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A platform for dialogue, debate and discussion.

  1. संवाद # 303: Is India committing BIG mistake in buying 114 Rafale? | Ajay Ahlawat

    1D AGO

    संवाद # 303: Is India committing BIG mistake in buying 114 Rafale? | Ajay Ahlawat

    Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (Retd) A seasoned fighter pilot and strategic military thinker, Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (Retd) brings over 25 years of distinguished service in the military (Indian Air Force) and civil aviation. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Dec 1996, after graduating from the National Defence Academy (NDA), he has operated high-performance fighter jets, besides handling various command and staff appointments.He has extensive experience in aerospace operations, force application in support of national security, and planning of complex operations. He is a qualified civil aviation pilot as well and holds type ratings on the Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Gulfstream G-200. His military tenure was defined by key leadership roles such as Commanding Officer of the IAF Hawk training squadron and Operations staff at HQ Western Air Command. He was nominated for various international courses by the IAF, including- Qualified Flying Instructor with the Royal Air Force (UK), Advanced Air Power specialization with RAAF (Australia) and Air Staff course at the Air University (Maxwell AFB, USA). With a Master’s degree in Operational Art and Science, he has contributed to doctrinal development, joint warfare planning, and strategic policy formulation within the IAF.His academic and operational exposure in the USA, UK, and Australia reflects a deep engagement with traditional and emerging military thought with a global military perspective and thought leadership. Beyond the cockpit, he served as a subject matter expert in air warfare and strategy, helping shape the IAF warfighting doctrine. Since transitioning from active service, he continues contributing as a defence expert and commentator on strategic affairs, frequently appearing in media and publishing insights on regional security, air power, space based applications and military modernization.

    1h 13m
  2. संवाद # 297: Most stunning story of exile of a common Kashmiri Pandit

    JAN 19

    संवाद # 297: Most stunning story of exile of a common Kashmiri Pandit

    Kashi Akhoon is a survivor of the 1990 Kashmiri Hindu exodus and a former resident of the Kupwara district in Jammu & Kashmir. Before his displacement, he served as a Development Officer for the United India Insurance Company, a profession that involved extensive travel across the valley and provided him with a deep understanding of the local social fabric. He was also an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the region, where he served as a Sharirik Pramukh and focused on community building and social service.In this conversation, Akhoon shares a harrowing first-person account of the events that unfolded in early 1990. He details the terrified atmosphere of the time, recounting a near-death experience where he was trapped in a massive anti-India procession in Sopore and barely escaped with his life. Despite initially sending his wife and infant daughter to safety while he stayed behind, the discovery that he was on a specific "hit list" and the targeted killings of close acquaintances eventually forced him to flee his ancestral home in March 1990, leaving everything behind.Since his exile, Akhoon has lived as a refugee, first in Jammu and later in the Delhi-NCR region. He remains a vocal advocate for the rights of the Kashmiri Pandit community, arguing that a safe return to the valley is only possible through the creation of a secure, concentrated settlement rather than scattered reintegration. His story serves as a powerful testimony to the personal cost of the insurgency and the enduring struggle of the displaced community.

    2h 35m

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