The View From India Newsletter Lessons from the region
4 months ago

The View From India Newsletter Lessons from the region

The Hindu  

South Asia doesn’t have to look far for crucial lessons in politics. From the coup in Myanmar, the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, to the political ouster of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, by a people’s uprising, in 2022, to the more recent fall of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a formidable students’ protest, there are many to reflect on, as Suhasini Haidar writes in this analysis of the tumult in the region. “The old dictum that if you want to ‘raise crop for one year, plant corn…If you want to plant a crop for eternities, raise democracies’ holds true for India and its ties in the neighbourhood,” as Suhasini Haidar points out. Kallol Bhattacherjee examines Depending on how things unfold in the coming months as the interim government takes the reins of power, South Asia’s rising star is facing one of its biggest challenges to achieve a pluralistic society based on democratic principles, rule of law, good governance, inclusive growth, and human rights, writes Syed Munir Khasru. Amid reports of attacks on Bangladesh’s religious minorities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Chief Adviser of the new interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, and reiterated his call for safety and security of the “Hindus and all other minority communities” in Bangladesh, even as some, including Hindus, within Bangladesh urged Indian media not to sensationalise reports of such attacks.

India Bangladesh Hindu Hasina  view  newsletter  minister  region  india  economic  hindus  interim  lessons  political  bangladesh  democracy  prime  neighbourhood

History of this topic

Aakar Patel | South Asia needs to end communalism to ensure region can grow, develop
2 weeks ago

Aakar Patel | South Asia needs to end communalism to ensure region can grow, develop

Deccan Chronicle  

The BJP’s Ram Madhav has written an article titled “For South Asia to grow, communalism must end”. The World Bank says that “South Asia is one of the least integrated regions in the world in terms of trade and people-to-people contact.” Intra-regional trade between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan accounts for five per cent of our total trade, compared to Southeast …

Is India's Influence in South Asia Diminishing?
1 month ago

Is India's Influence in South Asia Diminishing?

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 21, 2024 20:28 IST - 5 MINS READ Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s decision to travel to Beijing first before his visit to India and Bangladesh demanding the extradition of its former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are being viewed as acts of assertion of the two countries in South Asia that have so far been exceedingly …

Opinion: Trump 2.0 - Lessons for India's Left
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: Trump 2.0 - Lessons for India's Left

India Today  

With Donald Trump’s recent win in the US, it is hard to miss the parallels with the tactics employed by certain sections of the Left, here in India. By “the Indian Left,” we are referring to a broad coalition of academics, intellectuals, certain media figures, activists, and segments of political parties who often align themselves with progressive social and economic …

A new chapter in India-Sri Lanka relations
2 months, 4 weeks ago

A new chapter in India-Sri Lanka relations

Hindustan Times  

The Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s victory and ascension to the presidency marks a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s political landscape, with effects on its relations with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to President Dissanayake on his electoral victory, highlighting Sri Lanka's vital role in India's Neighbourhood First policy and the Security and Growth for All in the Region …

The View From India newsletter: India and the Russia-Ukraine conflict: ‘Postbox’ or peacemaker?
3 months, 1 week ago

The View From India newsletter: India and the Russia-Ukraine conflict: ‘Postbox’ or peacemaker?

The Hindu  

As a further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict appears likely, India’s possible role in peace negotiations have come into sharp focus, in the wake of recent diplomatic activity, mainly of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Ajit Doval. “We hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and conversations with President Zelenskyy indicate India’s support for the …

A new footing in South Asia for India-Russia friendship
4 months ago

A new footing in South Asia for India-Russia friendship

Hindustan Times  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July visit to Moscow and this week’s trip to Ukraine revived the debate on what role Russia plays in India’s evolving strategic balance. But a closer look shows that — except for Pakistan — Russia is also playing a rising role in South Asia, aligned with India’s Neighbourhood First policy from Afghanistan to Myanmar and from …

Grand Strategy | Time for a new neighbourhood policy
4 months ago

Grand Strategy | Time for a new neighbourhood policy

Hindustan Times  

There is a growing, and legitimate, concern in India today that its neighbourhood is becoming increasingly hostile. And yet, considering the domestic and regional changes afoot in the region, India must craft new strategies to engage the region. First and foremost, it is simply not possible for India and any other regional or global actor to control or micro-manage the …

Neighbourhood tests India-U.S. ties
4 months, 1 week ago

Neighbourhood tests India-U.S. ties

The Hindu  

The turmoil in Bangladesh could test India-U.S. relations at a time when heightened nationalism in both countries has already reduced mutual trust. Religion, or ethnicity, is already a major feature of selfhood and state policy all around India’s neighbourhood — Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. “To boost Indian manufacturing and plug India into the global supply chain, it …

India, Singapore well positioned to create new era of opportunity: President Shanmugaratnam
5 months, 1 week ago

India, Singapore well positioned to create new era of opportunity: President Shanmugaratnam

Hindustan Times  

Singapore, India and Southeast Asia are well positioned to create a new era of opportunity, equity and sustainability, despite the resurgence of industrial policies among the major economies, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Thursday. India, Singapore well positioned to create new era of opportunity: President Shanmugaratnam Working with other responsible middle powers, both regions have the ability to strengthen …

India's neighbourhood policy: Time to move on
5 months, 2 weeks ago

India's neighbourhood policy: Time to move on

Hindustan Times  

As the world's largest democracy strides confidently along its growth trajectory, it is increasingly clear that the traditional paradigms of regional engagement are no longer relevant. Other instances, such as its relationships with Iran and Saudi Arabia and its active participation in multilateral groups like BRICS and Quad, illustrate India's policy of strategic pragmatism in a complex geopolitical landscape. The …

Review of The Routledge Handbook of South Asia Region, Security and Connectivity: Fractured identity
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Review of The Routledge Handbook of South Asia Region, Security and Connectivity: Fractured identity

The Hindu  

The six blind men of the proverbial story touching an elephant and describing it partially fail in the task assigned to them, but they succeed in conveying its complexity. A labour of love by a dedicated band of social scientists, economists, IR scholars, and other experts, this brilliantly edited and crafted volume will help not only university academics, researchers, and …

Why voters in southern India are more resistant to Modi's Hindu-centric politics
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Why voters in southern India are more resistant to Modi's Hindu-centric politics

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. They feel their outsized contribution …

Why voters in southern India are more resistant to Modi’s Hindu-centric politics
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Why voters in southern India are more resistant to Modi’s Hindu-centric politics

Associated Press  

CHENNAI, India — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wielded near-total control over Indian politics since coming to power 10 years ago, with one exception: He has failed to win over the country’s wealthier southern region. A boy holds a placard at a rally for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party leader and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu state, M. K. Stalin, in …

India and the Greater Indo-Pacific: Balancing geopolitical equations
9 months, 2 weeks ago

India and the Greater Indo-Pacific: Balancing geopolitical equations

Firstpost  

Synopsis Looking at the complex geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges the Indo-Pacific region is currently grappling it is necessary that there is a need to broaden the geopolitical concept of the Indo-Pacific to the Greater Indo-Pacific. Along with these wars, the rise of China is also posing a substantial challenge to the Greater Indo-Pacific encompassing major countries of the “Eurasian Heartland” …

Fresh look at India’s neighbourhood first policy
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Fresh look at India’s neighbourhood first policy

Hindustan Times  

In 2014, the Narendra Modi government came to power with an eye towards reimagining India’s relationships in South Asia, and across the Indo-Pacific. Fresh look at India’s neighbourhood first policy On the show, Xavier argued that China’s ambitions in India’s neighborhood have catalysed a more robust Indian policy. “In India, aligned with the divergence in India-China relations—which culminated in the …

The North-South Divide: Myth or Reality? - News18
10 months ago

The North-South Divide: Myth or Reality? - News18

News 18  

Much has been made of the so-called North-South divide, especially by the opposition parties, and much more so as we approach the general elections. But to bring matters up to speed, electorally, the North comprises the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. South India is constituted …

Frontline On Air | India in the South Asian neighbourhood: Friendship or friction?
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Frontline On Air | India in the South Asian neighbourhood: Friendship or friction?

The Hindu  

Published : Feb 09, 2024 17:18 IST - 1 MIN READ The economic shock of COVID-19 in 2020-2021 and subsequent escalating debt burdens, the ongoing Ukraine war now in its third year, and, in 2023, the eruption of the Gaza conflict, repeatedly jolted the economies of all countries in South Asia. The smaller and more vulnerable economies of all of …

India has a greater role in regional dynamics, says Asia Society’s new president
10 months, 4 weeks ago

India has a greater role in regional dynamics, says Asia Society’s new president

Live Mint  

India has evolved to become a growth engine for the Asian region, also enjoying a strong diplomatic position that has key powers courting the country, said Kang Kyung-wha, former South Korean foreign minister, in an interview with Mint. The newly appointed president of US-based think tank Asia Society also spoke on the state of India-Korea ties, tensions between the US …

View From India | Regional anarchy
11 months ago

View From India | Regional anarchy

The Hindu  

It is hard to speak of a war today, amid the many wars the world is witnessing. The Palestinian death toll from the war between Israel and Hamas has soared past 25,000, the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Sunday, while the Israeli government appeared far from achieving its goals of crushing the militant group and freeing more than …

South Side Story Frontline newsletter
11 months, 1 week ago

South Side Story Frontline newsletter

The Hindu  

Published : Jan 16, 2024 16:44 IST - 3 MINS READ Dear Reader, Lying between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, South Asia is a vibrant yet intricate geopolitical entity. Bangladesh is The demographic dividend is much talked about, with South Asia expected to host the world’s largest working-age population, exceeding 900 million, by 2040. Geopolitically, South Asia …

Invidious divide: The Hindu Editorial on political discussions
1 year ago

Invidious divide: The Hindu Editorial on political discussions

The Hindu  

The remark on North Indian States made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Member of Parliament S. Senthilkumar in the Lok Sabha, since expunged from the records, was unworthy of a lawmaker. Nation makers grappled with these challenges of imbalances and diversity, to set in motion the consolidation of the most diverse, and most populated democratic country on the planet. His comments …

India’s growing neighbourhood dilemmas
1 year ago

India’s growing neighbourhood dilemmas

The Hindu  

The proverbial Achilles heel of Indian foreign policy continues to be its neighbourhood. But South Asia is not only not keen to jump on the bandwagon of the India story, but it is New Delhi’s dilemmas, the causes In general, there are three types of dilemmas that India faces in the neighbourhood. The second type of dilemma India faces in …

Political Line | The battle is in the Hindi belt. Rahul Gandhi can’t fight it in Kerala
1 year ago

Political Line | The battle is in the Hindi belt. Rahul Gandhi can’t fight it in Kerala

The Hindu  

The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in three heartland States of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh in the recent Assembly elections has renewed the question of the Congress’s viability in straight contests against the BJP in the Hindi belt. The very idea of OBC empowerment got entangled with allegations of corruption, dynastic politics and misrule, and monopolised by a …

Is there a clear north-south divide in Indian politics?
1 year, 6 months ago

Is there a clear north-south divide in Indian politics?

The Hindu  

After its loss in the recent Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party is left with no State government in south India. The governments of the five States of the south are led by different parties — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, the Communist Party of India in Kerala, the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh, the …

DC Edit | South India asserts itself
1 year, 7 months ago

DC Edit | South India asserts itself

Deccan Chronicle  

All politics is local politics. Politicians need local skills to secure their seats, and this is how the Congress, though a national party, vaulted to victory in the Karnataka elections because it possessed a far better grasp of what the southern state, with its own unique mix of voters and issues, wanted. While one national party took a tumble in …

India’s Northeast: Gateway to connectivity with eastern neighbours
1 year, 8 months ago

India’s Northeast: Gateway to connectivity with eastern neighbours

Hindustan Times  

India’s Northeast Region can serve as a pivotal connecting space between India and its neighbours to the east in South Asia, as well as to East and Southeast Asia and beyond, enhancing the country’s diplomatic, infrastructural, and commercial engagements. India’s Northeast Region, sharing international borders in the east, has massive potential to become a vibrant link to the country’s eastern …

A long view of the South Asian drama
1 year, 8 months ago

A long view of the South Asian drama

The Hindu  

Uncertainty, a defining characteristic of South Asian politics, looks set to increase. Unique Indian values Situating India’s relations with its neighbours squarely within the framework of the country’s foundational values, Subrahmanyam began by observing that the South Asian region constituted an integrated civilisational area bound together by shared religions, languages, cultural traditions, and blood ties and, in respect of the …

Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | India’s neighbourhood outreach | What lies ahead for South Asia in 2023?
1 year, 10 months ago

Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | India’s neighbourhood outreach | What lies ahead for South Asia in 2023?

The Hindu  

India begins the year with an outreach in the neighbourhood- with visits to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan, and even an invitation to Pakistan- what lies ahead for 2023 in South Asia? Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan and held talks with the fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck and called on Prime Minister Lyonchhen Lotay Tshering- discussions on development …

Stabilising ties with Nepal in uncertain times
1 year, 11 months ago

Stabilising ties with Nepal in uncertain times

The Hindu  

The electoral verdict in Nepal’s recent elections was credible. It also reconfirmed the successful ‘taking root’ of democracy in the Himalayan country whose transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic happened after great struggle, sacrifices and ideological adjustments across the political spectrum. Moreover, leaders like Prachanda and Mr. Oli are seasoned veterans capable of making shrewd judgments in …

India's Partition Story: 75 Years On, Where Do The Neighbouring Nations Stand?
2 years, 2 months ago

India's Partition Story: 75 Years On, Where Do The Neighbouring Nations Stand?

The Quint  

Do citizens of these “new” countries like and trust each other? Answers to these questions become even more important and relevant as the world and South Asia struggle to cope with a series of unprecedented crisis including Covid pandemic in early 2020. In an ambitious exercise, CVoter Foundation collaborated with the Centre for Policy Research to conduct a massive survey …

Aakar Patel | Can the whole of South Asia work as one to develop itself?
2 years, 3 months ago

Aakar Patel | Can the whole of South Asia work as one to develop itself?

Deccan Chronicle  

We like to think India is in some way different from the rest of South Asia, but we’re really not. In 1990, just 32 years ago, Bangladesh’s life expectancy at birth was 56 years and mean years of schooling 3.3 years. The world average was 72 years of life expectancy at birth and 8.6 years of schooling, meaning that with …

Political Line | India@75: state of democracy, the freebie debate, new Kashmir voters and more
2 years, 4 months ago

Political Line | India@75: state of democracy, the freebie debate, new Kashmir voters and more

The Hindu  

The price of patriotism India celebrated its 75th Independence Day last week, a major milestone in the journey of the country, which was marked with pride and excitement all around. Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, who is heading the bench that is hearing the case, said: “I don’t think voters are looking for freebies. For example, MNREGA offered dignified …

The great divergence across South Asia
2 years, 4 months ago

The great divergence across South Asia

Hindustan Times  

Borders sometimes appear blurry and meaningless in today’s digitised world. There are four large economies in South Asia: India, which produces an annual output well over a trillion dollars; Pakistan and Bangladesh, each of whose output exceeds $100 billion every year; and Sri Lanka, whose output tends to be a little below $100 billion in a normal year. Unsurprisingly, India …

Politics in India will change: KCR
2 years, 6 months ago

Politics in India will change: KCR

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday said that the country would hear “sensational news” in the next two months or so, adding that the country would see changes that would put it on the path of concrete development. He said, “I would only like to say that with Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, we discussed everything regarding national politics, …

Can India re-imagine South Asia
2 years, 7 months ago

Can India re-imagine South Asia

The Hindu  

After weeks of protests, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down this month, but that is not the only big political non-electoral change in the neighbourhood in 2021-22. Then we had a similar kind of global economic shock triggered by the oil embargoes which hurt practically every South Asian country, including India. On the other hand, China has started …

South Asia: A region in search of regionalism
2 years, 8 months ago

South Asia: A region in search of regionalism

The Hindu  

South Asia as a concept is of recent vintage, a byproduct of the Cold War. Although it is not a part of the region as per international relations literature, it shares a border with Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, five of the eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries. The China card China’s proximity to the region and …

Development has become a core issue in Indian politics
2 years, 9 months ago

Development has become a core issue in Indian politics

Hindustan Times  

Several political commentators have attributed the success of the pro-incumbency factor in Goa, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand assembly elections to the various schemes of the central and state governments such as: Housing for the poor, direct cash transfers to farmers, and pension for the underprivileged, LPG cylinders, food and nutrition, electricity, and water and sanitation services. The electoral success …

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | Backward UP’s alarm bells for India’s divisive politics
2 years, 10 months ago

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | Backward UP’s alarm bells for India’s divisive politics

Deccan Chronicle  

The first of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in which voting begins Thursday, February 10, allows the people of the state to express their view through the ballot now that they have heard everyone on all sides, from the Hindutva-driven BJP; the anti-BJP Samajwadi Party, driven by the anger among the people; the Congress, fighting for its place in …

Stanly Johny reviews India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, by Shivshankar Menon
3 years, 7 months ago

Stanly Johny reviews India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, by Shivshankar Menon

The Hindu  

Independent India’s foreign policy, according to Shivshankar Menon, has gone through three geopolitical phases and their transitions. Menon, who was the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary, is exploring these phases in their historical context to tell the story of how India weathered the many geopolitical storms of the past in his latest book, India and Asian Geopolitics: …

’India’s way forward is to engage’: Shiv Shankar Menon
3 years, 7 months ago

’India’s way forward is to engage’: Shiv Shankar Menon

Live Mint  

Former National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon’s new book, India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, makes an unusual request of the reader—to look at India’s foreign policy choices through the lens of geography rather than history. Given his background as India’s former ambassador to China and a former foreign secretary, there is of course a detailed look at India’s …

The reality of an India at the crossroads
4 years ago

The reality of an India at the crossroads

The Hindu  

Individual events are often an indicator of broader trends. India’s forays in its Near Abroad in West Asia are yet to yield results, even though, on the surface, relations with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are better. Comment | The shifting trajectory of India’s foreign policy Signs of rigid policies Far more serious, however, are concerns being voiced …

Book review: Making of India’s northeastern region
4 years, 1 month ago

Book review: Making of India’s northeastern region

The Hindu  

You are standing in a forest covered in snow, your phone is out of network range, the nearest human habitation is an arduous hike away. May said a few years ago in a research article: “Northeast India is in an apparent state of being marginalised, rediscovered and redefined.” Variously explained as a condition of “durable disorder”, “‘born anxieties” and so …

Delhi-Dhaka ties: India is doing well in the region
4 years, 3 months ago

Delhi-Dhaka ties: India is doing well in the region

Hindustan Times  

In a telling statement, Sri Lanka’s new foreign secretary Jayanath Colombage has said that Colombo will have an “India first” strategic policy outlook. Arguing that while the Rajapaksa government has adopted a posture of neutrality in its dealings with major regional and global powers, he was categorical in underlining that “the president has stated that we have a strategic security-wise …

India must take the lead in South Asia | Analysis
4 years, 3 months ago

India must take the lead in South Asia | Analysis

Hindustan Times  

With the privilege of being the region’s largest economy by far comes the power to make a difference. In a just-released report from the Centre for Policy Research, India as the Engine of Recovery for South Asia: A Multi-Sectoral Plan for India’s COVID-19 Diplomacy in the Region that we have co-authored with our colleagues, Shyam Saran and Sandeep Bhardwaj, we …

Discover Related