Former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Vikram Sood on Saturday said peace with Pakistan is "not possible" without a fundamental change in Islamabad's approach.
Addressing a session on global power dynamics at the Mangaluru Lit Fest, Sood reportedly said there is little benefit in compromise or negotiations with Pakistan given its entrenched policies and repeated hostilities. The spymaster also urged India to build strategic strength and self-reliance.
Sood contrasted India's supportive role in regional crises, such as in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, with the absence of reciprocal backing in India's times of need. The dialogue with Pakistan remains unlikely to succeed unless it changes its approach, he added. He criticised "global interventions" by the United States.
"Strength, military capability, and power are essential for effective governance," Sood was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. He highlighted China's ability to challenge US economic dominance due to its manufacturing independence. He noted that the US, despite its military might, has not been directly victorious in conventional wars since the 1940s.
On India's diplomatic strategy, Sood said the country must engage with major powers like the United States and China logically, rather than depend on external support. He cited recent Indian military operations, including the Balakot airstrike and Uri counterattack, as indicators of India's growing strategic assertiveness.
Senior IPS officer Parag Jain is the current head of the Research and Analysis Wing. He was earlier with the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), which is known to have played an important role in Operation Sindoor, having offered intelligence inputs that facilitated precise missile strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan. The ARC played a role in monitoring Pakistani aircraft and airspace during the operation, enabling the IAF to carry out major strikes.