Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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Students mustn’t protest? Universities were world spaces till Germany brought in nationalism0
- Blog
- January 25, 2020
Every time campuses such as JNU and Jamia erupt into protests, students are told to study not agitate. But can world ideas be fitted into a nationalist framework? PRATHAMA BANERJEE 25 January, 2020 Students should be studying, not protesting – is a comment that is heard every time campuses across India, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University
2G mobile internet services restored in Kashmir after 6 months of ban; no social media access0
- Blog
- January 25, 2020
The restoration of the 2G internet facility on mobile phones will continue till January 31 after which it would be reviewed further, said an order issued by Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary, J&K government. SNS Web | New Delhi | January 25, 2020 In a major development, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to restore 2G
The world has a message for Modi: Brand India is severely damaged0
- Blog
- January 25, 2020
India’s image — and by extension Modi’s — has been damaged by a combination of identity politics and economic decline. But the world isn’t writing us off, not yet. SHEKHAR GUPTA 25 January, 2020 Is the world always conspiring to pull India down? Are the big powers, especially in the democratic West, fearful of India’s rise?
Why “One Man, One Vote” Doesn’t Work0
- Blog
- January 24, 2020
01/23/2020 Ryan McMaken The US Senate is increasingly targeted by left-wing think tanks and legislators for the fact it is based on “voter inequality.” According to critics, the Senate ensures small states are “overrepresented,”and the body favors voters in smaller and more sparsely populated states. In contrast, reformers hold up the concept of “one man,
ICJ ruling shows Rohingya crisis rights and wrongs0
- Blog
- January 24, 2020
Landmark initial ruling against Myanmar also raises doubts about UN impartiality and credibility By Bertil Lintner, Chiang Mai 24 January 2020 Given the persistent global publicity and intense lobbying on behalf of persecuted Rohingya refugees, a provisional decision handed down on January 23 against Myanmar by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague
Which countries helped the Sri Lankan government in the Sri Lankan civilian war 2009?0
- Blog
- January 23, 2020
Mahamtan Vijaykumar 23 January 2020 Well, let’s see… India The Indian government’s support for Tamil Eelam died with Indira Gandhi. While the IPKF disaster and Rajiv Gandhi assassination killed any shattered remnants of sympathy the Indian government may have had with Eelam Tamils. The Indian government was just as big of an enemy to the
Commentary
Iran crisis test drives fundaments of Trump’s foreign policy0
- Commentary
- January 25, 2020
By James M. Dorsey A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Podbean, Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox. At the core of US president Donald J. Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran lies the belief that Iran can be forced to negotiate terms for the lifting
From Scapegoat Back to Key Ally – Pakistan and the Perils of US Maximalism0
- Commentary
- January 25, 2020
by M. Waqas Jan 25 January 2020 In the two years since President Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing but deceit and lies, relations between both countries seem to have undergone a dramatic turnaround. This is evident not only in the official narrative being put forth by both countries with respect to one another, but
Inheritance of divisive politics in modern Sri Lanka0
- Commentary
- January 24, 2020
by Dr. Chandra Prakash Singh 24 January 2020 In course of time Sri Lanka became a mosaic of cultural, religious, ethnic and logistic diversities. Sinhalese and Tamils are the most dominating communities. The heterogeneous nature of Sri Lanka is instrumental in generating a plethora of internal and external threats to the nation. Since 1833 the
India-Pakistan: Stitched in Multilateral Interests0
- Commentary
- January 24, 2020
by Shamsa Nawaz 24 January 2020 Bilaterally botched relationship, Pakistan and India would be working together in an economic and strategic multilateral forum of Eurasia’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The China-led Organization has eight members – India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – and four observer states, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.
CAA and NRC – A Nightmare for Bangladesh Future Growth Sustainability0
- Commentary
- January 23, 2020
by Ishaal Zehra 23 January 2020 Shaikh Hasina, the premier of Bangladesh, has long been accused of sacrificing her country’s interests and selling out to India by her political critics. This narrative intensified when the videos of Abrar Farhad, a student at the elite Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, went viral which showed how
China’s a factor in India’s regional approach0
- Commentary
- January 23, 2020
By Manoj Kumar Mishra 23 January 2020 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has been a recurrent hostage to downturns in India-Pakistan relations, which has often led New Delhi to turn to subregional initiatives, as has been witnessed by the current prime minister’s invitation to the member countries of the Bay of Bengal
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Featured
The Baghdad Air Strike: Pre-emptive self-defence or Assassination?
By Devansh Kaushik | January 9, 2020 Introduction In the early hours of January 3, missiles launched by a USAF MQ9 Reaper slammed into a convoy exiting the Baghdad International Airport, killing Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, deputy commander of an Iraqi militia. General Soleimani was the leader of the elite
Indian Muslims: Are they ‘invaders’, ‘scumbags’ or equal citizens?
By Adil Khan Broadly speaking most Indian Hindus seem to entertain three perceptions vis-à-vis the Indian Muslims – that Muslims are: (i) ‘invaders’ and thus have no place in Hindu India; (ii) ‘scumbags’, liars, cheats and terrorists and thus be shunned; and finally, to some (iii) they are equal citizens and thus be treated accordingly.