Women Combatants: The Gender Narrative

In quick succession over the past few weeks, the political leadership in some major countries have indicated their commitment to bringing women in frontline combat roles in their armies. There have been statements to this effect by the US, the UK, and India. These have evinced in turn a slew of articles debating how women would affect operational efficacy and efficiency. For the record, about three dozen countries around the world have women in their armed forces, though not necessarily in combat roles. The roles assigned to women differ from country to country, with some having passed legislation for equal rights and therefore equal roles within the armed forces, Norway and Sweden being in the forefront; while others have steadfastly held back from assigning combat duties to their women intake, notable amongst these being France and Turkey. By virtue of its acute requirement for defence forces right from its inception, Israel has always had women employed in combat duties, and has legislated equality of women in any role in the IDF to that of men. The form of recruitment varies from the voluntary to conscription in all these countries. Similarly, they have each charted their own course for the training requirements, physical standards, mandatory term of service, roles and duties assigned to women, and inevitably the laws on sexual harassment. Given the wide spectrum of issues which likely affect and govern the intake of women in armed forces, a logical debate arises about the recent declarations by the US, UK and India. Have certain realities been overlooked? What is it that compels these leaders- is it simply a race for gender equality while disregarding facts based on reality? This analysis seeks to examine both sides of the argument to decide what the right course of action should be.

Firstly, the Israeli example. As said earlier, certain issues emanating from the its very inception required each and every able bodied individual to take up arms; this in effect made it possible for women being assigned frontline combat roles. There was simply no debate, it was the need of the hour. Throughout the history of Israel as an independent nation, virtually the same set of circumstances have pushed it in to decisions based on need. Simultaneously, its armed forces served as a giant cauldron for the rapid amalgamation of its huge and varied immigrant population. These factors made it imperative first, then simpler to continue (later) with women serving in combat roles. Yet, despite its 2000 Equality amendment to Military Service Law, only one woman serves as a Major General and sections of the establishment feel that the glass ceiling may still take some time to crumble. This notwithstanding, Israel has undergone decades of strife on its borders, giving valuable insights in to problems which women may face; it is to its credit that the country seems to have dealt with most of them successfully.

Any army seeking to bring women in to combat must also realistically examine certain other issues. Primarily these deal with the biological differences (with men), followed by psychological differences and concerns related to the likely enemy they face and tactical situations arising from it. Physically women are smaller than men, have less strength, endurance and the ability to bear punishment that the body has to face in combat regimen. They are also more prone to muscoskeletal injuries, more so after pregnancy. These factors obviously make them more prone to injury such as stress fractures, and they may not be able to endure heavy weights such as carrying a wounded comrade with his equipment over long distances. Even during training women have had to be given reduced loads to maintain the momentum of training; lower physical standards in training would result in reduced fitness for basic combat tasks. At the end of the day, it has to be remembered that 'gear carried is gear required'. In aerial combat, it has been scientifically ascertained that the ability to withstand high gravitational forces that fighter pilots have to endure regularly, is reduced substantially in the female body. Certain armed forces have maintained the same physical standards for women as are expected from men because of these realities of combat, but at the cost of lower numbers at the recruitment stage, and increasing number of dropouts at subsequent stages.

Chief amongst the psychological reasons is the purported awkwardness or the inability associated with men taking orders from women seniors or officers. However, what is definitely worse is the debilitating effect on unit and individual morale that the sight of a wounded woman comrade would have. Most societies follow their own form of patriarchy, and deep rooted prejudices may be difficult to erase completely. Even if education and awareness were to bury these, the second factor of being witness to a wounded woman has been seen to arouse very strong protective instincts. While this may be an honourable thing in civilian life, it degrades the morale of the unit, lowers the robot like proficiency of the individual soldier and ultimately results in lower efficacy in combat. Evidence of this exists historically in the 1948 operations in Israel. Many anecdotal examples abound, where senior and experienced officers and NCOs have expressed their consternation at the decision to allow women in combat units.

While squeamishness on the part of women on seeing blood and gore in combat operations may be possible, suitable psychological training may help to reduce the shock effect associated with injuries and death. Another area of concern is the possibility of capture, torture and sexual assault by the enemy. This has been in fact expressed by women soldiers themselves. Feminism and gender equality may sound exalted as theories, but they cannot change biological realities. Also, given the degree of barbarianism shown by what these women would face, namely ISIS fighters, or other terror oriented groups of that genre, capture would almost certainly result in torture, decapitation and rape, probably on live media. Is any army ready to accept these costs? More importantly, is any political establishment ready to accept the cost?

The decision to announce the entry of women into combat roles is definitely politically motivated, aimed at achieving political correctness which seems to be in sync with the rhetoric on equality of sexes. However, this decision needs to be tempered with practicality and pragmatism. In their bid to achieve political correctness, governments may well end up making the biggest politically incorrect decision. It would take only one media recording of physical assault on a woman combatant to bring this house of cards down. What it will end up doing to the combat effectiveness of the armed forces is another story altogether.

Pic Courtesy: National Geographic

Press Censorship: Facts versus Fiction in Conflict Reporting, who decides?

                               

“Citizens of the democratic societies should undertake a course of intellectual self defense to protect themselves from manipulation and control, and to lay the basis for meaningful democracy.”

                                                                                                                                       Noam Chomsky

The unprecedented rise of the fourth estate is central to any understanding of conflict and conflict reporting today. The press plays a pivotal role in shaping perceptions about the Orwellian states, warring factions, generating fresh debates and discourses around existing conflicts and peace building measures. The paradigmatic shift to citizen journalism through social networks has also changed the dynamics of journalism today. Given the political and social ramifications of “free and fair reporting” versus “carefully scripted propaganda stories”, some reflections on changing role of the Fourth Estate would help us develop deeper insights into the functioning of the media landscape today.

In 1985, British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher while addressing the American Bar Association had cautioned the world about the dangers of open society and the need to have a code of conduct for the media in place to restrict information flow which could jeopardise national security. It is the “Oxygen of Publicity” that determines the trajectory of any crisis and Ms Thatcher argued for cutting off this oxygen supply   to the terrorists and trouble makers as a security measure to protect the state and civil society. In recent years several debates surrounding the censorship act and uniform media ethics, freedom of speech have started dominating academic discourses on the Press today.  

Why censorship is necessary?

The purpose of any censorship on the media should be pragmatic and not draconian in nature. Globally, the same set of parameters work for any censorship law, or body – Regulation of broadcast, print and all media services, creating acceptable code of conduct and ethics, ensuring complaint and feedback mechanism are in place, monitoring of digital spaces etc. Censorship does not mean suppressing all that is happening in the political arena, or the security arena or any arena for that matter. It simply means doing away with any kind of “Breaking News and Exclusives Phenomenon” which could create chaos and insecurity endangering National security. Whether it is an autocratic regime or a democratic establishment the currents and undercurrents in the media landscape are almost the same.

An independent press both strengthens and weakens the democratic mechanisms of good governance. Serious debates on Press censorship dominated the political corridors of India when the Indira Gandhi government, imposed restrictions on freedom of speech and expression during national emergency in 1975. The censorship was withdrawn in 1977. The levels of restrictions however remain a bone of contention between the State Run and the Private media establishments. Whether it is the OSA (1923), or the IT act (2007) the Indian establishment has mechanisms in place to prevent information attacks of any kind.  In 2010, the Irish government was deliberating upon Internet filtering, reinforcing the graduated response mechanism in some ways to secure its digital space.  In Erdogan’s Turkey several journalists have been jailed time and again for going against the establishment. In 2014 Russia had closed down a number of media outlets and restricted foreign investment in its press industry in the name of safeguarding national interests.

In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks and internal disturbances across the world, limited censorship and not absolute free press is what is required today. There was a time when terrorist explosions were covered by the print media and the radio, but monitored by official sources for factual correctness. Today, in the era of TRPs and corporate benefits, credibility has taken a back seat. Imagine a Charar E Sharif episode or any of the wars fought by the India Military against its notorious neighbour being shown live on TV today. Uncontrolled media, with the backdrop of TRP race and corporatisation, has the potential of changing the word order, and creating anarchy which will give rise to more chaos both psychological and social. The Danish cartoon controversy falls in place here. Even Movies which usually mirror society have an uncanny knack of showing us such things; case in point being the Pierce Brosnan starrer ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ in the James Bond series which depicted this race toward anarchy.

One crucial point that needs to be addressed is who decides what the Nation wants to know?  The Supreme Court of India had slammed the television media for live coverage of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The minute by minute update could have jeopardised the entire operation involving commandos, and indeed did so at times. The apex court stated that any activity which endangers national security cannot be justified in the name of freedom of speech. The live coverage of the 2016 terrorist attack on India’s Pathankot Airbase, yet again highlighted the reckless nature of the journalists in dealing with national security issues. Why should the nation suffer?

In the ongoing trend of Primetime debates on television, it must be kept in mind that not everything that is discussed between 9 and 10 PM, leads to policy restructuring or institutional transformations. However what it does is, it creates an artificial sense of the right and the wrong, spawns public hysteria, and makes that momentary lapse, appear rational in the minds of the viewers. While Noam Chomsky suggests a course on intellectual defence against manipulation and control, would someone put a check on what is being fed to us? Is that reason enough for some form of censorship? Who decides?

Pic Courtsey : ToonPool

Orwellian Tweets, Posts, Comments, Uploads - Controlling the Social Media

In the last few years, the Indian armed forces have time and again adopted measures to control increasing incidents of cyber espionage and honeytrapping through social networks. In yet another move, the Army issued a 19-page policy entitled ‘Policy on usage of social media in Indian Army’, designed to reinforce the Official Secrets Act (1923) in some ways, through a long list of do’s and donts’s for the officers and jawans. 

Technological advancements and changes in the modern day battlefield including cyberspace have ushered in a new era of military preparedness, necessitating measures to counter cyber threats on own networks. The inherent importance of information superiority for quick decision making during combat operations whether on land, sea, air or the cyberspace has led to defence forces opting for systems, policy measures that are designed to provide exceptional situational awareness with the ability to detect and destroy potential threats, whether man made or accidental. With the proliferation of myriad social media platforms, cyber threats now include attacks made on personnel coercing them to breach security inadvertently.

Unrestricted use of the social media has led to breach of security on numerous occasions. The quintessential Pathankot Attack ( January 2016) which shifted the investigative fulcrum inexorably towards the honey trapping of officials through Facebook and misinformation about operations through unidentified whatsapp groups clearly calls for a stringent control on the use of social media these days. Officers and jawans who once lived in oblivion , stationed in places which for any civilian may possibly have remained unknown  are now just 140 characters away from their friends, family and just anybody. An anonymous person hiding behind an email, or a blog or a social media account or a number which can be easily bought from any grocery store, has the potential of paralyzing an organization through transfer of unauthorized codes in its communication network using malwares, spywares etc, or through anti national videos and posts, or through thought provoking messages calling for non cooperation with Indian establishment etc. On a personal front, honey trapping of officers for anti national activities is the easiest way out to get access to sensitive information. The geopolitical ramifications of breach of national security through social media can be easily understood through a mapping of nations engaged in cyber war.

In its policy letter  on usage of social media issued to all army formations, units & stations the army recognizes the purposive and pragmatic role of social media in providing psychological and social support to their soldiers but with a word of caution. Ranks, names, stations and sensitive information are not to be made public. In fact even friends and family members of soldiers are advised not to disclose any information revealing the identity of a soldier, his/her location etc. This is a routine move and with increasing reports of misuse of social media the soldiers are now using the internet with full accountability and responsibility.

The psychological war being fought on the social media has such serious implications that it can change the dynamics of vox populi pushing it in the direction of both for or against the nation. The recent episode of 22 year old  Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative, Burhan Wani’s sudden rise as  a hero in Kashmir inspiring many through his Facebook posts and the violence which engulfed several lives following his encounter, calls for a strong affirmative action putting a check on the social media activities of  both the soldiers and civil society.

The armed forces have an extant mechanism to address and engage with the media on issues ranging from operations to administration, the Public Relations Office. This definitely needs to be both strengthened and simultaneously brought at par with various agencies involved in cyber warfare, to be able to tackle such malinformation right at the source itself.

While the Indian armed forces have liberalized policy to keep up with the times, a similar move for the bureaucratic side is also on the cards. Online and offline activities of both politicians and bureaucrats should also be monitored. Online activity especially criticism of the government is now proposed to be viewed as a violation of the conduct rules for bureaucrats, but the government has left a huge gap by leaving politicians out of the ambit of this policy. Breach of national security may not always come from a soldier's or a pen-pusher's social media account.  It could be anybody.

Pic Courtsey : India Today

Silencing the Media :The Curious Case of Kashmir

   

        “All this trouble from a matchbox like this” 

-Hosni Mubarak, erstwhile President of Egypt, upon touring Al Jazeera Headquarters in Doha, Qatar, in Spring 2000

Does the Media play a Purposive, Pragmatic and Positive role in transforming mental constructs regarding the  conflict in J&K or does it act as a tool for a new age psychological warfare?

Pic Courtsey :NDTV

With the recent killing of 22 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani and the clampdown on  media in Kashmir following widespread violence, it is critical that we must now dissect  the dynamics and various paradigms of Media’s role in escalating and de-escalating conflict and this also entails the development of a common ground to understand universally accepted basic academic perceptions, theories revolving around the increasing power of media in contemporary times, both domestic and international, with a comparative perspective. To understand political ideologies, processes, decision-making political institutions, war strategies and functioning of a nation in times of conflict and peace , in- depth knowledge about the socio-economic and historical background which provides a support structure on which new trends in conflict reporting are further analysed, becomes necessary.

What made Wani a hero or a poster boy of terrorism in the valley was  the pivotal role of Media in determining the conduct of governments, laws governing the masses and explaining political formulae such as national welfare, national security, conflict resolution, transformation and peace building etc. Wani posing with weapons and posting images on social networks was a clear indication that something was not right in the way he looked at the world around him. Hashtags and retweets in support of Wani created a new undercurrent in the field of violence that could not be controlled.

Most of the available literature on Media and Media intervention in conflict as well as peace revolves around the implications of “info-attacks” i.e disinformation, psychological disillusionment and propaganda stories ,campaigns which may or may not lead to conflict and also which may or may not lead to resolution of conflict and transformation of post-conflict societies.

It was essentially this info attack through digitisation and the internet , that coaxed Wani to pick up arms. The establishment in Kashmir imposed a three-day ban on the media to tackle possible episodes of violent protest. Silencing the media is not the way forward.

The way forward: In a world where news is just 140 characters away , one simply cannot trust what is being posted online or reported from a newsroom. Gone are the days when news was restricted to a half an hour slot in between the evening movie screening on our national channel. The breaking news formula reached new heights with the mushrooming of news channels and spread on the Internet from 2005 onwards. The mad race for increased TRP s forced once ethical journalists to now report on just anything and everything  under the sun. 

Media discourses have undergone discernible changes in the last few decades and with changing global political order, wars, natural calamities and political mobilisation a fresh approach towards understanding the functioning of Media in times of conflict and peace becomes inevitable. Equally, the need of the hour is to remember that an arbitration by juxtaposed media, however well meaning may serve to aggravate situations, inflame passions and therefore subvert or frustrate conflict resolution measures. 

In all intents and purposes the mushrooming of 24x7 News Channels , widespread use of the world wide web and the rise of Social Media platforms recently have redefined the mental constructs that helped us to understand the functioning of Global political order especially in times of Conflict and Peace. The effect of a strongly linked, cosmopolitan and international neighbourhood owing to superior access to all forms of media may not necessarily be a positive aspect; ideologies, identities, territorial integrities, and indeed the very concept of nation states may be challenged by perceptions of global institutions percolating via the Media.

Access to 24x7 real-time information through diverse media forms and their ability to mould perceptions have forced a reevaluation by governments, international businesses and even non-state actors to view the heightened role of the Media in the shaping of conflict. Time and Space are two distinct variables in communication studies that have aided paradigm changes in existing theories and questions that have already been answered but need a fresh perspective that can solve key issues which affect the socio-political environment in contemporary times. With real-time broadcasting of on-ground events our perceptions about the world around us have undergone significant changes. One of the sterling examples of this was demonstrated during the 9/11 attacks on the American mainland; raw ability to transpose events as they unfolded into people's homes was on evidence, giving a perspective not seen hitherto fore. The Arab Spring is another example which shows how digitization has changed the way we look at social and political structures across the globe today.

It has been widely debated that the Media is prone as well as responsive to influences wielded by governments because of their inherent need to access corridors of power. Contrarily it has also been argued that governments are vulnerable and inclined to pressures by commercial media, due to their widespread reach and their ravenous yearning to connect with the masses.Eminent Political philosopher Aristotle had said that man is by nature a social animal and therefore the relationship that thus develops between man and the state becomes an important subject matter of research; ultimate aim of that defining relationship being welfare and happiness.

Welfare and happiness have taken a backseat and voices all across the media community have elicited the response that it is war or conflict that makes news and not peace. This bias is evident from the way our production teams shift focus on violence being recorded on camera even though it may be just one sporadic incident. Haven’t all of us witnessed the changes in existing media landscape and have been affected by what the newsrooms, internet and the newspapers want us to know?

Wani having an access to social media clearly calls for a deeper introspection on the dangers of having unlimited access to images and Videos without any control on the content by any establishment. Therefore it is the media which can act as a damage control tool by highlighting both sides of the story involving the Valley. 

One simply cannot choose violence over peaceful dialogue and blow it out of proportion for higher television ratings. This marks the end of ethical journalism and end of civil society.  The solution does not revolve around political powerhouses or the military bases in the valley or in clampdowns, like the recent 3-day ban on local media in Kashmir.  Newsrooms and classrooms can serve as the larger cauldron from which pragmatic positive and purposive dialogues can emerge.

           

How the Lone Wolf syndrome is a Black Swan in Terrorism Predictive Analysis

The recent attacks across the world have seen a twist in the modus operandi of terrorists making prediction and prevention of terrorism extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies. So called ‘Lone Wolves’, operatives working in ones or twos, without any ostensible connection to known terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State or any prior known  record of such activities suddenly seem to crawl out of the woodwork and create new and unique mayhem, adding to the list of terrorist actions which were not on the radar of any agency. The sheer lack of anticipation, or improbability, or both push these acts (increasingly so) in the category of Black Swan events, which by their very definition are deviations from the normal. As a result, and due to the very audacity of the act, they create ruptures in the development of defence strategy against such acts in future. These unconventional strategic shocks have been classified as ‘Known Unknowns’ by veteran Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Freier of the United States Army. In our ongoing analysis of these terrorist acts whether in Paris or Orlando or Istanbul or Medina,  and most recently in Nice in France, it becomes  critical to dwell upon certain underlying factors for accurate prediction and prevention of such acts in the future.

Why They Do It 

Though the reasons may be multifarious, they share a common thread- fanatical or jihadist Islam. This in itself is a thought provoking term, since learned Muslims differ on the meaning attributed to jihad by those who choose extremist means; a growing section within Islam itself feels that the term has been abused to suit their extremist purposes and tendencies. Also, recently a debate has been initiated as to whether the right description is radicalization of Islam or Islamisation of radicals. In itself, source for a stimulating debate, albeit the end result being the same.

European states such as France  have had long histories of colonial rule over large tracts of the Middle- East and North Africa, and therefore large populations of immigrants from these former colonies. These European countries are perceived as being responsible for the hopeless state of affairs in their former colonies. They have also left lasting legacies of suppression both by their armed forces and by mercenary militias. It is these former colonies where the current threat is now sprouting from, probably seen in equal measure as giving a bloody nose to their former masters as being religious in nature. The United States is viewed as being responsible for the present state of complete chaos owing its flawed policies over control of oil, a bid to foist its democratic principles, and perhaps anything else which goes wrong in the region. To add fuel to the raging fire, recent reports in the UK and the US have attributed much of the present state of affairs on the Blair and Bush administrations respectively, including certain reports that hold the US responsible for the creation of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State as a means of furthering it’s own policy in these regions. No doubt, these give sufficient ‘WHY’ to any new recruit, especially when it is spiced up by impactful  images and quasi- religious and hate rhetoric.

The West is not the only one target, in fact it is any corner of the earth where signs of going against the terrorists notions of ‘unbeliever’ are evident. Or any corner where they want to impose their perception of Islam. Therefore, an act in Dhaka or in Medina is equally acceptable. Which makes it all the more difficult to ascertain where the next such act would be or who the targets would be, because the world is full of people who do not agree with their notions or live their lives in accordance to what they feel is right.

Who are they?

It could be just about anybody. Despite high terror alerts, the perpetrators still manage to get through, indicating that they exist below the threshold meriting attention by anti- terrorist agencies. Organisations seem to be tapping certain criminal underclass who may have a police record, but may not go beyond that. Or disenchanted students. Or unemployed youth. Or even educated converts for their new found religious zeal. Or attention seeking hyperactive individuals looking for their moment under the sun. Or immigrant population not having social security or identity papers. These people may be model citizens in their normal lives, could be going to work with you on the same bus or train, attending PTAs just as you do. Occasionally you may feel the lack of communication with some of them, but don’t we all attribute it to those Arab types? They cannot even be termed sleeper agents and hence be traced by reverse engineering.  What they do in their private time is simply beyond the reach of investigative agencies, they may be getting indoctrinated via social media, that all pervasive new demon of our times. And then one fine day this person gets up, leaving that normal life of his behind, drives a truck over a promenade full of people or on a shooting spree at the local nightclub or theatre or makes a bomb from ingredients available at the local hardware store and decides to explode it on a busy Street.

Investigative and watch agencies simply do not have the resources to keep a check on every single individual of society, something which works very well in favour of these Lone Wolves.  Technology has added to our headache; an encrypted phone is as easily available as grocery. A city has deployed anti aircraft batteries and 50 calibre machine guns on rooftops, backed up by phased array radar and F16s in near proximity, yet a postal worker managed to fly a gyro copter into these defences. The same city has deployed pathogen detectors against possible biological weapons. The city is Washington D.C.  What about all the other cities around the world? It is these lacunae that are exploited by the Lone Wolf.

How do they do it?

Again, as unexpected and unanticipated as could be. While the national and financial capital is being watched with an Eagle eye, an attack takes place in Orlando. Or an attack in Nice, not in Paris. Or an attack in a little known third world capital when everyone is busy looking west. Or suddenly in Istanbul for aligning against the Islamic State.  This is probably most indicative of a deviation (Black Swan). Or even worse, you may be expecting it on Bastille Day, but not by a truck driver on a promenade in a Mediterranean city; known unknown shock at its best.

What they expect to achieve

Obviously the idea is to create an atmosphere of trepidation, uncertainty and disquietude. In using tactics of hit and run ( or hit and die!) The Lone Wolf does not expect to follow up or follow through on his actions; it is a standalone action, to be treated as such but with sufficient impact to generate palpable fear. But what it definitely achieves in addition is further alienation of immigrants and racial profiling which works in favour of the terrorists’ rhetoric. It also tends to instil a feverish pitch of activity amongst anti terrorist agencies, but usually in the wrong place and just trying to piece together the last act. Invariably this makes the next attack even more unexpected.

Since these Lone Wolves are just that, working in isolation, there is no apparent connection between one attack and another,  therefore there are virtually no unravelling threads during an investigative process. Moreover since they are usually ordinary people, it leads to the question of who all should be investigated. As brought out earlier it becomes humanly impossible to probe every single individual despite all the technology at their behest. For instance it is not possible to monitor cellular conversations of an entire city of people, and if it is tried, it utilises resources from elsewhere and leaves discernible gaps that may be exploited.

Lastly, alienation and racial profiling work in favour of terrorists. In the eventuality that they are able to upset the balance to such an extent that the target country decides to impose a an extended state of emergency, it serves to further existing social divides on racial and economic lines. Such a possibility is being discussed in places such as France and will only serve the interests of terrorist organisations by providing them more fertile grounds for recruitment, more number of people ready to go that extra mile for the cause.

In the same pattern of unpattern that works for a Lone Wolf no fixed time or date is a good or a bad time. It may be sometimes symbolic in nature, such as the Medina ( 4th July) or Nice (14th July or Bastille Day) or it may simply be a bolt out of the blue.

Pic Courtsey: Google Images/ Counterjihadreport

The Eagle Bear Affair

India aspires to build a nuclear super carrier INS Vishal to add to its maritime  footprint. The carrier is slated to be a 65000 Ton  displacement vessel , 300 metres long and 70 metres wide. It would give the Indian Navy the capability to conduct operations in distant oceanic regions while engaging both land and sea based enemy targets. 

A nuclear super carrier gives India the potential to ensure operational stability of its naval forces, protect its landing troops and provide air defence. Such an addition gives India the ability to transform itself into an expeditionary  military power.

India and the United States ( US) are currently engaged in discussions on ‘Transfer of Technology’ (ToT) for a Nuclear supercarrier. Amidst this ongoing process, Russia has offered to sell such a nuclear supercarrier, the STORM. The offer comes at a time when Russia is desperately looking at measures to boost its own economy which has taken a massive beating especially with falling crude prices and international  sanctions. It is akin to the sale of twenty four SU 35 Fighters to China , a more than $2 Billion deal based on harsh economic realities that Putin is facing domestically.
India, however needs to measure it’s responses to both the discussion with the US and the offer from Russia on stringent parameters which necessarily arise from its own requirements,  the technologies, the financial angle and geopolitical  realities.

Pros and Cons

United States

1. Technology existing with US -hastens the process of acquisition of technology which otherwise would mean international  help.
2. Transfer of Technology will catapult India into select group of countries possessing such technology.
3. Financially viable proposition in the long term with additional promise of creation of employment opportunities. 
4. It will further strengthen Indo-US ties.
5. The US is currently restricting itself to EMALS ( Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System).
6. So far no mention of transfer of nuclear propulsion technology.
7. Time bound project would augur  well for the Indian Navy’s long term strategy.

Pros and  Cons 

Russia

1. India has worked with Russia for acquisition of INS Vikramaditya ( Kiev class carrier) which Russia claims gives it the requisite experience for building such supercarriers.
2. Russia claims it can give India the requisite nuclear propulsion technology 
3. The supercarrier may cost as much as $ 12 billion- will that be a financially viable deal?
4. Any decision in favour of Russia will help to cement Indo-Russia  relations which has taken a beating due to India’s  perceived shift to the US for defence procurement.
5. If delays in Admiral Gorshkov’s  case are any indication it may entail a long wait, jeopardising the Indian Navy’s strategic plans.
6. Russia has shown a tendency to go back on its guarantee process. There are no iron clad guarantees with Russia.

Barring the issue of nuclear propulsion technology , it may well be in Indian interest to continue with the US option. If a need is felt to buttress Indo-Russian  relations , several other defence projects can do the same without holding to ransom such an important project as the nuclear supercarrier. 

Image Courtesy: Google Images 

The Nadir of Ethical Journalism?

      “All this trouble from a matchbox like this” 
-Hosni Mubarak, erstwhile President of Egypt, upon touring Al Jazeera Headquarters in Doha, Qatar, in Spring 2000

Does the media play a purposive, Pragmatic and positive role in transforming mental constructs regarding the  conflict in J&K or does it act as a tool for a new age psychological warfare? 

With the recent killing of 22 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani it is critical that we must now dissect  the dynamics and various paradigms of Media’s role in escalating and de-escalating conflict and this also entails the development of a common ground to understand universally accepted basic academic perceptions, theories revolving around the increasing power of media in contemporary times, both domestic and international, with a comparative perspective. To understand political ideologies, processes, decision making political institutions, war strategies and functioning of a nation in times of conflict and peace , in- depth knowledge about the socio economic and historical background which provides a support structure on which new trends in conflict reporting are further analysed, becomes necessary.
What made Wani a hero or a poster boy of terrorism in the valley was  the pivotal role of Media in determining the conduct of governments, laws governing the masses and explaining political formulae such as national welfare, national security, conflict resolution, transformation and peace building etc. Wani posing with weapons and posting images on social networks was a clear indication that something was not right in the way he looked at the world around him.
Most of the available literature on Media and Media intervention in conflict as well as peace revolves around the implications of “info-attacks” i.e disinformation, psychological disillusionment and propaganda stories ,campaigns which may or may not lead to conflict and also which may or may not lead to resolution of conflict and transformation of post conflict societies.
It was essentially this info attack that coaxed Wani to pick up arms.
The way forward : In a world where news is just 140 characters away , one simply cannot trust what is being posted online or reported from a newsroom. Gone are the days when news was restricted to a half an hour slot in between the evening movie screening on our national channel. The breaking news formula reached new heights with the mushrooming of news channels and spread on the Internet from 2005 onwards. The mad race for increased TRP s forced once ethical journalists to now report on just anything and everything  under the sun. 
Media discourses have undergone discernible changes in the last few decades and with changing global political order, wars, natural calamities and political mobilisation a fresh approach towards understanding the functioning of Media in times of conflict and peace becomes inevitable. Equally, the need of the hour is to remember that an arbitration by juxtaposed media, however well meaning may serve to aggravate situations, inflame passions and therefore subvert or frustrate conflict resolution measures. 
In all intents and purposes the mushrooming of 24x7 News Channels , widespread use of the world wide web and the rise of Social Media platforms recently have redefined the mental constructs that helped us to understand the functioning of Global political order especially in times of Conflict and Peace. The effect of a strongly linked, cosmopolitan and international neighbourhood owing to superior access to all forms of media may not necessarily be a positive aspect; ideologies, identities, territorial integrities, and indeed the very concept of nation states may be challenged by perceptions of global institutions percolating via the Media.
Access to 24x7 real time information through diverse media forms and their ability to mould perceptions have forced a reevaluation by governments, international businesses and even non state actors to view the heightened role of the Media in the shaping of conflict. Time and Space are two distinct variables in communication studies that have aided paradigm changes in existing theories and questions that have already been answered but need a fresh perspective that can solve key issues which affect the socio political environment in contemporary times. With real time broadcasting of on ground events our perceptions about the world around us have undergone significant changes. One of the sterling examples of this was demonstrated during the 9/11 attacks on the American mainland; raw ability to transpose events as they unfolded into people's homes was on evidence, giving a perspective not seen hithertofore.
It has been widely debated that the Media is prone as well as responsive to influences wielded by governments because of their inherent need to access corridors of power. Contrarily it has also been argued that governments are vulnerable and inclined to pressures by commercial media, due to their widespread reach and their ravenous yearning to connect with the masses. Eminent political philosopher Aristotle had said that man is by nature a social animal and therefore the relationship that thus develops between man and the state becomes an important subject matter of research, with ultimate aim of that defining relationship being welfare and happiness.
Welfare and happiness has taken a backseat and voices all across the media community have elicited the response that it is war or conflict that makes news and not peace. This bias is evident from the way our production teams shift focus on violence being recorded on camera even though it may be just one sporadic incident. 
Wani having an access to social media clearly calls for a deeper introspection on the dangers of having unlimited access to images and Videos without any control on the content by any establishment. Therefore it is the media which can act as a damage control tool by highlighting both sides of the story involving the Valley. 
One simply cannot choose violence over peaceful dialogue and blow it out of proportion for higher television  ratings. This marks the end of ethical journalism and end of civil society.  Where are we heading. The solution does not revolve around political powerhouses or the military bases in the valley.  Newsrooms and classrooms can serve as the larger cauldron from which pragmatic positive and purposive dialogues can emerge.

Image Courtsey: Google Images