India's generals must remember that when they speak, the impact lasts for a long time. Field Marshal Cariappa's 1970 remark about a military rule is a case in point.
If armed forces have begun to look and sound like any other govt department, the fault lies with their own leadership, civil servants who control them, and politicians who lead them.
In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.
IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.
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