Evening Dialogue - Keynote - Kiren Rijiju 02 Courtesy: Gateway House
14 June 2016

GOID 2016: Evening Keynote by Kiren Rijiju

Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, delivered the keynote speech during the Evening Dialogue on Cybersecurity and Terrorism at the Gateway of India Dialogue held in Mumbai last June, organised in cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs. The speech outlined the relationship between cybersecurity and terrorism, counter-measures already put in place by the Indian Government, and areas for improvement and progress in the future.

Andaman Courtesy: Wikipedia
26 May 2016

Andaman & Nicobar: an underutilised asset

Does India plan to remodel its Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a launching pad for future security operations to check growing Chinese inroads in the Indian Ocean Region? Development of the islands has long been ignored to India’s detriment, and their strategic position in the Indian Ocean, underutilised.

Shahbag_Projonmo_Square_Uprising_Demanding_Death_Penalty_of_the_War_Criminals_of_1971_in_Bangladesh_09 Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 May 2016

Nizami hangs: Bangladesh on a new edge?

With the possibility of the Jamaat-e-Islami being officially banned through a resolution in the Bangladesh parliament, what will happen to its followers and activists? Will it cease to exist as a political and ideological force or, in the absence of a political platform, will its ideological followers strive to find alternate ways to make their existence felt?

US India Navy Courtesy: Ash Carter / Flickr
16 April 2016

India-U.S.: convergence and divergence

The success of the U.S. Defense Secretary's recent visit to India is indicative of the deepening India-U.S. defence relationship. It has become clear that Indo-U.S. maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean is steaming ahead; while other geopolitical differences, like the sale of aircraft to Pakistan, seem unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

Sagar2 Courtesy:
14 April 2016

Sagarmala or SAGAR: a maritime dilemma

After decades of passivity, India is beginning to assert itself in the maritime arena. There is a whiff of salt in the usually 'sea-blind' corridors of Delhi, where the Modi government clearly sees the linkage between the possession of maritime wherewithal, both civilian and military, and the furthering of national prosperity, through ever-increasing trade.

070822-A-6849A-667 -- Scouts from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), pull overwatch during Operation Destined Strike while 2nd Platoon, Able Company searches a village below the Chowkay Valley in Kunar Province, Afghanistan Aug. 22. Courtesy: Wikipedia
5 February 2016

Obama needs to rethink, urgently

A resurgent Taliban has turned a hopeful declaration by the Obama administration into a premature one. The levels of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, currently at 9,800, are expected to increase as a result. But with more than half a trillion dollars spent trying to stabilize the problem, perhaps it’s time to rethink the Af-Pak region.

modi sharif Courtesy: Flickr/ MEAPhotogallery
7 January 2016

New approach to security emergencies

The Pathankot attack reflects a new template of terrorism and is a reminder that India needs a well-coordinated approach to security emergencies. This is particularly necessary as the country has embarked on a bold foreign policy path, daring to tread where we have not gone before, intensifying existing and new engagements and trying to functionalize dysfunctional bilaterals like Pakistan

Shahbag_Projonmo_Square_Uprising_Demanding_Death_Penalty_of_the_War_Criminals_of_1971_in_Bangladesh_23 Courtesy: Mehdi Hasan Khan/ Wikipedia
24 December 2015

War crimes: Bangladesh shows the way

At a time when Islamic fundamentalism is threatening the world, Bangladesh as a moderate muslim democracy occupies a unique position in actively confronting this threat under Sheikh Hasina. Instead of the unjustified criticism levied against its war trials, the West must actively support its fight against terror.