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For another, the trans-LoC strikes carried out on multiple locations broke the shackles that the Indian Army had been forced to impose upon itself because of timid political leadership in the past.
There has been a paradigm shift in the way in which the police chiefs now come for the annual gathering as the Prime Minister gives his full attention to suggestions and presentations by the DGs, in tackling increasingly complex challenges faced by law enforcers.
The larger strategic aim of course is to project India as the rising power with a booming economy, democratic ethos, and vibrant culture. It is with this singular focus that Modi tours the world. Between 15 June 2014—when he visited Bhutan for his first official trip as Prime Minister—and May 2017, Modi had undertaken visits to 49 countries.
He wants the Indian people to be proud of their past, resolute in their present, and imbued with high hopes for the future. Most Indians credit him for raising the national consciousness to a much higher level.
Doval says the Prime Minister looks at national security from a long-term perspective and ‘does not get rattled with episodic ups and downs’, referring to occasional setbacks in the fight against the Maoists and in J&K.
‘in security, it does matter what happens to you, but what matters more is how you respond.’
‘Strategy without tactics is noise before the defeat, and tactics without strategy is the shortest route to committing suicide. Both are equally important and intertwined. For example, neutralising a terrorist commander is tactical, but degrading the capacity of a terrorist outfit is strategic.’
‘I believe terrorist incidents take place when three curves meet: the curve of intention, the curve of capability, and the curve of opportunity. We change their intentions and capabilities through strategic and tactical means, while denial of opportunity is mainly tactical, degrading the capacity of a terror group by proactive or preventive means is strategic. An effective counter-terrorist policy should therefore aim to ensure that the triangle is never formed and if it does, the area is minimised,’
By the time President Xi ended his India visit, PLA’s 1,500-odd troops were faced with the presence of a 9,000-strong Indian Army deployment. This was a clear departure from the past when the first instinct had been to talk rather than act. Here, the order was reversed. Force was met with larger counter-force.
