“A careful analysis of strategic culture could help policymakers establish more accurate and empathetic understandings of how different actors perceive the game being played, reducing uncertainty and other information problems in strategic choice,” stated Elizabeth Stone. While defining strategic culture Jack Snyder wrote, as “the sum of ideas, conditioned emotional responses and patterns of habitual behaviour that members of a national strategic community have acquired through instruction or imitation and share with each other …” Further elaborating on it, he described strategic culture as "the body of attitudes and beliefs that guides and circumscribes thought on strategic questions, influences the way strategic issues are formulated, and sets the vocabulary and perceptual parameters of strategic debate.”
A robust strategic culture is necessary for a state to identify and elucidate the various alterations occurring in a nation’s security. It also provides policy makers with alternative views to analyze a nation’s defence and security policies. An in-depth analysis of strategic culture serves as a helpful resource to understand the impact of values and beliefs on foreign and security policies of states. Finally, it also provides a prism through which one can understand the evolving attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding the use of force.
Some have alluded to the reality, not based on careful analysis, that there is no ancient ‘military’ classic on ‘strategy’ apart from Kautilya’s Arthasastra. But, if one were to carefully peruse ancient writings as well as modern thinkers on strategy in India, one comes across Jawaharlal Lal Nehru, K Subrahmaniam, KM Pnikkar, General K Sundarji and a host of others who have contributed substantially to Indian strategic thinking. Yet, one will also have to conclude that given India’s growing influence in the world and its emergence as a major power in the near future, more is certainly required to carefully cultivate a nuanced and India specific strategic thinking.
After more than six decades of independence, India is finally set to get its own strategic thinking hub as the Union Cabinet gave green signal to establish the country's first Indian National Defence University (INDU). In an attempt to structuralize research on defence and strategic issues, with policy oriented component, the group of ministers’ report on ‘Reforming the National Security System’ had strongly recommended INDU’s creation. This was strongly recommended by the eminent security analyst K Subrahmaniam after the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan. A 13-member expert Committee on National Defence University (CONDU) recommended adoption of the US model, albeit with modifications to suit Indian needs. Its recommendations were based on two primary issues; first, to attain an effective and focused policy planning mechanism. Second, is to train members of all three services in the fields of national security and security policy and to create an apex body for this purpose.
According to media reports, INDU will bring most of the existing government think tanks like National Defence Academy (Khadakwasla , Pune), National Defence College (Delhi), College of Defence Management (Secunderabad) and Defence Services Staff College (Wellington), under one roof. As indicated by media reports, it is also likely to include new institutes like the National Institute of Strategic Studies, College of National Security Policy and Institute for Advanced Technology Studies, apart from a war gaming and simulation centre.
A long time requirement is heading towards its fulfillment. The Government has finally realized the significance of creating an institution where ideas of the strategic community and government institutions can be interwoven to produce a strong framework for national security. The INDU will not only coalesce and synergize the world between academia and government to craft India's long term strategic and geopolitical ambitions but will also act as a tool to "educate national security leaders on all aspects of national strategy.'' It will serve as a bridge between the political community and the complex world of national security and defence issues. Moreover, the INDU will provide an opportunity to all the three defence forces, the Army, Air Force and Navy, to interact, coordinate and develop a composite and holistic strategic culture.
Elaborating on the significance of an Indian strategic culture, the noted Indian strategic expert, Kanti Bajpai writes, “The future of South Asia will depend in large part on India. As the largest country in the region, its choices and actions will condition the policies of its neighbours and of the non-regional powers that have a stake in the subcontinent. India's policies are likely to affect actors well beyond South Asia as well. India's choices and actions will affect the life chances of over one billion Indians and perhaps another two billion people around its periphery.” Given the present scenario and India’s aspiration to attain the status of superpower, the foundation of such ambitions also lies on a strong strategic culture that it can create, explore and boost to ensure a strong security apparatus and the establishment of the INDU is one giant leap in this direction.
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