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BLOGS
Arms and the Men
 By Nitin Gokhale
Squabbling in Victory
Saturday November 14, 2009
Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who as the army chief plotted and executed a winning military strategy in the 33-month long Eelam War IV, has resigned as Chief Of Defence Staff, a position he was elevated to in less than a fortnight after the war ended on May 18.
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Another bump in Sino-India relationship
Wednesday October 14, 2009
The Sino-India cold war is now an open slug-fest. And for once, India is standing up to China's aggressive and openly hostile attitude. The latest round of acrimony began with a seemingly unprovoked statement by the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday protesting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh in early October. Although this was not the first time that Beijing had protested against the Prime Minister's trips to Arunachal Pradesh which China calls"south Tibet," the aggressive tone and tenor of the statement and more significantly the timing of its release left no one in doubt that Beijing was being mischievous and provocative.
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China's show of strength
Monday October 5, 2009
The military parade, as much a show of strength for the benefit of the rest of the world as a message to the domestic audience.
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The New China
Saturday October 3, 2009
Friday was the day with the "day after" feeling. After the hectic and chaotic October 1, which really tested one's endurance and patience, Friday was relatively smooth. The city was in a holiday mood. Thousands of Chinese families, some Beijing residents, but mostly from outside the capital, were crowding the streets and the malls, clearly content and happy, citizens of a nation that knows it has substantially reduced poverty and given better life to millions.
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China's twin message to the world
Thursday October 1, 2009
Two days ago, the Met department had promised October 1 will be a sunny day and so it was. China combined the old fashioned pageantry with new-fangled weapons to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's republic on Thursday. Nuclear missile carriers, new generation tanks, rocket launchers and a display of ethnic unity. China went out of its way to send twin messages to the world: We have come a long way from our poverty-stricken past and we are not afraid to proclaim ourselves as a world power.
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China turns 60
Thursday October 1, 2009
As China's rapidly modernising military demonstrated its newly-developed missiles and aircraft, the message was clear: China is no longer afraid of openly flexing its military muscle.
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In line for tickets
Wednesday September 30, 2009
The Media centre is restless. At least 400 of us are crowded at the Media Centre hotel, waiting impatiently to get our hands on the all-important entry pass for tomorrow's parade. There's no clarity on who's in, who's out for the parade, billed as the greatest show on earth!
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The Sky Above
Wednesday September 30, 2009
After all those grand preparations, will China's plan to showcase its military might and celebrate the 60th birthday of the Peoples Republic, come unstuck because of weather? As I write this, the clouds have darkened and weathermen are predicting a gloomy day ahead today and tomorrow. So will the organisers pray hard for a clear, sunny day on Thursday? Well, officially you are supposed to be agnostic, so prayers are out. Instead the Chinese, as is their wont, are plotting to tame nature.
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Finally, the all-important Press cards!
Tuesday September 29, 2009
And once again, the limitations of not knowing Mandarin, were evident. We struggled for 15 minutes at the gate of the media centre to convince the guards that we had come to collect our passes. He did not understand our English, we didn't know what he was talking about in Mandarin.
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Live from Beijing
Monday September 28, 2009, Beijing
Just landed at the spanking and mammoth Beijing international airport. Very efficient immigration system.
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About Me
Nitin Gokhale
A student of conflicts, insurgencies and wars, Nitin Gokhale has spent 26 years reporting on military and militants from various hostile fields like India's north-east, Kashmir valley, the Kargil war, China and Sri Lanka, among others. He's currently NDTV's Defence and Strategic Affairs Editor.