Valleys and Valour

COVID-19 BIOLOGICAL PANDEMIC OF 2020 AND PORTEND FOR INDIA   Backdrop Worldwide H1N1/09 Swine flu pandemic in 20009-10, MERS Coronavirus outbreak in 2012, Ebola Virus disease in 2013, and Zika Virus in 2015 were the warning signals of a major biological pandemic waiting to happen, which the world ignored at its peril. The early 2020 global pandemic caused by Covid-19 virus outbreak has resulted in almost half the population of the world being quarantined or under lockdown, inducing the largest global economic slowdown. The unfolding events have caught all nations and agencies by surprise, revealing the unexpectedness of such a dramatic scenario. Higher security, administrative and medical setups of Indian state were equally caught off guard, as the much vaunted Disaster Management plans and mitigation infrastructure proved to be inadequate. Much as during the Kargil war, it was the steel shown by the administrative, security and medical, junior leadership at district leve

TACKLING THE CHINESE CONUNDRUM BY INDIA - PART I   General Geostrategic importance of Tibetan Plateau makes China highly sensitive to any threats in this region. Importance of Tibet to India is equally well established. The Tibetan Plateau is the source of three of the largest rivers of China, the  Yellow River  in the North, Yangtze  River in the Centre, and Pearl River in South China.   Rivers Indus, Sutlej, and Brahmaputra, three of the largest rivers of India, too originate from the Tibetan Plateau. Indus River is also the major source of water for Pakistan. Three of the largest rivers of Myanmar and SE Asia, the Irrawaddy, Salween, and Mekong Rivers, also have their origins in Tibetan Plateau.   Tibetan plateau is, thus, critical to water security of China, India, Pakistan and SE Asia. Chinese maritime trade routes through South China Sea to Indian Ocean region are extremely vulnerable to interdiction. Tibetan Mountain Ranges of Great Himalayas, Karakoram, Kunlun

INVISIBLE NEW AGE WARFARE AND WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA     Extra ordinary times require extraordinary response.   BACKDROP Directed Energy Attacks Infrasound Generating Sonic  Weapon attack on the ‘ Havana Cohort’, the name given to the group of 26 Cuba-based USA diplomats who showed symptoms of dizziness, headaches, nausea, mild brain memory and hearing loss, in 2016. Military Grade Laser Attacks on USAF Planes in Djibouti in East Africa and multiple incidents in South China Sea in 2019. Publicised Deployment of Directed Energy Weapon systems by USA in West Asia in beginning 2020. Drone Attacks Drone and Missile attacks by Iran supported non-state rebel groups, on Aramco oilfields in Saudi Arabia in September 2019 disrupted 5 % world oil supply. Cyber Attacks ‘Stuxnet’ cyber attack through USB flash drives on uranium-enrichment centrifuges in Iran in 2010, ‘WannaCry’ ransom ware encryptor in 2017, ‘ExPetr’ aka ‘NotPetya’ ransom ware encryptor also in 2017