Courtesy:
17 February 2012

UP: Changing aspirations, at last

Its election time in Uttar Pradesh (UP) – India’s largest state, with a population of more than 200 million. Who will represent this vast land that contributes to 8% of the country’s GDP? Manjeet Kripalani travels through UP, writing about the state's fast-changing political landscape and its hopeful people.

Maldives: Nasheed outpaced his people Courtesy: notsogoodphotography/Flickr
16 February 2012

Maldives: Nasheed outpaced his people

Despite recent regime changes and agitation in the Middle East, the international community's attention has been diverted from the Indian Ocean - via Maldives. After President Nasheed's forced resignation, the country is now in political turmoil.

russia protests one Courtesy: VOA - Yuli Weeks/WikimediaCommons
7 February 2012

Russia’s growing nationalism

The India-Russia summit in 2011 was sandwiched chronologically between two events that received much greater exposure: the Gita scandal and the Russian protests. Is this a warning sign that Russia’s state-anointed xenophobia and nationalism could act as a dampener for the formerly solid Indo-Russian relationship?

kuwait flag Courtesy: Steve & Jem Copley/WikimediaCommons
30 January 2012

A significant election in Kuwait

The upcoming Kuwaiti elections will take place in the backdrop of a new wave of political reform, triggered by the Arab Spring. If Kuwait's Emir, Sabah Al-Sabah, proactively implements the debated changes, he can ensure that Kuwait remains in the vanguard of the Arab world.

gandhi Courtesy: Yann/WikimediaCommons
27 January 2012

Competitive intolerance: Reflections on Gandhi’s death anniversary

Many artists, thinkers and politicians are increasingly threatened, not just in India but in every corner of the world, by those who disagree with them. So what is the implication of Gandhi’s legacy for those of us who oppose such an assertion of ‘might’ over the ‘right’ of free expression and open exchange?

gilani photo Courtesy: IIP State/Flickr
20 January 2012

Can Pakistan sustain its Democracy?

The current standoff between the Pakistani Government and the Supreme Court is yet another sign of Pakistan’s instable democracy. Will this lead to another transition to military rule? Or will the pillars of the media and the judiciary be able to bring about a balance?

anna hazare 2 Courtesy: nazeah/Wikimediacommons - Ramesh Lalwani/Flickr
30 December 2011

2011’s Top Foreign Policy Cheers and Jeers

The year 2011 saw various events - the Arab Spring, anti- corruption protests, Europe's sovereign debt crisis - transform countries and reshape the world order. Gateway House takes a look at what these events mean for India, and presents India's top foreign policy cheers and jeers for the year.

kayani mullen Courtesy: U.S.ArmedForces/WikimediaCommons
30 December 2011

Pakistan: Mired in Politcal Miasma

The 'memogate' fiasco in Pakistan highlights, yet again, the tensions that exist between the country’s political establishment and the Pakistan Army. While the final acts of this maneuvering are being played out, will the all-powerful Army continue to push the civilian government into a corner?

imran kkhan Courtesy: Jawad Zakariya/WikimediaCommons
30 December 2011

Imran Khan: Yet another messiah?

Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistani political party Tehreek-e-Insaaf, means well, and has the support of many in his country. But without any solid reforms manifesto, and almost no one in his party to implement his plan, what really are his chances in the upcoming elections?