The author is a former Army officer. Currently he is the South Asia correspondent for Jane?s International Defence Review. We are informed in the preface itself that the author felt impelled to write this book, which ?comprises search and not research. This is not an effort at synthesizing and representing what has been said before. On the contrary, this is what should have been said but has not been said for a number of reasons?.

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So, what are these ten myths that need being countered? They have been clubbed into five ?capsules? that pertain to various aspects of India?s security problems. The first relates to India-China relations, and points out that, contrary to common mythology, ? China is a real and immediate military threat to India?, and the contentious, thus-far-unresolved border issue sows the seeds of a future conflict in the Eastern sector. The second capsule debunks the Simla Agreement as providing India and Pakistan with a solution to the Kashmir problem. Pakistan?s launching of cross-border terrorism into Kashmir became more virulent after the Kargil conflict; hence the Indian army is now under increased pressure. The third capsule concerns itself with the likelihood of an Indo-Pak conflict, and argues that Pakistan has little reason to start ?an all-out conventional war?, whereas India has many reasons to do so. He is sanguine about the chances of a nuclear exchange being minimal since the two militaries are well-matched. But he believes that the role of ballistic missiles armed with nuclear and conventional warheads will be significant, not vis-�-vis Pakistan, but against China. There are obvious contradictions here. The fourth capsule pertains to the limited wars that India has fought with Pakistan in Siachen and Kargil. The former will continue till the Kashmir insurgency is resolved, whereas the Kargil conflict has burdened India with the expense of maintaining more troops in the heights of this sector. The final capsule discusses the role of nuclear weapons, which have, the author believes, failed to establish a milieu conducive to the emplacement of confidence building measures between India and Pakistan, but has adversely affected India-China relations. In brief, a bleak picture has been painted of India?s defence situation by exposing and demolishing the myths that are currently obtaining.

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There are several interesting insights in this book. Sawhney believes that security was not the main reason that propelled the political decision to proceed with the nuclear tests in 1998. Agreeing with other analysts that India?s scientific elite had pushed the political leadership into this decision, he proceeds further to hold that both communities ?were equally enthusiastic about the project for different reasons?. The BJP has long been known for being nuclear votaries. Therefore, it was not surprising that they conducted the tests when they had the earliest opportunity; the tragedy is that little thought was given to their domestic and international implications for national security. He also believes that the ?strategic autonomy? argument to justify the tests is arguable; in this age of globalization, I would seriously ask, can any nation be truly autonomous or afford to seek this illusory objective in its national interests?

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Another interesting insight is the hiatus existing between Western and sub-continental thinking on the role of nuclear and conventional weapons. Nuclear weapons can deter conventional conflict in the Western belief system, but they are primarily designed in South Asian perceptions to ?limit a conventional war in time, space and objectives to be achieved?. He believes that Pakistan?s military leadership would never employ nuclear weapons in a preventive or pre-emptive strike, but only as a last resort option should ?vital political and economic installations? be threatened. These are arguable propositions, and really do not explain the frequency with which nuclear annihilation is threatened by the Pakistani and Indian leaderships. Are these part of the rites and rituals of Indo-Pak relations!

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Peering into the future the author predicts that four themes?internal security and terrorism, proliferation of missiles and conventional weapons, new relationships in an emerging polycentric world, and China would dominate the security environment in Southern Asia. These perspectives are unexceptional if a purely strategic orientation to national security is adopted, as Sawhney has done. He ignores the aspects of human security and the crisis of governance in South Asia, which provides the bedrock for seeking national security, including military security.

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The author has included the text of several documents in his ?capsule? chapters. An index would have been useful for referral purposes. These minor cavils apart, we have here a lucidly written and original account of India?s major defence issues. The book is strongly recommended to laymen and specialists alike for perusal.
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