Written by Rushali Saha
A recent statement by India’s Army Chief accused Kathmandu of acting at the behest of others, a fairly direct reference to China. Remarks not taken well by Nepalese civil society. As Nepal struggles to balance India and China, another actor also seeks greater influence in the Himalayas: the United States.
Read MoreWritten by Shreyas Deshmukh
Over the last two decades, the Pakistani military has launched 10 major operations in the Pashtun Tribal belt to eradicate terrorist organisations and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Read MoreWritten by Ankit K
This year marks 22 years of Pakistan’s overt nuclearisation. Since its first weapon tests in May 1998, Pakistan’s nuclear programme is ever-growing, both in numbers and in variety.
Read MoreWritten by Manali Kumar
India’s economy was already in a downward spiral long before the lockdown. The domestic economy has desperately needed reform and stimulation for years, but the Modi administration’s policies have failed to deliver time and time and again.
Read MoreWritten by Vengalil Venugopal
Considering the importance of the Indian Ocean to China’s economic growth, the strategy undertaken by Beijing has been to build duel use infrastructure, capable of hosting both civillian and military vessels at different locations across the Indian Ocean region.
Read MoreWritten by Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
The situation on the Sino-Indian border is unclear, however if China has indeed built roads and checkposts beyond the Line of Actual Control, India faces a fait accompli. New Delhi faces the choice of either escalating or accepting the new reality on the ground.
Read MoreWritten by Gulraiz Iqbal
For a long time a partner of the United States, Pakistan’s space program suffered due to its nuclear rivalry with India leading to sanctions from Washington. Now with the help of Beijing, Pakistan’s ambitions are once again growing, with the launch of two new satellites in 2018, aboard China’s Long March rockets.
Read MoreWritten by Prashant Kandpal
On December 11, 2019, the Indian Parliament passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which then became a law. This was for the first time in India that a religious criterion was added to the nation's naturalization process.
Read MoreWritten by Santosh Ghimire
The opening by India of a Himalayan road to the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, through Lipu Lekh has Nepali political elites, civil society, and ordinary people up arms. Despite close cultural ties, India and Nepal are increasingly at odds over the border.
Read MoreWritten by Yatharth Kachiar
In the last 18 years, India has nurtured a constituency of pro-democratic forces across age, gender, and ethnic groups in Afghanistan. It is time for New Delhi to rally behind these groups assertively, as NATO and the U.S. look set to withdraw.
Read MoreWritten by Dinesh Bhattarai
The resurgence of China and India as major powers brings immense opportunities but new dynamics to Nepal’s doorsteps. Nepal cannot choose between India and China and thus must walk a delicate path between the two most populous nations in the world.
Read MoreWritten by Kashoon Leeza
The rise of Hindutva nationalism in India is leading to a reciprocal Muslim nationalism in Pakistan. With both India and Pakistan playing the blame-game, while bolstering their own rhetoric, nationalist discourses are overtaking ties between South Asia’s nuclear armed rivals.
Read MoreWritten by Pooja Bhatt
Littoral nations suspect that even though China states that the purpose of research vessels in the Indian Ocean are purely scientific in nature, that these vessels could be gathering data to enhance Beijing’s maritime domain awareness in the region.
Read MoreWritten by Manali Kumar
South Asian countries must cooperate to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, SAARC is not the forum to broker such cooperation. There are few good examples of SAARC cooperation in the 35 years of the organization’s existence.
Read MoreWritten by Arkoprabho Hazra
With increasing security ties with Israel, a historic relationship with the Palestinians, and a history of working with the United Nations and other multilateral forums, India is in a unique position to help mediate the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Read MoreWritten by Minaam Shah
If India wants SAARC to succeed, it has to give its neighbors a reason strong enough to cooperate. Any sense of collective South Asian identity has to originate under the pressure of an external force.
Read MoreWritten by Sabyasachi Biswal
In South Asia, China is making in-roads as a global health leader, with an extensive public campaign, the “Health Silk Road”. India meanwhile vies for regional influence with Beijing, mobilising its medical sector and institutions such as SAARC.
Read MoreWritten by Filippo Boni
Having made CPEC the “flagship project” of the BRI, China is keen to project the economic corridor as a success. When China has undertaken a global propaganda push, Beijing has realised that the BRI’s reputation relies on the ability to move things forward in Pakistan.
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