War Games: Moment Of Truth

Admitting weakness may well be a sign of strength in books of philosophy. But whatever possessed our outgoing Chief of Naval Staff to wax so philosophical as to proclaim that India had neither the capability, nor the intention to match the military strength of its most populous neighbour? One doubts if this key figure in the nuclear-armed military of a billion-plus people hasn't read Sun Tzu's advice in The Art of War, an ancient military treatise, which, curiously, hails from the very land that so overawes him: "In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains." For, as Tzu warned, "When your weapons are dulled, your ardour damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains (from across the border, in this instance) will spring up to take advantage of your extremity.Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue."
So what exactly was our navy chief trying to achieve by the public parading of a skeleton from our military closet? Did he expect to pull off the Herculean task of stirring our powers that be out of their slumber by the stroke of a speech? Or was he so overcome by a bout of kindness towards our neighbours that he decided to cheer them up with a moment of wicked delight and self-adulation? Was he, by any chance, venting his disgruntlement at not being able to effect far-reaching changes during his tenure? Or was he acting, ahem, philosophical in acknowledging 'the enemy within'? Wait a minute! It could also be that he was, in Tzu's words, rousing the enemy to find out his vulnerable spots. "All warfare is based on deception," said Tzu. "Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him." But, alas, the possibility of our neighbour not having read this part of Tzu's book to sabotage our trick is only as fragile as the confidence behind such brash and morale-shattering bean-spilling. Truth was never so untouchable.