Shastri’s legacy is unfairly overshadowed by peace he made at Tashkent and a visit that also took his life. Among his contributions were Green Revolution and talent-hunting Dr Swaminathan.
In Uzbekistan to cover the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, I saw the land of Timur whom Indian history books will always remember as the 'plunderer' of Delhi.
The Tashkent pact set the stage for Indian and Pakistani militaries to start withdrawing troops. Those days, tough negotiations could still end with a game of golf.
Israel sees Iran as an existential threat. But the US, Turkey & Gulf states fear refugee flows or attacks on oil sites. These countries need a stable end-state for the whole region over more strikes.
As per the timeline decided, 5 prototypes of India’s own fifth-generation fighter are set to be rolled out by 2031, with the first by 2028 using the GE 414 engine.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
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