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Book Review - THE INDIA DOCTRINE (1947-2007)

This is the foreword written by Abu Rushd for The India Doctrine (1947 - 2007) -


FOREWORD

By ABU RUSHD

The twelve chapters written in this wonderful book by Barrister MBI Munshi covers in this second edition the relations between India and its neighbours in the South Asia region from 1947 to 2007. In a significant advance over the first edition the author discusses in great depth not only India's relations with Bangladesh but also Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

In this second edition he has given a detail picture of details important events during the last 60 year period from a strategic, intelligence, military, political and economic perspective which are unique in its depth and range of analysis and includes thousands of references and source materials. In particular, the author has provided a broad survey of events during the critical period in South Asian history between the years 2006 and 2007. During these brief two years the situation in Sri Lanka deteriorated dramatically bringing the nation again to civil war through renewed conflict with the LTTE while to the north the Nepalese King was dethroned and new elections called , eventually bringing the Maoists to power after a lengthy and bloody decade long struggle. Similarly, in Pakistan there were violent upheavals in its border areas with Afghanistan and a growing insurgency in Balochistan. Bangladesh also witnessed increased instability in the lead up to its 2007 elections that were finally cancelled and an emergency proclaimed by the president on January 11 of that year.

The author discusses all these events in minute detail and provides extensive evidence of Indian interference in all these countries, both diplomatic and political, but also through its infamous and much reviled external intelligence agency- the Research & Analysis Wing or RAW. India's purpose and objective in destabilising and interfering in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries are aimed at achieving regional supremacy with the ultimate goal being the creation of an Akhand Bharat or greater India stretching across South Asia. As the author clarifies, this does not necessarily mean territorial annexation or direct military intervention (although both have been adopted in the recent past such as in Sikkim and Sri Lanka) but can include political, diplomatic and economic control over its neighbours that does not require direct military intervention or possession of territory. The author discusses all these issues and factors against the backdrop of superpower rivalries involving the United States and China but also other international interests including that of the European Union, Britain, Russia and Isreal.

The first edition was a turning point in political and historical writing in Bangladesh. The second edition continues this trend with further elaboration of issues that were covered in the earlier book but on very recent events such as the causes behind the cancellation of elections in 2007 and new material on the 1971 liberation war and India's motivations in assisting emergent Bangladesh. Having extensively researched and written several series of investigative reports and a book on RAW and Indian interefererence in Bangladesh, I was particularly interested in the chapters on the CHT (which have been updated to include incidents upto 2007) as well as on the border disputes that have often led to tension beween the countries as occurred in 2001 after an incursion by the BSF which left 19 of their members dead and 3 BDR personnel killed.

The book also includes in-depth discussion on the nuclear deal between the US and India and on how this agreement will affect the regional balance. The author spends a great deal of time on the propaganda machinery of the Indian government and also on the inner workings of RAW which has been my area of speciality and study for several decades. On the other hand, the writer has correctly assessed and analysed the situation prevailing in Pakistan. Strategic factors influencing the superpower brawls is rightly outlined in the book.

The book is certainly a must read for those interested in South Asian affairs, geo-strategy, intelligence, and the political, diplomatic and economic influences of an increasingly important region of the world which contains almost a sixth of the worlds population, two nuclear powers and several more in the near vicinity. The book will hopefully inspire others to explore the subject of Indian hegemony and expansionism and also allow policy-makers in the West to better comprehend the risks of permitting an unrestrained India to dominate the region. The book should also educate the policy-makers and military planners in Bangladesh about possible threats emanating from our neigbour and the consequences of New Delhi's influence in our internal affairs as well as the principal cause of instability.



Abu Rushd
Editor
Bangladesh Defence Journal
 
@ leon
Speak for yourself. No one gave you any authority to speak on be half of them. Its for your kind of people, indian get invited to interfere in our internal matter.

What a disgrace....

And it is good to insult a fellow musim huh???This is called muslim brotherhood??

And If India ever attacks BD it will be for people like you.Off course you won't be present in BD that time..will you??

Just behaving well with an Indian does not make me an Indian Dalal.You always bring Islam into everything,but don't you know the simple thing,we should always behave well,friends and foe alike.
If you didn't know,then this was your first lesson,remember it well.
 
India's erratic and irrational behaviour

Mon, 2009-01-12 02:09

By Asif Haroon Raja

While India has made impressive improvements in the domain of military, technology, economy and education, these improvements had little impact on Hindu extremism and political culture. The Hindu extremists have become more and more intolerant, bigoted and fickle-minded when in seen in context with their behaviour towards the minorities of other religions residing in India. Their venom against Indian Muslims in particular is astonishing. The Brahmans who consider it their birth right to rule and to enjoy all the perks and privileges continue to look down upon low caste Hindus.

Their ambition for Akhand Bharat burns as strongly as ever. It is this desire to rule the whole of Indian subcontinent and to turn Indian Ocean into Indian lake which makes the Indian ruling elite suffer from megalomania and arrogance. Governed by superiority complex and hegemonic ambitions, their behaviour with neighbours is marked by chauvinism, belligerence and irrationalism.

While dealing with neighbours much smaller in size, resources and military strength they are always in a mood to bully, to terrorise and to dictate terms. They always try to impose their will on others and any country trying to resist their pressure tactics and their intrusion in domestic affairs is punished through various means. The typical means are diplomatic pressure, economic blackmail, military coercion and application of military instrument. The favourite means to make the defiant neighbour bend to its dictates are propaganda war, use of Kautylian tactics, sabotage and subversion and aiding and abetting insurgency. It has trained RAW in this game and over a period of time it claims to have excelled in the art of disinformation campaign, espionage and sabotage. There is no country in its neighbourhood which has not been jolted by India through immoral methods, be it Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan. The latter has suffered the most at its hand and continues to endure. Sri Lanka too is an old victim of Indian machinations and Tamil Tigers insurgency is Indian manufactured.

It is essentially because of their high-handed tactics, erratic and irrational behaviour and covert operations which makes all the neighbours wary. Despite being the largest and strongest country it has failed to earn respect of any. It behaves in a petty and miserly manner whenever it comes to give and take. India believes in taking only and giving nothing. Other than India, none harbour aggressive or expansionist designs. Whereas India has disputes with almost all its neighbours, others have no complaint against each other. SAARC has essentially failed to takeoff in true sense because of India trying to monopolise it. No member of this organisation can raise any bilateral issue since all issue are connected with India.

Social inequalities are inherent in Indian polity which have given rise to separatism and terrorism. At the momentum 19 full blown insurgencies are raging in various parts of India and there are over 100 terrorist groups operating in India. Maoist movement which has its roots in central India but has spread to over 200 districts of India is the most dangerous which has the potential to break up India. Kashmir whether with Pakistan or India or independent is a volcano that is simmering for a very long time and may burst anytime with fatal consequences for India. Terrorism has enveloped India completely and there is hardly any day in India when an act of terror doesn’t take place. From 2000 to 2008, there were 11200 terror related deaths in India. In the last five years, India ranks second in the world in deaths caused through terrorist acts. As per US Institute of Counter Terrorism Report, between 2004 and 2007, 3674 deaths took place in India due to terrorism; only Iraq surpasses this figure.

Growing alienation of Indian Muslims because of step-motherly treatment meted out to them is radicalising them. In the aftermath of state sponsored genocide of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, it gave birth to Student Islamic Movement (SIM). It was involved in Ahmedabad series of bomb blasts and each blast took place within extremist Hindus strongholds. SIM has now got converted to Indian Mujahideen and this outfit is very active and has posed a serious challenge to state authorities. Besides, Harkatul Jihad and now Deccan Mujahideen have also joined the fray. Emergence of so many Muslim outfits must be cause of great alarm and anxiety to the Hindu Brahmans. They say that Deobandis are being funded by Saudis and are linked with Bangladesh. Wahabis in their view are the most radicalised. India has turned out to be the most fertile ground for Al-Qaeda and as per knowledgeable sources it has already established a firm base in India.

The intolerance of Indian leaders get exposed after seeing their volatile reaction whenever any act of terror take place in India and Pakistan is impulsively blamed for it. The xenophobic frenzy was witnessed during Kargil crisis in summer of 1999, attack on Indian parliament on 13 December 2001, Mumbai blasts in July 2006, Samjhota Train bombing in February 2007, suicide attack on Indian embassy in Kabul in July 2008, and now Mumbai attacks. Each time, the Indians went wild with rage and wanted to crush Pakistan.

Later probes proved that Pakistan was not involved in any of the incident over which so much of hue and cry was made. Many a times a drama was staged by the sitting regime to either bail itself out of a difficult domestic issue or to corner Pakistan and extract some concessions. India has never apologised for wrongly blaming Pakistan even when its own investigative teams revealed the truth as in the case of Samjhota Train incident.

Some of the motives behind Mumbai drama are to deflect attention from trouble brewing up in occupied Kashmir; claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba, linked with ISI is still active in Kashmir and has now reached mainland of India; get ISI declared as a rogue organisation; instigate militancy in Punjab by getting welfare outfits based in Punjab engaged in charity and educational works banned; seek UNSC permission for surgical strikes inside Pakistan to destroy Jihadi infrastructures; once Punjab gets destabilised paint Pakistan as an ungovernable and unviable state; pave the way for UNSC sanction to denuclearise Pakistan on the plea that world security would remain in danger as long as nuclear bombs and delivery means are stored in Pakistan. The ultimate aim is to turn Pakistan into a compliant state. Greatest wish of hawkish elements within India which are in plenty is that each Pakistani should keep its head bowed in submission irrespective of the humiliations inflicted upon them.

Pakistan has caught tens of RAW agents red handed carrying out acts of sabotage in Baluchistan, FATA, and Swat. George Bush on his visit to Islamabad in March 2006 was shown clinching evidence of RAW involvement in Baluchistan but he simply turned his face. Imagine if ISI agents were caught in any of the troubled regions of India where home-grown separatist movements are raging for decades.

One can imagine how India would have reacted if Pakistan was in a position to stop the flow of river water into India and it had done so or constructed a dam in violation of Indus Basin Treaty, or if Pakistan had blamed India for Marriott suicide attack. USA, UK as well as other western nations would have immediately ganged up and all hell would have broken and Pakistan condemned in strongest words. We have seen how Pakistan was taken to task by US led G-8 during Kargil conflict. Could Pakistan have possibly sat over UN Resolution on Kashmir for 62 years? Could Pakistan have ever got a UNSC resolution within 24 hours on any issue in which India was involved? It could not get a UN resolution for ceasefire when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto desperately pleaded for days to prevent fragmentation of Pakistan in 1971.

As long as hawks dominate the corridors of power in India, Indo-Pakistan peaceful co-existence based on mutual trust will remain a pipe dream. The scheming minds in India would continue to cook up stories and indulge in falsehood to gain political mileage and to harm Pakistan. Suchlike self-created hypes and dirty tricks would never extinguish the embers of hate. South Asia has lagged behind in the field of economic growth essentially because of Indian interventionist policies, unfair dealings and erratic behaviour.

Asif Haroon Raja is a defence and political analyst.

- Asian Tribune -

India's erratic and irrational behaviour | Asian Tribune
 
A place where India does not think that it can dominate and control other countries. It has a good opportunity to act with maturity and vision with Zardari in Pakistan and Hasina in Bangladesh. If India tries to extract too much concessions from these two countries the backlash at least in Bangladesh will be worse than it was in 1975 and Indian influence diminished completely. India should work with Pakistan and Bangladesh to create prosperity in the region but f it wants too much its hands are likely to get cut off rather quickly.
 
India's erratic and irrational behaviour

Mon, 2009-01-12 02:09

By Asif Haroon Raja

While India has made impressive improvements in the domain of military, technology, economy and education, these improvements had little impact on Hindu extremism and political culture. The Hindu extremists have become more and more intolerant, bigoted and fickle-minded when in seen in context with their behaviour towards the minorities of other religions residing in India. Their venom against Indian Muslims in particular is astonishing. The Brahmans who consider it their birth right to rule and to enjoy all the perks and privileges continue to look down upon low caste Hindus.

Their ambition for Akhand Bharat burns as strongly as ever. It is this desire to rule the whole of Indian subcontinent and to turn Indian Ocean into Indian lake which makes the Indian ruling elite suffer from megalomania and arrogance. Governed by superiority complex and hegemonic ambitions, their behaviour with neighbours is marked by chauvinism, belligerence and irrationalism.

While dealing with neighbours much smaller in size, resources and military strength they are always in a mood to bully, to terrorise and to dictate terms. They always try to impose their will on others and any country trying to resist their pressure tactics and their intrusion in domestic affairs is punished through various means. The typical means are diplomatic pressure, economic blackmail, military coercion and application of military instrument. The favourite means to make the defiant neighbour bend to its dictates are propaganda war, use of Kautylian tactics, sabotage and subversion and aiding and abetting insurgency. It has trained RAW in this game and over a period of time it claims to have excelled in the art of disinformation campaign, espionage and sabotage. There is no country in its neighbourhood which has not been jolted by India through immoral methods, be it Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan. The latter has suffered the most at its hand and continues to endure. Sri Lanka too is an old victim of Indian machinations and Tamil Tigers insurgency is Indian manufactured.

It is essentially because of their high-handed tactics, erratic and irrational behaviour and covert operations which makes all the neighbours wary. Despite being the largest and strongest country it has failed to earn respect of any. It behaves in a petty and miserly manner whenever it comes to give and take. India believes in taking only and giving nothing. Other than India, none harbour aggressive or expansionist designs. Whereas India has disputes with almost all its neighbours, others have no complaint against each other. SAARC has essentially failed to takeoff in true sense because of India trying to monopolise it. No member of this organisation can raise any bilateral issue since all issue are connected with India.

Social inequalities are inherent in Indian polity which have given rise to separatism and terrorism. At the momentum 19 full blown insurgencies are raging in various parts of India and there are over 100 terrorist groups operating in India. Maoist movement which has its roots in central India but has spread to over 200 districts of India is the most dangerous which has the potential to break up India. Kashmir whether with Pakistan or India or independent is a volcano that is simmering for a very long time and may burst anytime with fatal consequences for India. Terrorism has enveloped India completely and there is hardly any day in India when an act of terror doesn’t take place. From 2000 to 2008, there were 11200 terror related deaths in India. In the last five years, India ranks second in the world in deaths caused through terrorist acts. As per US Institute of Counter Terrorism Report, between 2004 and 2007, 3674 deaths took place in India due to terrorism; only Iraq surpasses this figure.

Growing alienation of Indian Muslims because of step-motherly treatment meted out to them is radicalising them. In the aftermath of state sponsored genocide of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, it gave birth to Student Islamic Movement (SIM). It was involved in Ahmedabad series of bomb blasts and each blast took place within extremist Hindus strongholds. SIM has now got converted to Indian Mujahideen and this outfit is very active and has posed a serious challenge to state authorities. Besides, Harkatul Jihad and now Deccan Mujahideen have also joined the fray. Emergence of so many Muslim outfits must be cause of great alarm and anxiety to the Hindu Brahmans. They say that Deobandis are being funded by Saudis and are linked with Bangladesh. Wahabis in their view are the most radicalised. India has turned out to be the most fertile ground for Al-Qaeda and as per knowledgeable sources it has already established a firm base in India.

The intolerance of Indian leaders get exposed after seeing their volatile reaction whenever any act of terror take place in India and Pakistan is impulsively blamed for it. The xenophobic frenzy was witnessed during Kargil crisis in summer of 1999, attack on Indian parliament on 13 December 2001, Mumbai blasts in July 2006, Samjhota Train bombing in February 2007, suicide attack on Indian embassy in Kabul in July 2008, and now Mumbai attacks. Each time, the Indians went wild with rage and wanted to crush Pakistan.

Later probes proved that Pakistan was not involved in any of the incident over which so much of hue and cry was made. Many a times a drama was staged by the sitting regime to either bail itself out of a difficult domestic issue or to corner Pakistan and extract some concessions. India has never apologised for wrongly blaming Pakistan even when its own investigative teams revealed the truth as in the case of Samjhota Train incident.

Some of the motives behind Mumbai drama are to deflect attention from trouble brewing up in occupied Kashmir; claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba, linked with ISI is still active in Kashmir and has now reached mainland of India; get ISI declared as a rogue organisation; instigate militancy in Punjab by getting welfare outfits based in Punjab engaged in charity and educational works banned; seek UNSC permission for surgical strikes inside Pakistan to destroy Jihadi infrastructures; once Punjab gets destabilised paint Pakistan as an ungovernable and unviable state; pave the way for UNSC sanction to denuclearise Pakistan on the plea that world security would remain in danger as long as nuclear bombs and delivery means are stored in Pakistan. The ultimate aim is to turn Pakistan into a compliant state. Greatest wish of hawkish elements within India which are in plenty is that each Pakistani should keep its head bowed in submission irrespective of the humiliations inflicted upon them.

Pakistan has caught tens of RAW agents red handed carrying out acts of sabotage in Baluchistan, FATA, and Swat. George Bush on his visit to Islamabad in March 2006 was shown clinching evidence of RAW involvement in Baluchistan but he simply turned his face. Imagine if ISI agents were caught in any of the troubled regions of India where home-grown separatist movements are raging for decades.

One can imagine how India would have reacted if Pakistan was in a position to stop the flow of river water into India and it had done so or constructed a dam in violation of Indus Basin Treaty, or if Pakistan had blamed India for Marriott suicide attack. USA, UK as well as other western nations would have immediately ganged up and all hell would have broken and Pakistan condemned in strongest words. We have seen how Pakistan was taken to task by US led G-8 during Kargil conflict. Could Pakistan have possibly sat over UN Resolution on Kashmir for 62 years? Could Pakistan have ever got a UNSC resolution within 24 hours on any issue in which India was involved? It could not get a UN resolution for ceasefire when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto desperately pleaded for days to prevent fragmentation of Pakistan in 1971.

As long as hawks dominate the corridors of power in India, Indo-Pakistan peaceful co-existence based on mutual trust will remain a pipe dream. The scheming minds in India would continue to cook up stories and indulge in falsehood to gain political mileage and to harm Pakistan. Suchlike self-created hypes and dirty tricks would never extinguish the embers of hate. South Asia has lagged behind in the field of economic growth essentially because of Indian interventionist policies, unfair dealings and erratic behaviour.

Asif Haroon Raja is a defence and political analyst.

- Asian Tribune -

India's erratic and irrational behaviour | Asian Tribune
 
My best wishes for you Mr Munshi. Indian hinduist zionist imperialist intelligentsia which always thinks of rebuilding an akhand-bharat (wich can be possible only by invading and occupying other south Asian sovereign nations and nation states, has already made a global audience by their diplomatic cunning writing skill. Look, a snake is always a snake and its instinctive nature is to bite and throw poisonous venom, and if we neglect adopting precautionary measures, we will be absorbed by the hindu agenda based imperial force in the near future. Now, not only militarily, but also intellectually we need to counter the attacks of the imperial force as this is also a psychological warfare. You noticed, how arrogant and cruel some indians appear, now imagine after a few years, how more arrogant they will appear....
 
A place where India does not think that it can dominate and control other countries. It has a good opportunity to act with maturity and vision with Zardari in Pakistan and Hasina in Bangladesh. If India tries to extract too much concessions from these two countries the backlash at least in Bangladesh will be worse than it was in 1975 and Indian influence diminished completely. India should work with Pakistan and Bangladesh to create prosperity in the region but f it wants too much its hands are likely to get cut off rather quickly.

Yes,

Now India should learn from you about how to maintain relations with other countries.

I think you are better just surfing internet for news & stories where India is shown in bad light.

Hope you can come across some good news & stories about India.

Everyone can write BS and Crap about anyone and I think you are not as bad writer, so please write some thing credible.

Regards

Dabloo
 
For the book 60% of references are from Indian sources and mainly admissions by policy makers, intelligence officials and military planners of the nefarious role of India in the region.
 
'The India Doctrine' - Book Review

A.K. Zaman - 1/11/2009

It is almost two years since the first edition of The India Doctrine appeared on Bangladesh bookshelves to wide acclaim and appreciation. The newly revised edition now titled The India Doctrine (1947-2007) is an astonishing work of exceptional depth and analysis and is probably the first book of its kind not only in Bangladesh but also in South Asia as a whole. It is indeed a stupendous effort by Barrister MBI Munshi. While I had a few words of criticism for the original version of the book which appeared to me to be fragmentary and a little disjointed this revised edition is an exceptional work and its various parts have been finely consolidated and is also far better written and organized. As the author reminds us, he had almost two years to write this revised edition and it was certainly time well spent as the language and style is now much easier to follow and effortless to comprehend.

The Bangladesh Defence Journal (BDJ) has published the book at a price of Tk. 1200 or roughly $17 and is 636 pages in length. Of those pages one third consists of end notes and references which number in their thousands leaving in no doubt the strong evidentiary grounds on which Barristers Munshi's thesis is based. The book also contains a useful foreword by the editor of BDJ, Mr. Abu Rushd, who earlier wrote the ground breaking 'RAW in Bangladesh.' Mr. Rushd in his foreword contrasts the original version of 'The India Doctrine' and the present edition stating that, "The first edition was a turning point in political and historical writing in Bangladesh. The second edition continues this trend with further elaboration of issues … covered in the earlier book but on very recent events such as the causes behind the cancellation of elections in 2007 and new material on the 1971 liberation war and India's motivations in assisting [an] emergent Bangladesh."

Mr. Rushd further elaborates on the importance of the book in the context of South Asia's geo-strategic realities, "The book is certainly a must read for those interested in South Asian affairs, geo-strategy, intelligence, and the political, diplomatic and economic influences of an increasingly important region of the world which contains almost a sixth of the world population, two nuclear powers and several more in the near vicinity. The book will hopefully inspire others to explore the subject of Indian hegemony and expansionism and also allow policy-makers in the West to better comprehend the risks of permitting an unrestrained India to dominate the region." The last remark seems particularly relevant in light of the Mumbai terror attacks in December 2008 and the increasingly hostile attitude taken by India towards its neighbour Pakistan who it accuses of having direct involvement in the incident although only a few weeks earlier a Col. Srikant Pirohit had been apprehended for supplying explosives to Hindu fanatics to carry out similar outrages.

Mr. Rushd concludes that the book should hopefully, "educate the policy-makers and military planners in Bangladesh about possible threats emanating from our neighbour and the consequences of New Delhi's influence in our internal affairs as well as the principal cause of instability." This is probably even more pertinent after the overwhelming victory of the Awami League (AL) party in the recently concluded 2008 national elections. The AL has often aligned itself with the interests of New Delhi in both foreign and internal matters and this has aggravated tensions within the country. It would be wise for the AL leaders to take some lessons from this book and adopt a more cautious attitude to New Delhi since our own history shows that a two-thirds majority in parliament is no guarantee of longevity or permanence in power especially when deeply held views about our national interest are constantly and arrogantly offended.

The obvious reason for publishing this new edition is that the original book had many gaps and overlooked many significant issues principally due to the time limitations placed on the author. Barrister Munshi states in his opening remarks in the preface that, "By all accounts the first edition of 'The India Doctrine' was a book incomplete. While it covered the essentials of the periods 1947 and 1971 fairly well it managed to convey only a fraction of the notable events and incidents that were to take place during 2006 and which were to reach a climax in 2007. The years 2006-2007 had much less of the cruelty, violence and bloodshed associated with 1947 and 1971 but nevertheless represents a significant period of transition that witnessed a revival of great power politics in South Asia that was to significantly affect the terms of the India Doctrine." This short period indeed witnessed immense and often tragic and horrendous events that will undoubtedly have lasting effects on the South Asian perspective and psyche.

The author next deals quite comprehensively with the internal struggles within India and its new alliance with the United States built upon the tenuous foundations of the nuclear agreement passed amidst intense opposition, particularly in India. The author explores how this new strategic relationship affects the regional balance and includes reference to China and Russia and the wider geo-strategic imperatives of the United States and India. The author then surveys the influence of the India doctrine and Forward Policy on the South Asian neighbourhood and the internal conflicts this incited in many countries of the region (i.e. Sri Lanka, Nepal, Sikkim, Pakistan and Bangladesh). The next few chapters on the liberation war and Indian propaganda have been completely redone and large segments rearranged to fit more logically the shape, context and logic of the book. New material and information is incorporated into chapters 4-8 and recent developments on the CHT insurgency and peace agreement is rendered in the last of these chapters.

From a Bangladesh perspective the most controversial sections of the book will probably be Chapters 9 and 10 that deal with India's project to have Bangladesh declared a failed state. The chosen method to achieve this objective has been through propaganda with the labeling of Bangladesh as a 'hotbed' of Islamist terrorism. The media campaign orchestrated by India has been so successful that many voters in the 2008 elections actually believed this nonsense not realizing that such malicious canards were being propagated by Indian intelligence (i.e. RAW) via our local media. Another method favoured by India to have Bangladesh rendered a failed state is through economic sabotage and as Barrister Munshi explains, "For India to secure its political and military supremacy and control over the South Asian region it has become necessary for it to continuously maintain and protect her lead over other economies even by unfair means such as sabotage, fomenting and encouraging political instability in neighbouring countries and most obviously through propaganda." However, it is interference in the political sphere that India has been most successful in undermining Bangladesh's democratic institutions and Barrister Munshi traces the chaotic events surrounding the transfer of power to a caretaker government in 2006 to the release of Sheikh Hasina from custody in June 2008 with each event being heavily influenced by external actors and in particular India. Barrister Munshi provides a convincing argument and analysis on all the above issues and his contribution to the book stands as an extraordinary achievement that will set the standard for such works in Bangladesh and probably elsewhere in South Asia. The 557 pages written by Barrister Munshi will hopefully gain widespread readership in Bangladesh since the issues raised in the book are incredibly important to the continued independence and integrity of the nation against the hegemonic and domineering tendencies of India. The chapters written by the author will likely stand out as the most important to be written on South Asian affairs for the last 60 years at least. It presents a completely new perspective on South Asia rarely seen in writing from this region and hardly discussed in western literature on the subject.

The final two chapters of the book are authored by two Pakistanis and this is a major development on the first edition which had no chapters on Pakistan and this is probably the only collaboration between writers of both countries on this type of subject matter. Chapter 11 of the book is titled 'The Peace Charade' and is written by Mr. Ahmed Quraishi. Mr. Quraishi is a prominent media personality in Pakistan and his background as an investigative journalist, columnist, roving reporter and head of a private, independent think tank are all very impressive and raise his credentials as a highly respected and informed writer. According to Mr. Quraishi, India had by early 2008 been conducting a massive intelligence operation with Pakistan as its target. Afghanistan was being used by New Delhi as a springboard and the Islamists were the tools of this operation. Israel is said to have provided help and the US position as Pakistan's ally is described as somewhat ambiguous. This brief summary sets the tone for a very interesting and well researched chapter with its premise based on the discovery of a document that reveals a conspiracy 'to break the stranglehold of the intelligence agencies, the bureaucracy and the military in Pakistan' as these are believed by India to be responsible for keeping the Kashmir issue alive. Chapter 12 of the book is written by Dr. Prevaiz Iqbal Cheema who has an outstanding academic career. He obtained and M. Litt in Strategic Studies from Aberdeen University and a Ph.D. from Quaid-i-Azam University in Pakistan. He has been a teacher for almost 28 years with posts held in Pakistan, Australia, Singapore and the United States. His excellent and lucidly argued chapter discusses the Kashmir dispute and Pakistan-India relations. His chapter initially discusses the origin and nature of the Kashmir dispute highlighting the policies of both India and Pakistan followed by a discussion on the internationalization of the dispute. Finally the paper focuses on the new developments that have impacted upon the dispute and the current status of Indo-Pak relations. Dr. Cheema concludes his survey of the issues by commenting that, "Without the resolution of [the] Kashmir dispute, not only India and Pakistan would never enjoy proper fruits of peace and cooperation but South Asia would also be deprived of much desired peaceful environment." It is, therefore, unfortunate that India has not shown the requisite sincerity in negotiations for this sensible and desired outcome for regional peace and security.

Overall, this book, The India Doctrine (1947-2007), is an extraordinary and astounding effort requiring not only immense dedication but also a significant amount of courage, boldness and resolution. Writing in the hostile and threatening atmosphere created by India in Bangladesh and Pakistan the writers have shown admirable willpower and fortitude. The book not only deserves success but also our respect.

Global Politician - 'The India Doctrine' - Book Review
 
Wow!! Thanks to administrators for making this thread a sticky. I am really speechless!!!! :cheers:
 
Munshi Bahi

Can you please guide to where I can buy this book online.

Kind Regards
 
Munshi Bahi

Can you please guide to where I can buy this book online.

Kind Regards

Try Amazon.com. They are known to keep best sellers. And dont forget to read what others who have read the book, have to say about it.

Best Of Luck.
 
It is not available online being a very limited print. However, I understand RAW sent Lt. Gen. Yoginder Bammi (Rtd.) to obtain a copy. He contacted me in a very circuitous way and I delivered a copy to his hotel but was unable personally to meet him. He never thanked me or showed the slightest courtesy. Do all Indian army officers behave with such arrogance and lack of manners?
 

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