nawaz pic final_210x140 Courtesy: Martin H./WikimediaCommons
13 May 2013

‘Naya’ Nawaz Sharif?

Will former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif prove to be his country’s saviour, one that can make Pakistan the ambitious transit economy it can be? However, the most needed and least controversial angle from which India and Pakistan’s new government can begin to engage is through business and trade.

immigration image Courtesy: Xavier de Jauréguiberry/flickr
3 May 2013

U.S. immigration bill targets Indian IT companies

The proposed immigration reform bill, currently being debated in the U.S. Congress, contains provisions to penalize Indian IT companies for allegedly misusing the H1-B and L1 visas. How can New Delhi tackle this rising U.S. sentiment against Indian companies?

obama israel Courtesy: The White House
2 April 2013

Obama: Still equivocating on Palestine

During his visit to Israel, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke in favour of both the Israelis’ right to security and the Palestinians’ right to sovereignty. The issue of settlements, however, remains unresolved and it is unlikely that Israel will make concessions when its neighbours are in turmoil.

Ministry Of External Affairs, India Courtesy: Ministry Of External Affairs, India
29 March 2013

Beijing banks on BRICS

Indian foreign policy has not yet addressed the ramifications of Chinese economic dominance in BRICS. Nor have we matched China’s engagement within the group to ensure that the BRICS vision of a new international order for emerging economies actually works in their favour.

Ministry Of External Affairs, India Courtesy: Ministry Of External Affairs, India
29 March 2013

India-Myanmar: a balance of interests

As a neighbour, India has legitimate interests in Myanmar, especially for peace and progress in its North East. More recently though, the Myanmarese are looking to imbibe democratic values from India, learn about regulations, banking systems, commodities exchanges, media councils, software and telecom skills

Slick-O-Bot/Wikimedia Commons Courtesy: Slick-O-Bot/Wikimedia Commons
21 March 2013

China to India: New president, old policy

The five-point formula put forth by newly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping to bolster bilateral relations with India signifies once again that Beijing is increasingly going for a semblance of stability in relations with its largest neighbour, without making any strategic concessions on contentious issues.

WikimediaCommons Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
20 March 2013

Vote on Sri Lanka: Vote on UPA

New Delhi has taken some opportunistic actions, such as its vote against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council, to pacify internal political demands. But these extract a price in the international arena. Should we anticipate a further decline in India’s regional and international credibility?

Rajiv Ashrafi/Flickr Courtesy: Rajiv Ashrafi/Flickr
8 March 2013

Exorcising the ghosts of the subcontinent

The youth of Bangladesh, a generation born well after 1971, are now demanding long overdue accountability, secularism, and neighbourly friendship. If the movement is successful, Bangladesh will have shown all South Asian countries that to transcend the past it is necessary to be transparent and secular.

obama Courtesy: Pete Souza/The White House
22 February 2013

The pacific pivot: A decade late and five years too soon

The announcement of the Pacific pivot by the U.S. in 2001 has led to several nations making bold political moves. However, the U.S. isn’t yet ready to be a regional protector against China. What does Washington have to do to prepare itself for the Pivot?