Bangladesh looks quieter now, but its newly elected and very popular government has just survived a grave situation arising from a paramilitary mutiny, one which nearly led to a takeover by an army brass furious at the brutal massacre of nearly a hundred of its officers and many families. Sheikh Hasina’s election represents the arrival of a rare Bangladesh government not hostile to India. Any threat to its existence, therefore, is greatly detrimental to our interests as well, particularly when it has begun to crack down on ULFA and its backers. Are we prepared and focused on that situation? Do we have the leverage and wherewithal? Any deterioration there will have dangerous consequences for us, particularly when our own Bengal may be headed for two difficult years with Mamata challenging the Marxists in the streets and the countryside.

Even Sri Lanka, despite its victory against the LTTE, is likely to go through testing times, paying the huge economic cost of the war and facing the possibility of the political ambitions of a hero-worshipped army high on victory and Sinhala nationalism.

Our overall security picture, therefore, leaves no scope for complacency. UPA-II has made a good beginning by squashing at least the small but very vicious DHD (Jewel Group) in Assam’s North Cachar Hills. An all-out and decisive assault on armed Maoists, involving five state governments and the Centre, cannot be postponed any longer.

India can’t get anywhere if its entire mineral heartland is being held to ransom by private militias that massacre policemen and collect “taxes”. At the same time our defence, particularly conventional, must get renewed focus and increased resources.

... contd.