympics last year and of the 60th year celebration earlier this month was successful weather control and modification. Though weather control was exercised to ensure the smooth conduct of the two major events, if employed on a larger scale such ‘mastery over weather’ would have strategic implications.

A major attraction of the National Day Parade was the aircraft fly past scheduled at 1100 AM. Air Force meteorologists found in the morning hours that clouds were approaching Tienanmen area from the south-west. Between 0730 and 0900 hours, they launched four ‘attacks’ on the bank of clouds. To keep skies clear of cloud and rain, 432 rockets were fired at these clouds. Eyewitnesses stated that a few hours before the start of the parade the weather was extremely gloomy and visibility was poor due to pollution. There were thick clusters of cloud and some mist, and rain appeared imminent. But subsequently clear weather prevailed and people felt that the clouds had been held back from the square. Probably, the firing of rockets at the clouds made them evaporate or alternately precipitate before reaching the parade ground. Thus, these weather modification experiments allowed the conduct of the parade under clear weather conditions.

Please Click to read the full Article: http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/AjeyLele121009.htm

All nation's are free to develop science,technology, and systems as per their needs. We really have no control on such matters. We can at best counter the situation either by diplomatic initiatives, or developing systems to counter it. It is here that our intelligence set-ups and R & D Community needs to deliver edge to India if we have to have 'say in the system' , power projection or otherwise. Indian citizens have to commit themselves as a nation for anything substantial. 'Wishful Thinking' will not do.

Brigadier(Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
www.DefenceOffsetsIndia.com
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: In Arrangement with the IDSA, www.idsa.in, India’s Think Tank on Matters Defence.

The Wisdom of the Ancients

In The Wisdom of Confucius (translated by Lin Yutang, London, 1958) there appears the following exchange:

Zigong asked Confucius “What would you say if all the people of a village like a person?” “That is not enough,” replied Confucius.

“What would you say if all the people of the village dislike a person?” “That is not enough,” replied Confucius.

“It is better when the good people of the village like him, and the bad people dislike him.”

This ancient wisdom (Confucius died in 479 BC) summarizes:

You cannot and should not try to please everyone. Make sure that the Right People Like You, and it will be expected That Others Will Not. That’s how the world works.

Sukhi

Kashmir of Ours

Enjoy nature around You!

Sukhwindar

The Week in Review: Sep 28- Oct 04 and Oct 05-11, 2009

The Week in Review (TWIR) is IDSA’s Newsletter containing a brief analysis of important events. It covers issues in the following categories:

-Country Review: South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, and West Asia.

-Missiles, Space, Nuclear and Defence Review.

-Energy Security Review.

-International Terrorism Review.

-Internal Security Review.

-Please Click the Link below to read TWIR(s) :

October 5-11, 10(1), 2009

September 28-October 4, 9(5), 2009

Brigadier(Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: In Arangement with the IDSA, http://www.idsa.in/, A Think Tank of India on Matters Defence.

Professional: Reversing 800 Years of History

Ayaz Amir contends that all the great Muslim rulers of our past whom we look upon as our heroes were either Turks or Afghans, from Mahmud Ghaznavi to the last of the Mughals -- Caucasians all of them, who, in successive waves of invasion and conquest from the colder climates of the north, made themselves masters of Hindustan.

For 800 years -- from 1192 AD. when Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain (in present-day Haryana) to the establishment of British rule in Bengal in the 18th century -- every ruler of Hindustan of any note or merit was of Caucasian origin. In all this vast expanse of history, the lands which now constitute Pakistan could produce only one ruler of indigenous origin who could lay claim to any ability: Ranjit Singh, Maharajah of Punjab.

We, the inhabitants of Pakistan, may claim in moments of (misplaced) exaltation that we descended from those early warriors. But this is a false claim. We are now more sub-continental than Central Asian. Just as empires and nations rise and fall, races too do not remain the same over time. The Mughals were a hardy people when they marched into India under Babar. After 200 years of unbroken rule their dynasty -- descended from the great Taimur -- had become degenerate and soft.

Read the full Article on http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=199842

It is a very ‘unbiased & balanced’ analysis about the Muslims of the Sub-Continent and problems being faced by them as a race.

Sukhwindar
http://www.svipja.com/
Courtesy: Brigadier ( Retired) CL Lakhanpal