Chronicles of Nikhil Baliga

Swami Gulagulaananda said: " It is not always about what you are. It is also about what others think you are... " I was introduced to the term Perception Management when I read David Baldacci's novel, The Whole Truth. Wikipedia defines Perception Management (PM) as: Actions to convey and/or deny selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence systems and leaders at all levels to influence official estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviours and official actions favourable to the originator's objectives. In various ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover and deception, and psychological operations. [Full Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception_management ] I started paying closer attention to the dynamics on social media to understand what Perception Management is after the recent Indian strike on the t...

Swami Gulagulaananda said: " Strong leadership is the key differentiator between success and failure " On February 14, 2019, a terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy resulted in the martyrdom of over 40 CRPF soldiers. Citizens of India felt a familiar punch in the gut. It is not the first time that India has experienced terror attacks on our forces, and we know the bitter truth that this will not be the last. The terrorist group, JeM, claimed responsibility for the attack. The entire nation mourned the loss of our brave-hearts. It was depressing to read about the kith and kin who were left behind - newly married and now widowed, just-born infants without a father. The stories are gut-wrenching and tear-jerking for anyone with empathy. The nation wanted payback. And, in my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting revenge for the deaths of these soldiers. Pakistan has historically been the petri-dish where it grows and nurtures all strains of terrorists. Man...