Cluster bombs for Ukraine The Excelsior 19 Jul 2023 A recent announcement from the White House mentioned that the US is despatching cluster bombs to Ukraine. In an interview to CNN television, President Biden stated that it had taken him ‘a while to be convinced,’ adding, ‘the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.’ A Cluster bomb, on exploding, releases […]
Boosting ties with France The Statesman 18 Jul 2023 France was recovering from riots which lashed the nation following the killing of Nahel Merzouk a 17-year-old youth of Moroccan and Algerian descent by the police at a traffic stop. India refused to comment stating it was an internal matter of France. Simultaneously the European parliament discussed Manipur riots. Christian groups […]
How Khalistan movement is hollow, absurd, and just an irritant Firstpost 17 Jul 2023 We have recently been witnessing interesting scenes being played out in UK, Canada, Australia and the US. Sikhs, permanent residents of these countries, with almost no affinity or links to India, except religion, standing in protest outside Indian embassies and consulates, demanding the creation of […]
The SCO summit: Much ado about nothing The Excelsior 15 Jul 2023 The recently concluded SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit displayed existing differences between nations of the organization, rather than unity. India, moving the summit to an on-line mode from an in-person event, had multiple intentions. Apart from avoiding the embarrassment of PM Modi interacting with Shehbaz Sharif, in […]
Riots in France have lessons for Europe The Statesman 11 Jul 2023 In 2005, two French youth of Malian and Tunisian descent were electrocuted as they fled the police in a suburb of Paris. Their deaths sparked riots in France and neighbouring countries, lasting three weeks. The rioters, mostly youngsters and unemployed youth from suburban housing projects (referred as […]
SCO Summit: Anti-terrorism stance dominates the show India vs disinformation 05 Jul 2023 Addressing the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) heads of state forum, Indian PM Narendra Modi spoke out against terrorism in all its forms, an aspect which has impacted India for a prolonged duration. In the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif, Modi […]
Mercenaries and the state: Why private military firms won’t disappear despite Wagner fiasco Firstpost 30 Jun 2023 The short-lived revolt by Russia’s Wagner group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close Putin aide, on 24th Jun, reignited the debate on Private Military Companies (PMCs) employed by a state. The Wagner group has, apart from Ukraine, also been involved in operations […]
Will US visit signal the end of non-alignment The Statesman 20 Jun 2023 PM Modi’s visit this week to the US will be historic. The interest it has generated within the US as also the pomp and show being accorded, including a state dinner, culminating with an address to the Congress, indicates that the US administration views the visit […]
Ukraine and peace The Excelsior 17 Jun 2023 Addressing the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, post the induction of Finland into NATO, Anthony Blinken, the US secretary of State, mentioned that the US had warned Moscow of the costs of invading Ukraine. Blinken stated, ‘if Russia chose war, we would do three things: support Ukraine, impose severe costs on […]
Why a resurgent India needs to be wooed The Statesman 13 Jun 2023 India has been dubbed by anti-India groups as an ‘electoral autocracy.’ This is because they assume that the current Indian leadership restricts free speech, censor’s media, oppresses civil society organizations and cracks down on political opponents. The expelling of Rahul Gandhi from parliament, after his conviction, […]