'I had done 23 years of very satisfying service -- 10 years in the police and 13 years in the Enforcement Directorate.' 'I had done law enforcement and thought the next step should be towards contributing to make good laws.'
'Terrorists who are active in Poonch and Rajouri are not relying on random locals for logistics, guidance etc.' 'They are being supported by a selected few who are being vetted, cleared and directed from across the LoC.'
'Modi's charisma and appeal is unparalleled.' 'Yogi has his own appeal and people connect.' 'He is seen as trustworthy, hardworking and honest.' 'People feel that these qualities are both common to Yogi and Modi.'
'They will try more rounds of military level talks and move it to the diplomatic and political domain to see if there is a possibility of a solution -- and like the CDS said if that does not happen, we are prepared.'
'Throughout the nearly 20-year US-led war, State sponsorship from Pakistan has been a constant.'
On a mission to visit the families of soldiers who have died in action, Vikas Manhas has met over 1,000 families whose loved ones made the supreme sacrifice for the country.
'Modi cannot content himself anymore with merely indulging in Congress bashing and referring to the Gujarat 'miracle'. He'll have to show that his party is as clean and as innovative as the AAP. And this is impossible because AAP is new and the BJP is now old: the people have tried it already. What they have not tried already is Modi, and this is what may make the difference,' says the respected political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
'Khalistan would have been in existence today, but for the army.'
'The 1971 War was our greatest military victory.' 'It had so many stories of exceptional valour and leadership.'
'The PLA is under constant watch.' 'There is an escalation matrix. For every degree of escalation, responses are thought of and trained for.'
'We've never really been in the situation of having a difficult time with the Chinese and an increasingly difficult time with the Russians along with a relationship with the Americans which is important.'
When elected on July 18 -- which is almost a certainty, given the NDA's numbers in the electoral college -- Droupadi Murmu will be the first President born after Independence.
'After meeting the prime minister and Amit Shah, Yogi has come out with his position secure till the assembly election.'
'It has also underestimated the striking force of the Opposition. It has been complacent and paralysed. That may be due to the compulsions of coalition politics and the arrogance of a party which looked at itself as entitled to rule,' says political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot.
'It indicates the grooming of the party's new leadership.' 'It is also a signal to the states that these ministers represent.'
'The BJP while being in government in Gujarat continues to campaign like an Opposition party whereas the Opposition does the opposite.'
'The aim of Russian policy is to reform European security, stop NATO expansion and in a more general sense -- set up the new rules of relations between the great powers.' 'From this perspective. the invasion of Ukraine is quite pointless.'
'It is not a matter of fixing the military problem up there in the Himalayas and the retreat of the two militaries.' 'India has to find a way to correct the racist and very patronising views of India in the Chinese mind.'
'If the situation deteriorates and there is further escalation, the USA is in preparedness.'
In view of the threat perception to Kanhaiya, strict security arrangements have been made in Bihat and around his home during his stay.
'We can expect heightened belligerence from China.'
'Even if there is no full-scale war, Galwan-like skirmishes cannot be ruled out.'
'We are not going to be threatened by China neither are we going to threaten China.'
'The term 'pro-growth' must be qualified somewhat because, while a rising tide will lift all boats, it will not necessarily do so equally.'
'Someone who has lost a dear one to Covid; that person is not going to forget and will not vote for the BJP.'
A war hero looks back at the men and the moments that forged India's greatest military victory.
'The immediate attempt by China is to get its way and gain territory through small steps without having a full-scale war.'
'India should be adequately prepared for further Chinese mis-adventures at any time in the next few years.'
'Outside the core voter base of upper caste Hindus, there is a large section unhappy with the performance of the BJP.'
'Nitish Kumar's government will be at stake. The JD-U is working with a very thin majority, which is a borrowed majority. With just two seats Nitish Kumar has no moral right to stay on,' says Professor Prabhat Ghosh.
'It will be wrong to raise the expectations of tribals because of a tribal President. 'Tribal issues have not been resolved for 150 years.'
'But will there be matching action as far as tribals are concerned on the ground?'
'One big leader said you might get 3 lakh votes and still lose.' 'I said if I do I will make sure you are sleepless because it will be me and three lakh people.'
'The Centre and state need to take a unified approach and take concerted action before this matter assumes menacing proportions because unemployment, the drug trade and the levels of frustration among the youth make them vulnerable to any maverick who promises something better.'
'Defence, development and democracy is the formula to defeat Naxalism.'
'An earthquake of a slightly higher magnitude in the Western Himalayan region is going to be catastrophic -- not just because of the fragility of the region but because of how densely we have occupied it.'
By becoming the first woman ever to contest a Lok Sabha election in Mizoram, Lalthlamuani has already made history.
'The main characteristic of Bihar politics is that it has always affected Delhi.'
'I'm now living under threat, but life has to go on because as a soldier, you can't run away from it.'
