Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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India’s Kashmir Move: More Than Meets the Eye?0
- Blog
- August 19, 2019
By P. S. Suryanarayana 19 August 2019 SYNOPSIS The reinvention of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of the Indian Union has received decisive parliamentary support at home but displeased segments within India and Pakistan. Moreover, the future of the India-China-Pakistan relationship is now at stake. COMMENTARY ON 6 AUGUST 2019, India’s Parliament nullified
Integrated check-posts on the India-Bangladesh border: A field survey and brief analysis0
- Blog
- August 19, 2019
Joyeeta Bhattacharjee Aug 19 2019 India is in the process of establishing Integrated Check-Posts (ICPs) at selected checkpoints along land borders with its neighbours, for the efficient management of border crossings. The ICPs are aimed at facilitating cross-border trade and movement of people. As of 2019, 20 checkpoints have been identified for development as ICPs, of
India needs tips from Israel on how to handle Kashmir. Blocking network is not one of them0
- Blog
- August 19, 2019
On Kashmir’s communication lockdown, Home Minister Amit Shah is as mistaken as India’s celebrity commentariat. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra 19 August, 2019 The level of policy cluelessness and national security ignorance that infect Indian celebrity commentariat is nothing short of astounding. In a recent tweet, a certain ‘legal luminary‘ compared the communications blackout in Kashmir to a
China Appears to Understand the Risks in Kashmir More Than India or Pakistan0
- Blog
- August 19, 2019
Candace Rondeaux Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 It’s too early to say what India’s breach of the status quo in Kashmir will mean for long-term stability in South Asia. There are, of course, many fears of where revoking the semiautonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir could lead—from another retaliatory insurgency by militants in Kashmir backed by Pakistan, or worse
Kashmir: Army, Shehla Rashid Lock Horns Over ‘Torture’ Charge0
- Blog
- August 19, 2019
While the Army rejected her two specific claims as “baseless,” the activist said she has “details” about the incidents mentioned, which she would be willing to share if the Army were to “conduct an impartial investigation.” The Wire Staff 19 August 2019 New Delhi: Terming them ‘baseless,’ the Indian Army on Sunday rejected two specific claims
Iranian Tanker Leaves Gibraltar Over U.S. Objections0
- Blog
- August 18, 2019
Release from the U.K. territory could pave the way for Tehran to release a British vessel By Benoit Faucon Aug. 18, 2019 LONDON—The Iranian tanker impounded by Gibraltar sailed out of the British overseas territory on Sunday over the objections of the U.S., a Gibraltar official said, raising hopes that Iran would reciprocate and release
Commentary
Revocation of Kashmir’s Article 370 and a Prognosis0
- Commentary
- August 19, 2019
by M. Adil Khan 19 August 2019 The backdrop On Monday August 5, 2019, Modi government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gave special autonomy status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir; and Ladakh. The move has led to mixed reactions in
Book review: The Wayward Daughter by Shradha Ghale0
- Commentary, Reviews
- August 19, 2019
The Wayward Daughter is a compelling read that portrays a Kathmandu girl seeking out love, finding herself and her own life in her family’s journey through many trials and triumphs. By Neha Rayamajhi 19 August 2019 Shradha Ghale’s debut novel is one among many works of literature that pay homage to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Unlike
Bangladesh: Imprudence of the Prime Minister at the National Mourning Debate0
- Commentary
- August 19, 2019
R. Chowdhury 19 August 2019 On August 16, 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the chief guest at a “forced” Mourning Ceremony in Dhaka organized by her party Awami League. A few absurdities I caught in her speech, if I got them right. 1. The defeated forces in 1971 liberation war “killed” her father Sheikh
Bangladesh And The Luxury Of Choice0
- Commentary
- August 19, 2019
“Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without.” ~Karl Marx Sabria Chowdhury Balland 19 August 2019 Choices are for the privileged. There is an adage which states, “Beggars can’t be chosers”. In other words, only the privileged, the wealthy and the powerful are entitled to having choices. Hobson’s choice is defined
Was India Behind 2009 Border Guards Massacre in Bangladesh?0
- Commentary
- August 18, 2019
August 17, 2019 B.Z. Khasru Public speculation by many, including the prime minister herself, termed the tragedy as an external conspiracy. One explanation for the mutiny was that the rebel soldiers opened fire on their officers when they dismissed appeals for better pay. The viciousness of the mutiny convinced many Bangladeshis that something more than
Will ‘all roads’ to Colombo lead from H’tota?0
- Commentary
- August 18, 2019
N Sathiya Moorthy 18 August 2019 For Sri Lankans who might have been complaining that under the 10-year Rajapaksa presidency, only native Hambantota got into the news (maybe for the wrong reasons), here is the current catch. Should Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UNP fields party deputy and Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa, even if reluctantly, then
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ISSN 2471-951X (online)
Featured
Kashmir: Revoking Article 370: Why now?
Ali Riaz 16 August 2019 More than a week has passed since Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution have been scrapped by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. The complete communication lockdown in Kashmir, imposed in the wake of the abrogation, is still in place; curfew is yet to be lifted in some places; leaders
Partition of India: One US Diplomat’s Notes
August 10, 2019 B.Z. Khasru Was Jinnah Hindu? U.S. Favored United Indi. Muslim League Distrusted Congress. How Nehru Could Prevent Partition. The Partition of India in 1947 by Britain to create two independent countries wreaked havoc in human lives and miseries. It killed two million people, according to various estimates, and displaced 14 million. Its