Book Review: Great Game East

The book presents rich account of genesis and the current state of affairs in Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Bangladesh and Burma. Lintner, who has traveled extensively and chronicled the region as a journalist(legally and illegally), has presented a deep and apparently only account of the longest insurgency movements in India’s North East and the support they have received from India’s long time foes China and Pakistan.

Synergising the Combat Potential of the Central Armed Police Forces

It is time the government appointed a high-powered Study Group to enquire into the challenges being faced by the CAPFs, with a view to recommending remedial measures to improve their efficiency.

Bangladesh’s Tahrir Moment

The Bangladesh experiment with democracy has added to this unwitting rise of fundamental Islam. Both the leading political parties are unable to win election on their own and need support of various coalition partners who are largely fundamental Islamists. The system thus provides ideal fodder for al Qaeda to spread its wings in the region.

Separation

Today, people often say–bearing in mind our still unresolved inter-state differences–that South Asians have come a long way since 1947 and 1971, but tell the Kashmiri, Pandit or Muslim, that he is living in Incredible India and he will laugh at your credulity, ask the Hazara Shia in Pakistan how things are and he might show you a picture of a fallen comrade. Some of us have made progress but we’ve not cared for the progress of many others left behind.

Looking East: The Gateway to South East Asia

The track record of Indian foreign policy in tackling with the Eastern neighbours is at best short sighted and mired with domestic political considerations rather than having a long term perspective. Time is running short as India dithers and China moves at a canter to occupy the strategic space vacated or not occupied by India. The returns of exploiting the gateway to South East Asia can not be bargained politically.The government has to build domestic consensus and speed up its international initiatives for the larger strategic, economic and political good.

Bangladesh: 40 Years of Liberation

As Bangladesh celebrates its 40th Victory Day today, voices in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are debating the gains made by the country in these 40 years and whether it was all worth it.

SAARC 2011- Optimism or Pragmatic Realism

To ensure a favourable neighbourhood, India needs to take proactive initiatives that combine good economics and astute diplomacy. A shortsighted approach vacillating between appeasement and coercion has not yielded the desired results. In the prevailing environment, smaller neighbours are not averse to India playing a lead role as long as their interests are well served.

Bangladesh – The Missed Corridor

The September visit of Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh to Bangladesh seemed to have received low approval ratings from both sides of the borders as also regionally. The Teesta accord apart, the visit fell short on being choreographed as a “historic” visit. As the events unfolded, apart from the border agreement, rest of the arrangements [...]

News and Analysis Week Ending 17 October

A plan B for Obama (FP)   The US is severely handicapped by a significant lack of credibility that is a direct consequence of its own foreign policy incompetence in the Middle East in the past several decades, especially the past decade. Most people and political movements, and a few governments, in the Middle East [...]

News and Analysis 11 October

With 10.10.10 behind us the time has continued to move on as have events. the most chilling news of 10.10.10 is at the top of the pack – a US military action in Pakistan.

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