MILITARY LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2026
Face2News/Chandigarh
Underpinning the unpredictable and chaotic Geo-political order where our immediate neighbour China today is 30-50 years ahead of India, subject experts here on Saturday said that India needs an effective and regular easement of its national security needs and aspirations.
With China far ahead even that of the US, the world order is rapidly imploding with leading global powers expending military energies in pursuits ranging from objectives of territory gain, to securing oil reserves, to regime change. This culminates in the urgent need for India to review and fortify its security architecture through innovations in space, cyber and Artificial Intelligence.
These views were expressed by the distinguished speakers here during a panel discussion on topic ‘Turbulent World Order: Where India Stands’, on the 2nd day of the Military Literature Festival (MLF) 2026 being held at the Lake Club here.
A joint initiative of the Punjab government, Chandigarh Administration and Western Command Headquarters at Chandimandir, the annual Military Literature Festival (MLF) offers youngsters aspiring to join the defence forces a peep into the discipline of Military life, besides laying an engrossing platform for discussions on issues of national, international and geo-political salience
Sharing his thoughts during the discussion, Sushant Sareen said there is nothing called strategic dependence and that at the most it was just a euphemism.
“Even US is dependent upon so many other countries for making up its needs and aspirations. No nation can be fully dependent upon any one country. We need to outgrow this perception as each country today prioritises its own needs, Sareen said.
Referring to impact of ongoing wars – involving Russia, Ukraine on one side and US and Iran on the other – on equation between old partner nations, Sareen said that there is bound to be some resistance which may not eventually result in a major alliance in Europe.
Middle powers which in today’s scenario is the European nations, may resist to some extent but there will not be any major new alliance, he added.
Ambassador Gurjit Singh while underlining ever changing face of asymmetrical warfare said that an integrated approach mingling space technology, cyber architecture and dronery will make a potent ecosystem to tackle rising threats.
Referring to tangible and upsetting instability and inconsistency in global outlook said that ongoing wars in Africa today show that it is not only the privilege of superpowers only to inflict damage by starting wars.
The world order needs stability which can only come from a position of strength for a particular nation, he added.
In context of India Pakistan relations, Ambassador Yashvardhan K Sinha said that character of warfare has changed dramatically which was evident in US-Iran conflict where supply and choke points have been weaponised to inflict collateral damage.
Though we must keep preparing for conventional warfare, the need to ramp up our technology in space and cyber domains is critical, he added.
