Of course, I would have liked the election results to have been the other way round. But, of the remaining alternatives, what the electorate has handed down is the best one. This government will have none of the alibis it relied on last time — the Communists, the allies. Here are some of the challenges the country faces:

Foreign policy

We are today in the same position vis-à-vis Pakistan as we have been for the last five years. In addition, we have become precariously dependent on the United States for dealing with Pakistan as well as China.

First, the steps which were not just implicit, but explicit in the nuclear deal will now commence. In the coming months the country will be under pressure to sign on a slew of follow-up agreements which will freeze the power imbalances of today

Second, we will be under pressure to resume the so-called peace process with Pakistan, without insisting on the condition that we have hitherto advanced—, that we shall not resume the peace talks with Pakistan till it takes effective action against those who were behind the Mumbai attack, and till it demonstrably dismantles terrorist infrastructure.

Given that the US (and every other country) always acts in its own interests, we must develop close relations with a series of countries, including the US.

Defence

We face a dire situation in regard to internal security as well as fortifying ourselves against external aggression. Acquisitions as well as the development of new weapons systems have certainly fallen behind.

... contd.