Articles by Gautam Navlakha

The army collects information from all recruits about their religion. It also used to invoke religious symbols to train recruits for defending the republic. Then why the storm about a committee making a legitimate request for information as it goes about the task of ascertaining the share of Muslims in public and private employment?

Nepal is politically poised at a moment of great importance. If, however, the leaders of the mainstream political parties exploit their talks with the Maoists to strike a deal with the king, this would split these parties, polarise Nepal and nourish the civil war.

While military hardware purchases are publicly debated, little interest is shown in allocations to finance internal wars. These allocations have been growing rapidly in recent years. However, it is bad economics and much worse politics to opt for a military approach to solve internal problems.

The prime minister's November 2004 package for Jammu and Kashmir is put under the microscope and is found wanting.

There is much to gain by disengaging from military suppression of popular aspirations, insisting on negotiations and thereby reducing the total defence budget. All this can help pay for a much needed increase in social investment and expansion of the country's social capital base. An actual reduction in the wasteful use of human and material resources could translate into considerably more. Not the least of this would be the release of pent-up energies of the people unburdened by war and want. In short, the security thus brought about is worth fighting for.