Ashok K Mehta

Ashok K Mehta The last two weeks, I was fortunate to be in Nepal - Kathmandu, Pokhara and the villages around Pokhara - during the counting of local body elections held after 20 years and the process of transfer of power in Kathmandu. By…
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Ashok K Mehta The landmark State elections are over. It is a stunning victory for the ruling BJP. While there was no Pakistan-bashing, surgical strikes were the crème de la crème of the election campaign. Like his predecessor, Gen Raheel…
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Ashok K Mehta   When Burhan Wani was killed in a routine operation earlier this month, his father, a headmaster, was apparently waiting for it to happen: "The life cycle of a militant is seven years. He had used up six years", he said.…
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Ashok K Mehta We have to thank the British for locating cantonments in the hills across India to escape the blazing heat of the plains and increase longevity and productivity of the troops. Last week, the maxim was ably demonstrated by…
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Ashok K Mehta Last week two back-to-back book discussions on war and hard power passed off routinely when they ought to have attracted higher political and public interest and attention: After all, it is never too late to review past…
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Ashok K Mehta Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was conspicuous by his absence from the Government's two-year achievement mega event at India Gate last month. He has scored high in intent, but relatively low on implementation without…
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Ashok K Mehta It is difficult to tell whether Pathankot, like Peshawar, will be a turning point in Pakistan Army's policy on counter-terrorism. The Peshawar carnage led to the crackdown in North Waziristan and Federally Administered…
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Ashok K Mehta Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's penchant for off-the-cuff remarks will one day land him in trouble. His flip-flop on Rafale has become the most celebrated case of confusion. He should remember that every question need…
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Ashok K MehtaThe sixth War Heroes' Victory Day held last Tuesday on May 19, at Matara marking the end of Eelam War IV, was the first under President Maithripala Sirisena - but it was different. It was renamed War Heroes Remembrance Day,…
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Ashok K Mehta When the National Democratic Alliance Government came to power last year, its main advocacy was that it was a 'different' and more muscular government than the previous one, and would not be pushed around. In foreign policy,…
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