Concurrent India Drills Spark Unnecessary Speculation

The efforts of China and India moving closer have been snubbed by the West, which tries to hype the contention of the two sides. Given the border disputes between China and India, and geopolitical rivalry as well, mutual distrust is slow to dissolve, and India is vigilant against China’s rise. This creates opportunities for other […]

Rate this:

Nepal’s Constitution And Lessons For India

New Delhi’s response to the constitution has come as a surprise to many. As a democratic country itself, India has arguably overstepped the limits of suggestion and rather tried to impose its views on its much smaller neighbor. In various international forums, India has repeatedly advocated for a country’s right to self-determination. Unfortunately, this seems […]

Rate this:

India At Sea In The Maldives

The West has been unequivocal in its criticism of human rights violations in the Maldives. India, as a neighbour with major strategic interests, does not have this luxury. India has out of necessity adopted a nuanced and incremental approach. It is, of course, crucial that New Delhi actively engages Gayoom and his government. India will […]

Rate this:

The Mentality Of The Overseas Indian

This mobbing of Narendra Modi is referred to in the Indian media, in glowing terms, as a rock star’s welcome. What does that mean? The frenzied following of rock stars comes essentially from their charisma. It does not come from their humanity or their higher qualities, but from a fake heroism which is a creation of their […]

Rate this:

India’s ‘Look West’ Maritime Diplomacy

India’s maritime diplomacy is most often associated with its naval outreach to East Asia. With an increase in naval ship visits to South East Asia in recent years, and attendant media speculation over New Delhi’s supposed Pacific ambitions, the impression has been created that East Asia remains the ultimate destination of the Indian Navy’s diplomatic […]

Rate this:

Making Friends, Influencing Nepal

Any policy, however consistent and well-crafted, yields results only if implemented properly. The time to use Indian influence by working with our friends was during the first half of the year. What was needed was to sensitise the leaders of the ‘big three’ parties to the risks of brinkmanship and get the agitating groups to […]

Rate this:

Limited War, Limited Sense

A limited war would be needed, the argument goes, in case India suffers another 26/11-like terror attack originating from Pakistan. A full-fledged war is out of the question between two nuclear-armed neighbours, and a “no response” won’t be an option for the muscular government of Narendra Modi. The options between a no-response and an unlimited […]

Rate this:

When Refugees Were Welcome

Europe’s response to waves of refugees from the war-torn Middle East raises serious questions about its commitment to humanitarian values. To be sure, Europe is facing a very difficult set of challenges. But these pale in comparison to those confronting India’s policymakers in 1971, when New Delhi was faced with a refugee surge orders of magnitude greater than […]

Rate this: