Defence Ministry and services have to work in tandem, says policy expert

The notion that the military is a marginal player in weapons procurement is only partly true, says Anit Mukherjee

Anit Mukherjee is an expert in defence reforms, counterinsurgency and India’s foreign and defence policies. His recently published book The Absent Dialogue: Politicians, Bureaucrats and the Military in India, he explains how Indian politicians and bureaucrats have long been content with the formal and ritualistic exercise of civilian control, while the military continues to operate in institutional silos. In an interview to Aditi Phadnis, Mukherjee tells how the armed forces, politicians as well as the bureaucracy can work together by finding a remedy to this ‘us vs them’ approach. Edited Excerpts: 

For years now, tension has persisted between the armed