Each country has its own distinctive Strategic Culture and Way of War Fighting that evolves over time & tends to outlast the era of its inception. Thus the Chinese PLA still assiduously studies “Sun Zi Bing Fa” ( Sun Tzu’s Art of War) that was written in the 3rd Century BCE. They are convinced that this text has valuable lessons for the current era, for it was written in a similar Multi-Polar era of Warring States. So were the Mahabharta and Kautilya’s Artha Shastra written in similar era of Mult- Polar power equations & constantly warring Maha Janapadas (major states). These two seminal texts represent the quint essential Indian Strategic Culture and way of War-fighting, that is deeply ingrained in our psyche. Today we need to urgently study our Traditional Knowledge Systems, for they represent our innate genius and way of waging war. Not only do we need to indigenise the design & production of our weapon systems, we equally need to indigenise our military doctrines and way of waging war. Hence the need to study the Mahabharta’s and Kautilya’s ways of waging war because they have very significant lessons for us today. The Kautilyan way of war was premised upon waging a long covert campaign of destabilisation and psy- ops to break the balance of the enemy state. Then a swift & sharp military campaign was launched to mop up in the wake of the extended de- stabilisation campaign. Massed war elephants were used to produce shock & awe &speed up the campaign. Amazingly, the same war – fighting design emerged unconsciously in the Bangladesh war of 1971, when in just 13 Days, India broke Pakistan in two and liberated the whole country of Sonar Bangla. The author has carried out a comparative analysis of Kautilya with Machiaville and Sun Tzu that would be useful for scholars & soldiers alike.

Major General (Dr.) G.D. Bakshi, SM, VSM (Retd.) is a decorated combat veteran who was commissioned in the 6th Battalion of the Jammu & Kashmir rifles in 1971. He commanded his Battalion, Brigade and Division in active combat environments in J&K. He became a turn-around specialist and turned defeat into victory in very tough assignments. He has authored 46 books and written over 400 papers for prestigious defence journals. A highly popular TV commentator, he lectures extensively on the subjects of leadership, motivation and national security and is a thought leader on these issues. Currently, he is the editor of Indian Military Review, the defense monthly journal that has the largest circulation in India. In 2018, he was conferred the Chandra Shekhar Rashtriya Samman award by the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh.

The post BOOKS – Indian Strategic Culture appeared first on IMR.

There is a long history of politics and strategic moves behind the continuing validity of fascination for the Western world in Asia. We will have to see how, with unnatural ease, India and Japan both have accommodated many of the values and lifestyle patterns of the West in their social-cultural behavior while at the same time, they see difficulties in overcoming the mindset gap between themselves.

This year, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up the New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST) Division because a realism-based approach tells that, no matter how sharp the mind of Kautilya or edgy the sword of Samurai is, to win in the realities of the 21st Century, they will have to embrace the power of emerging technologies.

Special Moves

In the book ‘The Art of War’, Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote: “Do not repeat tactics which gained you victory in the past but let your tactics be modeled by the infinite variety of circumstances.” These words summarize the popular approach of the power players and the Internet has added more variations to this. Today, to conquer a country or to damage its morale, the physical movement of the troops is not necessary as the sieges of narratives (through digital and social platforms) are proving more effective. In such an environment, can we afford to continue pursuing a straight and traditional approach to defending our interests and priorities? Both countries will have to seek their answers soon.

In the Special Strategic and Global partnership of India and Japan, the Government to Government (G2G), Government to Businesses (G2B) and Business to Business (B2B) exchanges are going well but it is our People to People (P2P) exchanges that need a serious push.

Joint Production of Video Games

The Japanese sword saint Musashi wrote “When you have attained the Way of Strategy there will be not one thing that you cannot understand” and “You will see the Way in everything.” Japan is known for its world-class video game industry and the country should be applauded for keeping the spirit of its Samurai warriors alive, in the minds of young Japan through video games/animation characters. From the Way of Samurai (2002) to Ghost of Tsushima (July 2020) Japan has a track record of consistent perfection in producing strategy, action and adventure games. Today, a majority of Japanese youth follow the Western lifestyle/trends but, at the same time, they enjoy the Samurai spirit, too.

An Idea that needs to be developed

The reach and influencing power of technology is real and the two technologically advanced nations like India and Japan will have to start exploring the possibilities of leveraging these capabilities for enhancing the bond between our people.

WYSIWYA Strategy

In computing, the What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) approach has dominated the system designs for many years. Today, we will have to think about designing our strategy with ‘What You See is What You Aim (WYSIWYA)’ kind of approach.

How will kids, who are growing up seeing Superman/Spiderman (and now Avengers), believe that the problems of the Earth can be solved by the Kautilyan approach and Samurai spirit, too? For Kautilya and Samurai to capture the imaginations of our kids, the Japanese video game developers will have to join hands with the Indian technical creative community. Together, the two can design artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and simulation-powered game series, in which, say the two animation characters – a Guru (Kautilya) and a Warrior (Samurai) – can be shown working on a joint mission, such as defending the ancient treasure, culture and other civilizational assets of the region. And they can be shown applying a combination of manoeuvres involving mind, strategy and the spirit of swordsmanship (in well-defined levels of the game). Such close to real-life experiences will make our kids comprehend how the finest minds of the two sides can work together.

ALSO READ: INDIA-JAPAN: A Dependable Partnership

It is certain that the 21st Century smartphone generation cannot grasp the ideas through text and books are not enough to satisfy their curiosity and creative hunger. With the production of such video games, the complex ideas of Kautilya’s Arthashastra, i.e., the elements of sovereignty, six-fold foreign policy (Rajamandala theory), Peace and Wartime scenarios, Adoption of Double policy, marching with the combined powers, different vices and calamities scenarios of a nation, acts of an invader and powerful enemies, consideration about an enemy in the front and rear, strategic means to capture a fortress and secret means to protect the state kind of ideas can be introduced in a simple and understandable way. Kautilya is one of the most successful gurus in our history; he fought the foreign invaders with the power of the mind, knowledge of polity and well-crafted strategies. Our future generations have a right to learn from his teachings.

These moves, when planned on a large scale, can give a much-needed boost to the Japanese video game industry too, which is facing some difficulties since the last few years. With the growing interest of Chinese and American investors in video game markets, it seems that this industry in Japan is struggling with a similar “iPod/iPhone shock” that electronics/mobile phone companies have gone through. Japan’s domestic video game developers, who were once leading the ‘golden age of video game industry’, are now left with only two choices – either adopt the Western ideas/strategies or directly join hands with the foreign producers. Since the last few years, there have been talks regarding the revival of the Japanese video game industry, while the major Japanese video game companies (the leaders of the industry in the past) are selling their stakes to foreign investors. But, at the same time, a community of indie developers (independent video game developers) and hobbyist is also taking shape in Japan, on which hope rests.

The idea of the joint production of video games portraying the Kautilyan approach and Samurai spirit can not only give a different kind of boost to this bilateral partnership but is also productive in the commercial sense.

Superheroes are replacing Samurais

According to the 2015 report of Parrot Analytics (a media analytic firm), Gotham, Arrow, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Flash, Supergirl, Daredevil, iZombie, Constantine, Ultimate Spiderman and Agent Carter are the top ten most in-demand superheroes in Japan. Gradually, the tricky acts of Daredevils, Spiderman, Supergirls and Agents are replacing the sagas of Samurai Warriors in the land of Samurais. India is in a quite worse position here, we have not provided anything beyond Captain Vyom, Shaktimaan and Baalveer to our kids and now we have a whole generation growing up watching the fantasies of Captain America, Superman, Batman, Hulk, Thor, Wolverine and Ant-Man kinds of conceptions. From the long-term perspective, with the continued absence of an image about our heroes, we will not be able to instill the winning spirit in our future.

The Participation of Women Power

During prime minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Japan in September 2014, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe shared his vision of achieving a society in which the women can shine and he said that in this Japan must advance the cooperation with India. Modi echoed the sentiment and he also proposed the idea of establishing a parliamentary association of Indian and Japanese women. The active participation of women from both sides could give a much-needed push to people-to-people (P2P) exchanges.

In the social-cultural environment there are several similarities between the Indian and Japanese women while in the religious context, India and Japan worship the same goddesses with different names such as Maa Saraswati, who is recognized in Japan as the goddess Benzaiten and Maa Laxmi as the goddess Kichijoten. Our women can add the elements of desire, dedication and depth to the vision of the two countries, which is crucial at this stage. To shape their engagements, a Joint Women Forum can be initiated which will act as a platform to represent the voice of the Asian women at large. Unlike other women forums, here the participants will not restrict their discussions to their community issues alone, rather the women of India and Japan will discuss the broader vision related to national interests and how Asian societies can come closer at different levels.

Later, the women belonging to different walks of life and from other ASEAN members can also be encouraged to take part. When women come together, families and societies will naturally draw closer.

Traditional Sector

In traditional sectors, the current status of India-Japan’s Special Strategic and Global Partnership can be defined with three Ds – Dialogues, Delegations and Deliberations. In the recent exchanges between the foreign ministers of India and Japan, on the sidelines of the Quad meet, some encouraging developments have taken place, such as the finalization of the Memorandum of Cooperation in Cyber-security and discussions regarding the expansion of this bilateral partnership in third countries.

Space Technology

In the Space technology domain since 2012, talks regarding joint missions have been underway and some of these concluded with the finalization of joint missions such as ISRO and JAXA’s joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX), which is expected to be launched in the next 3 to 4 years. In March 2019, the India-Japan Space Dialogue was held in Delhi, in which the delegations consisting of security and space department representatives participated. In 2018, during his Japan visit, Modi initiated the inter-governmental discussions around it and, a few months back, an India-Japan joint study group was formed to explore the technicalities related to the joint lunar mission.

ALSO READ: INDIA-JAPAN: Immense Potential in Post-Covid Partnership

The developments on such joint space missions will carry on at their pace but in parallel to those moves, the two countries can initiate some knowledge exchange activities between the young space enthusiasts of both sides. India has a rich heritage of astronomical discoveries and ancient Indian astronomy is still a matter of research across the world. For centuries, with a consistent curiosity, the Western world and their dedicated faculties are exploring the advanced astronomical findings of ancient India (which are often called the most precise documents of space-related computations). But India never promoted such curiosity among its Asian allies.

To make our kids look beyond NASA and sci-fi movies, the two countries can set up a forum where the young minds (preferably from secondary schools and colleges) would gather and get themselves familiar with the great ancient Indian astronomers and mathematicians like Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta, Parameshvara, Madhava of Sangamagrama, Sankara Narayana, and Govindasvami and others. Such forums can meet frequently to explore subjects such as the Aryabhata’s ‘Aud Ayaka system’, or Varahamihira’s Pancasiddhantika, Surya-Siddhanta, Vasishtha Siddhanta, and Vishnudharmottara Purana and many other ancient Indian astronomical texts.

There is a general conception that there is no ancient constellation mythology in Japan but Japanese authors like Takashi Katsumata have challenged this notion with various evidences from the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters, 712) and the Nihon Shok (The Oldest Chronicles of Japan, 720) in their papers/ books. Several different interpretations of stars exist in Japanese culture and Japan has produced many brilliant astronomers too. Their discoveries and findings will encourage young minds. This culture, once initiated by India and Japan, can be promoted with other ASEAN partners.

Cyber Security

Similar to space technology, cyber is another area where cooperation talks have been going on for long. In February 2019, the two countries conducted the fourth cyber dialogue. Earlier, in 2012, 2017 and 2018, similar exchanges had taken place mainly centered on knowledge/experience sharing, risk resolution and prevention. It is quite unusual that in cyber security-related interactions between India and Japan, due emphasis has not been given to any proactive measure for the serious cyber challenges that the two countries are facing. The frequency of our cyber exchanges is similar to that of the space domain, only the size of delegations becoming more diverse and large each time.

We need to understand that the security of the critical infrastructure is crucial for a nation. An attack on the critical infrastructure can cause much more severe damage than any conventional terror attack can. Japan is one of the most active partners of many of our critical infrastructure projects and it will be an added advantage if we cooperate in their security. In the recent India-Japan foreign ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, both sides have finalized the text of the cyber security agreement, for promoting cooperation in capacity building, R&D, security and resilience in the areas of critical information infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things, AI, among others. We need to add active industry participation in cyber security exchanges that can help in evolving some concrete measures.

There are other important sectors of cooperation such as naval engineering, biotech, medicines/pharma, solar energy and the possibility of merging Japanese hard power (electronics/computing parts) with Indian soft power (software system/services) to produce future-oriented products, etc.

The only test of the India-Japan partnership is to end the legacy of hesitation, doubt and unfamiliarity, as Modi often says that “Our past has desired us to stand together. Our present is encouraging us to work together.”

(Note: The first part of this article “India and Japan Can Show the Right Path” has been published in the Sep 2020 issue).

The post INDIA-JAPAN: Kautilyan Approach and Japan’s Samurai Spirit – Part II appeared first on IMR.

For many years, the India-Japan partnership has suffered from a needless hesitation and superficial doubt. The ‘Modi-Abe era’ – one of the most promising phases has passed but the search for a shared ground and the ‘magical’ push is still on. It is unfortunate that how two countries, very much synced in their values, culture, philosophical traditions, moral codes and belief systems, are maintaining a distance from each other, due to reasons outside their environment. There are still many dimensions where the India-Japan partnership is in a state of void. But at the same time, from this void, the real push of this partnership can emerge. As great Samurai Miyamoto Musashi had said: “By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void.”

India is the land of Kautilya and Japan is of Samurai; we may have stopped looking ourselves like that but still, a major part of the world views us in that light. An assertive Bhartiya mind and a calm Japanese gesture often give the impression of Kautilya and Samurai to the rest of the world. The curiosity with which a western strategist explores ‘Arthashastra’ and ‘The Book of Five Rings’ (Go Rin No Sho) itself reflects that somewhere a Machiavellian mind is still cautious about the Kautilya and Samurai way. Ironically, we never give a thought to combining this aspect of our potential, the possibilities of which can ignite the curiosity of strategic fraternity.

We must recall that it was an Indian mind that reminded the world community about the true definition of war crimes, peace and humanity and defeated the winners’ propaganda (during the 1946 Tokyo Trials) all alone. In the honor with which the Japanese see Justice Radhabinod Pal, lies the true essence of this partnership.

In his book ‘The India Way’ (Chapter “A Delayed Destiny – India, Japan and the Asian Balance”) Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar writes: “This realization in two nations that they have little choice but to help shape their continent is now an impelling force of a new partnership.”

If we look at the current status of the India-Japan partnership, a good amount of activities are going on in the economic and security spheres and during the last six years, the pace of development has enhanced. In defence and security, although the relations are still non-strategic, the engagements are gradually gaining traction via joint military and naval exercises, by initiating 2+2 Foreign and Defence ministerial-level dialogue (First held in November 2019) and through recently signed logistical exchange agreement based on the reciprocal provision of supplies and services (between Armed Forces of India and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan).

On the economic and business side, one can say that Japan is one of the most active countries in ‘Transforming India.’ Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has invested in several hard and soft infrastructure projects (power, roads and connectivity, high-speed railways, metros, industrial and freight corridors and water management, etc.) in different parts of the country through traditional Official Development Assistance (ODA) facilities. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor are some of the notable examples. Japan is the first country which is allowed to invest in the infrastructure in North East India along with other strategically important parts of the country like Jharkhand and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. And the currency swap agreement signed in 2018 was a sign of maturing economic partnership between the two countries. These moves are significant but the real potential of this combination is yet to be leveraged.

For a quantum leap in this partnership, both sides will have to reflect some dare in their imagination such as visualizing the Kautilya with an army of Samurai warriors or Samurai warriors with master strategists like Kautilya with them.

Kautilyan Approach and Samurai Spirit Complement Each Other

Western strategist reads Kautilya to understand India’s military-strategic culture and foreign policy approach and their understanding generally revolves around: the six-fold of foreign policy (Rajamandala theory), defined elements of sovereignty (Saptanga theory), Kautilya’s comprehensive vision of statecraft, his political-military, socio-economic frameworks, etc, as documented in the classic text of ‘Arthashastra’, which is regarded as one of the ancient and foundational sources of strategic thinking. Some see his works as the tested contrivances applied to power politics and found them useful in dealing with the vices, calamities and internal/external troubles related to even the modern-day States.

For Bharat, Kautilya is the symbol of a Guru, a master strategist, who was determined to protect the motherland from the foreign invaders and to reclaim the ancient glory of Bharat. He defeated the western invaders’ ambitions with the combination of physical and intellectual strength, raised a call for unity, freedom and national security at a time when many of our kings/lords were indulged in satisfying their narrow and greedy aspirations. We remember Kautilya for his great efforts in rebuilding our national character and for reestablishing an environment where a Guru can remind the Kings and his courtiers about their obligation towards the Nation.

Kautilya visualized the approach of a Conqueror, his all possible alliances with friends and enemies, and possible war/peace time scenarios that a country navigates through. He emphasized on the elements of sovereignty and the knowledge of power, place, time, strength, and weakness as he asserted that “a wise king, trained in politics, will, though he possess a small territory, conquer the whole earth with the help of the best-fitted elements of his sovereignty and will never be defeated.” Our experiences of the Kautilya era tell that when the interests of the Nation placed above everything else and when a strategist with such a deep understanding of sovereignty and its political craft guides the path, then even the troops of mercenaries (the least form of the army) can yield surprising results.

The curiosity with which the West reads Kautilya, they read Samurai warriors of Japan too, the popularity of English versions of all important writings of Japan’s popular master warriors speaks a lot about this continuing fascination. The Samurai represents a warrior for whom the swordsmanship is not just a skill to be learned and applied in combat but it is much beyond that. In the martial culture of Japan, the swords were not seen as a tool of warfare alone but as a vehicle of personal growth too. For them, the swordsmanship was like art in which the focus was more on intent and spirit. It is interesting to note that Japan’s master Samurai (master of samurai strategy or way) gave importance to cultivating mental discipline, intuitive abilities and development of internal factors involving mind and spirit.

There are schools of thought developed by practitioners of the ‘Samurai’s way’ which rejects the perspectives of viewing swordsmanship simply as a collection of techniques and physical moves. Their writings have advocated the use of strategy as a craft, becoming ‘formless’ in approach, the principle of emptiness (reading opponents intention), and attaining the state of ‘Mushin’ (the state of no-mind) before any move. Some popular stories of martial arts, written around the 18th-19th centuries, talk about these aspects, such as the story ‘The Mysterious Skills of the Old Cat’, in which the old cat (who caught a powerful rat with natural ease while no other well-trained cat was able to do that) on responding about her mysterious skill of catching that rat which amazed everyone, says: “It’s simple, think of nothing, do nothing. When I move with intuition I’m formless, when I have no form there is no one in the world who can oppose me.”

The advanced writings of swordsmanship have mentioned the spirit of Aiki (a harmonious contest), the spirit of Uchiadachi (attacker) and the Spirit of Winning, etc. One can say that in the true spirit of swordsmanship, the aim is to respond freely to changes in the situation (improvisations), with a controlled anger and killing spirit. But at the same time, there exists a little contradiction as well. We find the master warriors of Japan saying all that is mentioned above (mind, spirit, calmness, strategy, etc.) but the lords of that era seem advocating loyalty, devotion and desperateness kind of elements. Lord Naoshige once said: “The way of the Samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man. Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate.” However, these arguments must have been said in a particular context and their meaning should be seen in that light.

Code of Honor

In between all these views, Japan saw the emergence of some codes for Samurai warriors, called the code of honor (such as Bushido) and the ritual of Seppuku (a ritual of suicide originally propagated among the Samurais) as well. Such practices went to an extent that during the Edo Period (1600-1867) the rituals such as Seppuku became more detailed and standardized particularly when Bushido – the set of codes for honor and ideals for Samurai – were developed. In the book Hagakure written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, which is called the book of the Samurai, it is has been put that “the Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death.”

Without commenting on the basis and intent behind those practices and from a fair calculation about the effect of them on Japan’s position, it appears that Japan lost many brilliant minds, brave warriors and precious lives not for the call of duty to the motherland but under the name of honor, guilt, shame, failure kind of emotions, documented as codes of honor for Samurai. Unfortunately, Japan – the land of Samurai – was embracing those practices and values at a time when a larger part of the world was on a Machiavellian ride.

ALSO READ: INDIA-JAPAN: A Dependable Partnership

While Kautilya represents a Guru and Samurai an ideal Warrior, it is crucial to see that the spirit of the warrior always needs the guidance/strategy of a guru like Kautilya, thus in many ways, both complement each other.

India is the land of Gurus and Warriors both. Our cultural heritage spanning across continents is itself the witness of the implementation of this combination. In the ancient scriptures of Bharat, the role of Guru in the life of a warrior is illustrated beautifully. From Ramayana, Mahabharata to the Kautilya era, one will always find a Guru (and sometimes many gurus), equipped with the knowledge of advanced military and political science, both directing and channelizing the energy of the warriors in the right direction. It is this aspect of Bharat with which Japan needs to get familiar with.

Today, it seems that India is again emerging as the Kautilya in the world of diplomacy and, in many ways, Japan’s economic progress has the reflection of the Samurai spirit. By combining these aspects of their heritage, India and Japan can put an end to the legacy of choreographed patterns of engagement.

Miyamoto Musashi once said: “Strategy is the craft of the warrior” and in his book ‘The Book of Five Rings,’ he perfectly described that the Spirit of the Warrior or Fighting Spirit is like the Fire which needs Ground (strategy), Wind (traditions) and Water (methods). And there always exists some space for the ‘Void’ too, which helps in perceiving the things on a wider sense.

By starting on this note, India and Japan can sow the seeds of a new strategic culture in this continent.

India, Japan Ink Military Logistics Agreement

After years of negotiations, India and Japan inked a landmark agreement, on 10 September, that will allow their militaries to access each other’s bases for logistics support, a key development that comes in the backdrop of growing concerns over China’s military muscle flexing in the region.

The agreement provides for creation of an enabling framework for closer cooperation and interoperability, besides allowing militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies.

The signing of the agreement comes at a time India is locked in a bitter border row with China, and rising concerns among countries in the region over increasing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

A statement by Japanese foreign ministry said the agreement will promote closer cooperation between the militaries of the two countries, and enable them to actively contribute to international peace and security.

“It is expected that the agreement will facilitate the smooth and prompt provision of supplies and services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces,” it said.

The defence ministry said the pact will enhance the interoperability between the armed forces, resulting in further expansion of bilateral defence engagement under the Indo-Japan special strategic and global partnership.

“The agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the armed forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services,” it said.

India has already signed similar agreements with the US, France, Australia and Singapore.

India has been signing military logistics support agreements (MLSA) with countries primarily eyeing deeper maritime cooperation which is important considering China’s rapid military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.

The pacts signed with the US and France provide for accessing various crucial bases by Indian military in Djibouti, Guam and the Reunion Islands among others.

ALSO READ Part 2: INDIA-JAPAN: Kautilyan Approach and Japan’s Samurai Spirit – Part II

The post INDIA-JAPAN: Kautilyan Approach and Japan’s Samurai Spirit Part 1 appeared first on IMR.