An examination of civil-military relationship
Writing in The Daily Pioneer, Sushant K. Singh offers his perspective on the recent reports on civil-military conflict,
It has been asserted by most military veterans — who can be safely assumed as surrogates for serving officers — that that this premise has resulted in bureaucrats protecting their turf in a perverse [...]
The complicated legacy of YSR
The tragic death of the Andhra Pradesh chief minister has achieved what had seemed impossible only a few days earlier: displacing BJP from news headlines. In an era of 24/7 news channels, it was almost inevitable that a search for a missing copter which went on for over 24 hours [...]
The home minister gets it right
Addressing the Chief Minister’s Conference on internal security, home minister, P Chidambaram makes an important point,
We believe in the two-pronged approach of development and police action. However, the naxalites are anti-development and have targeted the very instruments of development – school buildings, roads, telephone towers etc. They know that development [...]
Too much money!
Retributions has previously argued that focusing on development or reward for surrender schemes in Maoist affected areas will be ineffective in absence of security as it is simply too lucrative to be a Maoist these days. How lucrative? The Times of India estimates that the extortion and drug smuggling earns the Maoists close [...]
Cart before the horse
In an op-ed in the Indian Express, Sushant K. Singh and I argue that without ensuring security in Maoist affected areas, government’s development package is destined to fail,
In states where even policemen are shying away from serving in Maoist zones, is it reasonable to believe that the local population would risk their [...]
Competitive intolerance is best challenged by protecting individual rights
The August issue of Pragati features my review of Salil Tripathi’s book: ‘Offense: The Hindu Case‘.
Mr Tripathi’s answer would no doubt be unequivocal: No. But by placing his arguments in religious morality rather than constitutional morality, he leaves room for unwinnable religious arguments. To be fair, [...]
Fewer troops in the Kashmiri heartland
In the July issue of Pragati, the Indian National Interest Review, Sushant K. Singh and I argue that resolution to the Kashmiri problem requires an innovative approach which emphasizes the healing process while respecting the security needs of the state,
With the improvement in the security—especially in population centres—and the election [...]
Human rights organizations must be held accountable for their actions
In my article in the May issue of Pragati, I argue that allegations of evidence tampering against Teesta Setalvad damage the cause of human rights and justice,
In a debate on the role of human rights organisations in these pages (‘Getting human rights right’, Pragati, No 15 [...]
Resolving the AFSPA conundrum
In an op-ed in the Indian Express, Sushant K. Singh and I argue that New Delhi needs to seize the political space in Kashmir by seriously considering the contentious issue of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA),
Leaving aside the emotive debate and the separatists’ Machiavellian tactics, has the time come to [...]
The debate over moral vigilantism should focus on the rule-of-law
In our piece in Pragati’s March issue, we argue that cultural conflicts can only be managed by emphasizing the rule of law,
So debates on whether visiting pubs enjoy social sanction or is consistent with Indian culture become redundant. The role of the state is not [...]
