Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd)

Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd)

About Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd)

The author is a former Lieutenant General of the Indian Army

More From Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd)

Is India at all serious about fighting pollution?

But how does one counter the Swiss-based air-quality monitoring group IQAir which reports that India was the third most polluted country in the world after Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2023 and Delhi was the “most polluted” capital in the world?

Is Manipur lurching towards civil war again?

Manipur appears to be veering toward massive armed attacks against the tribals – both the Kuki-Zo and Naga, with the state administration remaining ambivalent.  This is a dangerous development - civil war in a state bordering Myanmar which itself is experiencing rising violence.  

India should be prepared for a long war with China

Since 2019, China has been building 628 dual-use military villages (termed ‘Xiaokang’ or ‘well-off’ villages) along the southern border of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including inside Bhutan and in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Are Manipur's warning bells going unheeded?

Much more violence could be expected in Manipur, with Meitei radicals waging all-out war against the Kuki-Zo, with Nagas fearing they would be the next target since the Arambai Tenggol alone outnumbers the tribals of Manipur hugely. 

Naga fears in Manipur need to be addressed: further unrest could be unsettling for India's Northeast

If the Nagas are drawn into the already raging ethnic conflict in Manipur, it would be catastrophic for the border state and have repercussions in the entire northeast of India. The decision to fence the entire India-Myanmar border and cancel the FMR could potentially lead to discontent in Nagaland and Mizoram.

With growing radicalization, Manipur remains on the boil

Ironically, recent actions will be playing into the hands of China which has a lien on many insurgent groups in Myanmar, including Meitei and Kuki-Naga groups, which it would use to destabilize northeast India.

The continuing shroud of secrecy over Ladakh faceoffs

The belligerence by the PLA also exposes the futility of continuing Corps Commander-level military-to-military talks when China has repeatedly indicated there will be no more PLA pullback.

Dealing with deteriorating Myanmar situation requires a realpolitik approach

It would be prudent to establish a joint working mechanism with Myanmar at the diplomatic and military levels for managing the borders - unless we want China to keep winning.

India-China border talks: Round and round China’s mulberry tree?

As far as China is concerned, the so-called buffer zones are now a permanent arrangement and it knows India can do precious little about it. That is why China has been saying keep the border issue separate and get on with the bilateral relations.

COP28 commitments: Need for India to go beyond lip service and gimmicks

The pollution severely affecting the health of the population is of no consequence to India's politicians. It is high time our policymakers look at themselves in the mirror.