Wasted Opportunities, Mis-Placed Symbolisms, China's Geo-Strategic Myopia Of Yesteryears Revealed, And India's Diplomatic Fatigue In 1972 At Shimla

India’s 69th Republic Day parade at Rajpath yesterday, which was attended by the Heads of Government of all 10 member-states belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for India to showcase its growing military-industrial prowess by including several key homegrown/exportable  weapon systems as part of the annual the parade at Rajpath. Instead, the list of participating military hardware was finalised with neolithic efficiency at best. Shown below are the principal types of hardware—operated by all three armed services of India—that should have been showcased in the order-of-precedence shown below, instead of imported hardware like the T-90S medium battle tanks and BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles.

Strategic Systems

Army-Specific Weapons

Air Force-Specific Weapons

Next, we come to the shameful spectacle of salutes being given by elected civilian government officials—a practice that is forbidden for all except for the President of India, by virtue of he/she being the Supreme Commander of India’s armed forces. No one else, expecially hailing from the executive branch of the Govt of India, is required to give salutes. And yet why do they continue with this practice? Perhaps they have either falsely assumed that giving a salute symbolises one’s patriotism, or they are just unaware of the origins of the practice saluting.

A salute by anu uniformed military personnel is the highest form of respect that any armed forces can display. It is a gesture of respect and trust among officers/soldiers that encourages a pride in their uniforms, while at the same time elevates them in their own eyes by reminding them all of that is implied by the profession and its traditions of chivalry and courtesy.

The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have different salutes that have evolved over time and are steeped in tradition. In the Army, a salute is executed by a open-palm gesture with the right hand, with fingers and thumb together and the middle finger almost touching the hatband or the eyebrow. It not only establishes trust among the personnel, but also proves that the person saluting has no bad intentions and no weapons hidden up anywhere. In the Navy, a salute is executed with the right palm facing the ground at a 90-degree angle to the forehead. The reason behind this is to hide the hands of naval personnel that get dirty due to oil or grease stains while working on-board warshisp. In the olden days, since the sailors were always working on-board their vessels, their hands would get greasy and dirty. So they started saluting with their palms facing down, so as to not disrespect their seniors. In March 2006, the Indian Air Force issued new salute norms to its personnel. This new salute involves the palm at a 45-degree angle to the ground and the right arm being sharply raised from the front by the shortest possible way. It is a mid-way between the Army and Navy salute and was standardised to make it more convenient for the IAF.

However, there is no prescribed saluting style for a civilian (except for the President) and thus no civilian official is required to give any salute at any event or at any place. All that a civilian (except for the President) is required to do is to briefly stand in attention, leaving the saluting to be done by the uniformed personnel. And yet, we have over the past several decades seen elected civilian officials offering salutes in their own bizarre styles as prescribed by their respective whims and fancies!

The above clearly shows who is the beginner in geopolitics and who is the established practisioner.

India’s Diplomatic Fatigue In 1972 At Shimla: How Captured Chicken’s Neck Area Had To Be Returned

And in the words of M. K. Rasgotra:

First act of terror committed by Pakistan against India on foreign soil (in 1972):

Diplomatic Myopia of UPA-1 Govt