manipur Courtesy: Manipur Police/WikimediaCommons
22 December 2011

Look to Manipur before looking East

What have economic blockades in India's North East achieved? For one, they choked off the supply chain of an already isolated region. With Myanmar showing signs of warming towards India, New Delhi must establish ties with its eastern neighbour, but first, it needs to fix Manipur’s broken socio-political landscape.

TAPI: Possibility or pipe dream? Courtesy: Michael Trolove/WikimediaCommons
21 December 2011

TAPI: Possibility or pipe dream?

Growing instability in the region make the planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline seem more like a burden than a solution to India’s hunt for alternative energy sources. Is it wise for India to move ahead with the $7.6 billion project?

The Airavat Incident Much ado about nothing Courtesy: U.S. Navy/WikimediaCommons
11 October 2011

The Airavat Incident: Much ado about nothing

In the context of security and sovereignty, India is involuntarily Pakistan-centric and Sino-deferential. India must deal with China with deference without degradation, firmness without confrontation, and raise the threshold of its defense posture in physical and policy measures, without upping the ante.

100713-N-3446M-139 Courtesy: SurfaceForces/Flickr
2 September 2011

China’s aircraft carrier changes the balance

The turbulent waters of the South China Sea may soon see a major addition: an aircraft carrier, from China. The carrier - already seventy percent complete - is sure to change the equation and further Beijing's Four Modernisations programme.

Thaksinbeschermddemocratieyeahright_210x140 Courtesy: WaltervanKalken/Flickr
7 July 2011

Thailand: Democracy in, monarchy out

Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of formerly deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has been elected to power. Yingluck's win marks a move towards a move democratic Thailand and possibly the end of the Thai monarchy.

English Pen Flickr Courtesy: James Stencilowsky/ Flickr
12 November 2010

Myanmar elections: A Violation of Human Rights?

Myanmar is a complex issue. Its history, its treatment by neighbours and the West, the complex dilemmas posed by the mixing of morality and realpolitik is a reminder that democracy is only a means to an end. The lives of the ordinary people should matter more than formal institutions in shaping policy decisions.