India’s security environment challenges in 2011 can best be framed in the correct strategic perspective by reviewing India’s security environment in 2010 and to what degree of India’s readiness to combat these security challenges was forged by the Government in power in New Delhi. India’s security environment in 2010 became more threatening and worrisome as the combined threat of the Pakistan-China military alliance became more pronounced and sharpened and impinging heavily on India’s national security interests. Regrettably, no indicators emerged that the Indian Republic under the present Congress Government was fully seized with the developing threats and nor was evident any overdrive in terms of war –preparedness to make the Indian Republic fully ready to ward of the developing threats.

India’s security environment in 2010 on the Northern and Western frontiers facing China and Pakistan acquired ominous and threatening military overtones with China succeeding in establishing an obtrusive strategic presence in the Northern Areas of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan facilitated Chinese military presence in this crucial region under the guise of flood relief and reconstruction. China so far had studiously avoided getting involved in Pakistan’s disputes with India in Kashmir or involvement in economic or infrastructure projects in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It seems now to have moved in with a vengeance with involvement with multiple projects in Occupied Kashmir under Pakistan’s control.

In tandem with China’s military presence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the Pakistan Army continued with its border incidents along the LAC in Kashmir besides an unrestrained push of terrorists from Pakistan into India. Pakistan’s peace rhetoric aimed at India was thus out of tune with its patently anti-Indian aggressive postures against India.

China too kept up its peace rhetoric aimed at India as a subterfuge to cover up its increasing military profile in Occupied Tibet and its sinister increasing military nexus with Pakistan to pose a Joint China-Pakistan Military Threat to India.

The Indian Army had over the years had been alive to such a Combined China-Pakistan military threat developing against India and had prepared contingency plans to deal with such an eventuality.

The IndianArmy may have formulated sound military contingency plans to deal with a combined China-Pakistan Military Threat but the question that begs an answer is that has the Indian government provided the Indian Army with weapon systems, military equipment and reserves of military manpower and logistics war materiel to withstand a combined China-Pakistan military aggression against India?

Going solely by information available in the public domain and concerns articulated by many military experts in public, it appears that the Indian Government has not done so to the degree required to inspire confidence both in the military and to the Indian public. Serious shortfalls in India’s military inventories exist especially in terms of firepower both ground and air which are essential prerequisites to deter aggression.

India’s security environment in 2010 also presents a dismal picture when India’s internal security environment is surveyed. Insurgencies, militancy and terrorist attacks have only marginally been overcome. It can be safely asserted that the internal security threats are still alive and continue to pose serious threats.

In 2010 China gave notice that it was seriously engaged in establishing a substantive naval presence in the Indian Ocean and thereby posing a direct naval challenge to India in tandem with the military threats along the Himalayan frontiers in the North bordering Chinese Occupied Tibet.

The crucial question is that with such a threatening security environment enveloping India in 2010, has the Government of the day been engaged in formulating serious responses to a still worsening security environment in 2011?

Sadly, the Indian Government of the day seems to be more fully occupied in combating threats to its political survival arising from rampant and cascading corruption scams and loss of Indian public confidence in its ability to provide good governance.

With such a shoddy political situation plaguing India, China and Pakistan can be emboldened to worsen India’s security environment in 2011.