Threats & opportunities
Sridhar K. Chari

India’s National Security — Annual Review 2007
Ed. Satish Kumar. KW Publishers. Pages 654. Rs 1395

Any broad-based review of national security would be a fairly sobering exercise, given the security environment that India finds herself in. And so it is with this volume, India’s National Security, Annual Review 2007, released earlier this year. The book is invaluable in helping both specialist and lay reader gain an appreciation of the issues that are shaping India’s destiny. The Review has taken on a broad rubric, and covers external, technological, economical and other aspects of security. Both current topics and underlying structural fundamentals are examined in some detail.

Editor Satish Kumar, with his distinguished track record in international studies, has marshalled a team of top experts that includes figures like Vice-President Hamid Ansari and established defence analysts like Gurmeet Kanwal. Kumar himself provides a top class analysis of the external security situation, taking into account various factors like the Indo-US nuclear deal, technological cooperation in general, dangers from terrorism, the border dispute with China, the energy crisis, trade and commerce, and the threats from Pakistan.

An interesting theme running through his analyses, which include an intriguing ‘national security index’ of countries at the end of the book, is how India is now being sought after by various countries for strategic partnerships — technological, economical and military. India has to leverage this position better than it is doing however, for it to take its true place on the world stage and maximise the benefits for its people.

"It should be well understood that the size and skills of India’s population, the resilience and potential of its economy as demonstrated in the past 10 to 15 years, and the proven capability of India’s armed forces and their equipment are precisely the reasons which have made India a coveted destination for all major powers to build strategic partnerships and economic ties."

However, it would be easy to fritter away these advantages. The prospects for the Indo-US nuclear deal look much better now, though a favourable final outcome is by no means certain. But delays in military modernisation persist, seriously hampering defence preparedness. External pressures on the energy front can be expected to continue, not to mention the immediate threats in the neighbourhood which fluctuate in intensity but never quite go away. India cannot afford to be lax.

The book also has very useful chapters on Education and National Security by P.V. Indiresan, an aspect that is often ignored, and on DRDO’s technology performance. No nation dependent on others for advanced technology in military and other realms can truly be secure, and the education and technology base are critical towards indigenous capabilities.

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