All stories by Rashme Sehgal
'99% of the Hindutva brigade are opportunists'
Rediff.com3 Jan 2022'The day the power shifts, they will run across to the other side.'
'We are being weakened and this is advantageous to our enemies'
Rediff.com29 Dec 2021'Instead of developing the capacity, capability and strength to fight our external enemies, we are turning our own people against each other.'
Char Dham Highway: 'Damage will be irreversible'
Rediff.com28 Dec 2021'From environmental impact assessment to forest clearances, this has turned out to be an unscientific road-widening project with catastrophic consequences.'
Char Dham Project will 'complicate army movement'
Rediff.com28 Dec 2021'This is probably why the late General Bipin Rawat, who hails from the Garhwal Himalaya, said that the existing roads are fine with the army.'
'Government has been stonewalling discussion on Chinese incursion for 18 months'
Rediff.com13 Dec 2021'We have not had one discussion on the border incursions or the subsequent report of the building of Chinese villages on Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh.'
'With Pak even a spark can set off something'
Rediff.com13 Dec 2021'After Uri, the current government took public ownership of surgical strikes.' 'The question they need to ask themselves is did this bring about a change in Pakistan's behaviour towards us? The answer is no.' 'If there had been a change, then Pulwama would not have happened.'
'Omicron produces less severe illness'
Rediff.com9 Dec 2021'What prevents infection are masks, physical distancing and good ventilation.'
J&K arms licenses case: More than what meets the eye
Rediff.com30 Nov 2021'The bureaucracy in J&K feel completely disowned by the Centre.' 'The majority of officers under the scanner have not committed any irregularities and the Centre knows that.'
'Sadly, the government is not bothered with security concerns'
Rediff.com19 Nov 2021'I had emphasised this during our meeting with the PM.' 'Given our location, I had warned that there is a sensitivity involved as this is a frontier state.' 'The atmosphere around us is not conducive. But who listens?'
'PLA is now concentrating on Arunachal Pradesh'
Rediff.com17 Nov 2021'Why wouldn't so strategically-minded an adversary, such as China, not militarily exploit to the maximum Indian timidity, stupidity, and cupidity all along the LAC and legitimate, as it has done so often in the past, the fait accompli of incremental territorial grabs which, by the way, is its strategy and policy as implemented on the ground?'
Why Xi Is In A Hurry About Arunachal Pradesh
Rediff.com17 Nov 2021'Xi is keen that the remaining three territories still outside the Chinese ambit -- Taiwan, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Senkaku Islands in the East Sea -- be absorbed by the Communist regime by the time the centenary of the revolution rolls around in 2049.'
'India needs to do much more in Afghanistan'
Rediff.com11 Nov 2021'The threat of ceding space to China in Afghanistan appears to be one factor propelling our government to get a bit more active now.'
'Taliban not involved in Kashmir violence'
Rediff.com11 Nov 2021'It was always anticipated that the return of the Taliban would embolden armed Islamists including anti-India groups like the Lashkar and Jaish.'
Coal Crisis: 'Next few months will be a wake-up call'
Rediff.com19 Oct 2021'They will be able to ride over this immediate crisis and carry on, but they need to take corrective steps and these will have to be long term measures which must include working closely with state governments.'
'We will sacrifice our lives for our mother Ganga'
Rediff.com6 Oct 2021'The present government swears by Hinduism. But we lost three of our sants during earlier BJP regimes.'
'Taliban hates Pakistan'
Rediff.com16 Sep 2021'Pakistan has power -- they have the power of terrorism and the reluctance of the world to act against them.'
'Pakistanis are failing magnificently'
Rediff.com16 Sep 2021'Pakistan and the jihadis's capacities have been diminished because of increasing dominance of our security forces.'
'Taliban won't have impact on terrorism in India'
Rediff.com16 Sep 2021'What has the impact of 40 years of warfare in Afghanistan been on us?' 'Afghanistan is marginal to India's future.'
Should Children Get COVID-19 Vaccine?
Rediff.com8 Sep 2021Only half India's population has received the first shot of Covishield and Covaxin and the government's immediate task is to first vaccinate its adult population before placing its focus on children.