42555677410_4bbbd59769_c Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
27 February 2020

BIMSTEC or SAARC?

South Asia’s speedy economic development depends on the level of integration between countries in the region. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have lost their momentum. But both platforms have their uses and can be revived creatively

shutterstock_716498572 Courtesy: Shutterstock
27 February 2020

The 2020 retreat from Kabul

The signing of an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban on February 29 may result in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which is contingent upon the Taliban’s adherence to certain conditions. The end of the West’s 19-year-long Afghan campaign – if Pakistan does not turn spoiler – is of vital interest to India

34752548343_6bd510e0ac_c Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
20 February 2020

Trump’s visit: trade differences exaggerated

In the run-up to President Trump’s visit to India on 24-25 February 2020, Ambassador Neelam Deo, Director and Co-founder of Gateway House, discusses in this interview how he has made balanced trade a global issue, but given substance to the India-U.S. defence bilateral, sharpening the concept of the Indo-Pacific and the Quad’s profile

shutterstock2_1027256470 Courtesy: Shutterstock
13 February 2020

Pakistan under FATF’s critical review

The upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary session 16-21 February will be crucial for both Pakistan and Iran as the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing measures undertaken by the two countries will be reviewed by the 39 member states of the FATF. Decisions will be taken on their retention or removal from the grey list and black list respectively

The dashing Actor Prithviraj Kapoor as the Greek King Alexander in Sikander (1941). Prithviraj is spoken of by Hindi movie industry insiders as being a Hindu Pathan, as he spoke fluent Pushto and hailed from Peshawar. Courtesy: Sifra Lentin
30 January 2020

The Khans of Bombay’s Hindi film industry

Bombay’s Hindi film industry has welcomed Pathan talent – venerated actor Dilip Kumar, scriptwriter Salim Khan and musician Adnan Sami Khan are some prominent examples. Many of them originally came from undivided India’s Pathan homelands in what is today’s Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, entering the industry at an opportune time. Today, their descendants wear the Khan name with pride

TH23-RAJIVBHATIA-XISMYANMARVISIT3 Courtesy: The Hindu/Handout
27 January 2020

Myanmar’s growing dependence on China

Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Myanmar on January 17 highlighted the economic aspect of the two countries’ bilateral relationship. China has been Myanmar’s top partner for years. But more than the 33 agreements signed, the visit threw light on the region’s changing geopolitics and Myanmar’s own compulsions in growing closer to China

shutterstock_44385856 Courtesy: Shutterstock
2 January 2020

India’s diplomatic agenda in 2020

India will host four prestigious international conferences, such as the India-Africa Forum Summit and the subsidiary SCO Summit in the course of the next three years. These are historic opportunities for the country to show global leadership and fulfil a diplomatic agenda that involves handling strategic competition and advancing partnerships

PHOTO-2019-12-11-14-25-49 Courtesy: Gateway House
12 December 2019

Kartarpur: a reunion of bliss

Kartarpur is an exemplary achievement of bilateral discussion over two decades. For the faithful, it is an emotional reconnection with the life of Guru Nanak, now made into a grand memorial. For others, on both sides of the border, it is a neutral place where they can renew contact with long-lost relatives. The author, who visited Kartarpur a month after its inauguration, was witness to the joy and aura of collective worship