THE LAST FEW weeks of the last two years of the 1900s were testing times for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Its May 1998 nuclear tests were being condemned by the world as an act of nuclear irresponsibility by a small power that was yet to develop a robust national security apparatus. And so when the Navy chief, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, defied the orders of the civilian cabinet, though over totally unrelated issues, that was being seen across the world capitals as further proof of the lack of maturity of India’s democratic institutions. The stand-off finally led to the ignominious sack of the chief, a first in independent India, on December 30, 1998.
A year later, on the Christmas eve of 1999, the regime faced blackmail from terrorists who had hijacked an airplane and were asking for the freedom of three of their leaders in return for the lives of the passengers. If the Vajpayee government had showed spine in handling the year-end crisis of 1998, it capitulated before the blackmailers in the 1999 crisis. Not only did the government free the terrorists, it even sent a cabinet minister and its intelligence chief to escort them to safety.
Much had happened in the intervening year that had tested India’s security nerves. The military crisis of 1998-end was followed by a series of attempts by the Vajpayee regime to repair the frayed relations with Pakistan. The attempts culminated in Vajpayee’s much-hailed Lahore peace bus trip, but within weeks Pakistan mounted a military aggression on the Kargil hills.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin January 05, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin January 05, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock