Aug 1, 2008

Our first guest speaker of the month, Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan, teaches at the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. His areas of research interest are international relations theory, military doctrines, and nuclear weapons and disarmament. His book, Second Strike: Arguments about Nuclear War in South Asia, was published by Penguin (India) in 2005. The topic of choice is the much touted “Nuclear Deal” which has remained on the media centre stage for over a year.

Prof. Rajagopalan went about his task of disseminating a complex subject with commensurate ease in order to make it palatable to an eager audience. In a systematic manner, one learnt first hand the essence of the nuclear deal, the demanding logistical process to see it through and the long term benefits - and the pitfalls - for the nation as a whole. Thanks to our guest speaker, one gained more in a sixty minute discourse than the year long feasting off the media bandwagon merely playing up the political scenario between the Reds and the rest of the rainbow with never a thought spared for the real matter at hand. Touche!