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The lady and the generals are learning to get along
In the last few weeks there has been growing speculation that Myanmar’s military leaders are planning a possible coup if the country’s new democratic government, led by the charismatic democracy icon Aung San Suu... More
Punish the real culprit(s)!
Facing the storm unleashed by the leaking of the Cyril Almeida story, “Act Against Militants or Face International Isolation, Civilians Tell Military,” the Nawaz Sharif government labelled it as being ‘fabricated and planted.” The... More
Economic migration: Why flee from an emerging tiger?
Bangladesh has been a top performing economy in Asia, averaging a 6 % + growth rate largely driven by exports, particularly the garments sector, for almost a decade. Problems do remain though and the... More
Repeal AFSPA in India
The draconian Indian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA, has wiped out the human face of counter-insurgency in the country’s many conflict zones. Just see the Bollywood film "Haider" and you know... More
Pakistan’s attempts to woo Afghanistan backfire
Last 2 weeks saw a lot of diplomatic activity taking place between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the question of ‘restroing trust’ between them. Apart from Pakistan’s ISI chief’s visit to Kabul, a parliamentary delegation... More
The strategic triangular dilemma in South Asia
For many in South Asia, only India and Pakistan appear to be each other’s rivals given their past conflicts and a number of crises involving the two states. But those who closely read and... More
Behind the politics of impeachments in Nepal
Back in 1993, Nepal’s House of Representatives received an unusual letter from the Lok Sabha. India’s Parliament was considering an impeachment motion against Supreme Court Justice V Ramaswami, and wanted to gather information from... More
Challenger Rajapaksa displays his political potential on May Day
At the May Day rally his group held at the sprawling Galle Face Green here, the leader of Sri Lanka’s “Joint Opposition” and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, amply displayed his potential to be the... More
Myanmar prepares to boost foreign investment
Myanmar hopes to boost foreign investment in the new financial year that has just begun. The necessary legal framework has been put into place, which the government hopes will help attract more foreign investment.... More
Terrorists yes, IS no : Sk. Hasina takes a stand
Terrorism is going through an identity crisis in Bangladesh. Everyone now agrees there is terrorism, - read Islamic militants- but few agree what is their ID card. The US would like the whole lot... More
Afghanistan’s falling National-Unity Government, could it get worse?
Even after 16 years of American military presence, Afghanistan remains an extremely politically unstable country and quite far from on the path to democratization—an ideal that the last two American presidents, as also their... More
Another futile attempt to switch over to Hindi
It was then Home Minister Gulzarilal Nanda who brought the question of Hindi to the fore. This time, it is Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju who has done so. Many... More
De-criminalizing democracy
Governor Amir Muhammad Khan Kalabagh’s logic behind not closing down the red light area “Hiramandi” is very revealing, “If you ban them they will be all over the place.” This in fact eventually did... More
A golden opportunity
INFRASTRUCTURE projects all over the world have a tendency towards cost overruns and schedule delays. Pakistan’s implementation record has been relatively worse, irrespective of the form of government or party in power. It is... More
Why China’s new aircraft carrier should worry India
The launch of China’s second aircraft carrier, expected as soon as this week, will be an important and depressing moment for India. The “Type 001A” -- likely to be named the “Shandong” -- will... More
Myanmar’s Precariously Poised Peace Process
Myanmar’s peace process has been stalled for months, as the country’s ethnic rebel groups – fighting for autonomy – and Aung San Suu Kyi’s government try to find a solution to their impasse that... More
China’s Bengal foray
This was expected much before.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been to Singapore, UK and Germany, scouting for investments without much of a success. Her government did not initially take much interest in... More
The other side of the panama ruling
On not so historic a day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling on Panama leaks just fell short of what it was meant to be: a clear-cut verdict. The order for further investigation by a Joint Investigation... More
Lonely and disinterested
Picture this: China is steadily increasing its geostrategic presence in South, Central and West Asia; there is a China-Russia-Pakistan axis on the rise in Southern Asia; China and Russia are reveling in a new-found... More
Uzair “The Smoking Gun”?
Lyari mobster, crime boss and political worker Uzair Jan Baloch, the former chief of the militant group formed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Peoples Aman Committee (PAC), was acquitted for attempted murder... More
Reverse To Repair
(Exclusive): The nosedive in Sino-Indian relations over Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh (Southern Tibet to Beijing, integral part of India as far as Delhi is concerned) has left many worried. The Dalai Lama... More
