Throwing the blame on the polity The Excelsior 16 Jun 2021 A collection of retired bureaucrats, claiming to have no political affiliation, have written to the Prime Minister on the centre’s poor handling of COVID. At first glance, it appears that the bureaucracy, which failed in correctly advising the polity in every adverse situation that the nation has faced, […]
The dilemma Pak faces The Statesman 15 Jun 2021 It is confirmed that the US, while withdrawing from Afghanistan, are seeking drone bases in the region for monitoring, engaging terrorist targets and supporting Afghan forces in their operations against the Taliban. Simultaneously, it is pushing for an agreement within Afghanistan, resulting in the establishment of a coalition government. It […]
China in our neighbourhood NAAD Jun 2021 In the third week of May, the Sri Lankan parliament passed a law termed as the ‘Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill’ that converted 660 acres of reclaimed land on Colombo’s waterfront into Chinese territory. China had already taken over the Hambantota port, the construction of which was approved, by the current regime […]
Pakistan views Kashmir through Afghan prism The Statesman 08 Jun 2021 Connecting dots flowing from recent statements and incidents provide an understanding of the dilemma faced by Pakistan on ties with India and Afghanistan, especially with the ongoing withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Currently, a ceasefire, part of backchannel talks, is underway between India and Pakistan, while US […]
A year since Ladakh The Excelsior 07 Jun 2021 What were Chinese intending to convey by intruding into Ladakh in May last year remains a mystery. Its intentions could have varied from occupying claim lines to warning India against moving closer to the US or militarizing the QUAD. It could also have been projecting superior capability of the PLA […]
Why India faced so much flak The Statesman 01 Jun 2021 During his visit to the US last week, Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, participated in a virtual discussion with General McMaster, conducted by the Hoover institution. He was questioned on India’s handling of the pandemic. He stated, ‘We are giving free food to as many as 800 million people. […]
Government failures fall on the armed forces The Excelsior 26 May 2021 For years, the army had been demanding the raising of a Mountain Strike Corps (MSC), funds for modernization and making up deficiencies in war wastage reserves (WWR). All this was based on increased Chinese threats and possibilities of a two-front war. Governments at the centre, on the […]
India-Pakistan and the Palestine issue The Statesman 25 May 2021 The recently concluded conflict in Gaza cannot be termed as a Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as neither the Palestinian authority nor West Bank was involved. It was Hamas, controlling Gaza, which unleashed a collection of rockets in retaliation to Israeli police confronting Palestinian teens at the Al-Aqsa mosque and rumours of […]
An era of alliances The Excelsior 18 May 2021 President Joe Biden, while making his first address to the joint session of the US Congress, stated, ‘No one nation can deal with all the crisis of our time alone- from terrorism to nuclear proliferation, mass migration, cybersecurity and what we are experiencing now with pandemics.’ The US has shifted […]
Global impact of Israel-Palestine clashes CLAWS 18 May 2021 Israel and Palestinians, in Gaza, are currently engaged in a conflict, which has every chance of escalation. The Hamas, which controls Gaza, backed by Iran, Qatar and Turkey, while considered a terrorist organization by most western nations including the US and EU, is launching rockets into Israel.[i] In retaliation, Gaza […]