Articles By Vikram Sood
Managing the nation's defence, somehow
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 11 Mar , 2014
Nine officers and men dead in the last six months in two submarine accidents with one submarine written off and another grounded. Who is responsible for the death of these persons and the loss of...
Islamic Emirate of Pakistan
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 21 Feb , 2014
In her essay, ‘Islamisation of Jinnah’ (Newsline, Pakistan, February 2014), Ayesha Siddiqa described Pakistan as ‘a hybrid-theocracy in which there are limited visible spaces where Islamic...
The message stands delivered
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 13 Dec , 2013
Quite often it is a thoughtless or tactless statement but it also serves the desired purpose of saying something and then denying or giving it a spin. The message stands delivered. Maybe that was...
Nepal's democratic hopes, Indian and Chinese interests
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 21 Nov , 2013
Nepal’s efforts to establish a parliamentary democracy have had their difficult and almost hopeless phases for the last decade where political fault lines accentuated since the assassination of...
If ever the twain should meet...
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 31 Aug , 2013
The attack across the LoC by the Pakistan Army on August 6 was soon after Pakistan Prime Minister called for better relations with India. This act and the continuing provocation is meant to convey...
No lunch in Lahore yet
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 12 Aug , 2013
Peace with Pakistan is desirable. But it’s also a grievous error of judgement to misread smiles when behind them lie murderous intentions. Peace between nations is a laudable objective and...
Is China nervous?
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 25 Jul , 2013
India needs to remain wary of China given that country’s behaviour in the last few years, despite the smiles, handshakes and all those diplomatic niceties with noble intentions. There has been...
Our war on terror, the long haul
By: Vikram Sood | Date: 06 Jun , 2013
Soon after Mir Jaffar did a deal with Robert Clive and helped him grab Bengal in 1757, adivasis in the East Godavari district revolted in 1770 protesting against their exploitation by local...
Afghanistan - Future Uncertain
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Apr , 2013
Events in Afghanistan had gathering momentum in March and quite apparently preparations for end 2014 were now looking serious and urgent. Closely following the visit of Defence Secretary Chuck...
BRICS: A wall for some and a platform for others
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 05 Apr , 2013
Success at multilateral events like the recently concluded BRICS-5 summit at Durban would be difficult to measure. Nevertheless, members of BRICS must have done something right to have attracted...
Is there an endgame in Afghanistan?
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 26 Mar , 2013
The visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s visit to Kabul had been greeted by two suicide attacks on March 9 that left 18 dead. The Taliban were obviously leaving their calling card. But...
China rises, India falters
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 25 Mar , 2013
In a recent conversation with President Zardari, China’s newPresident, Xi Jinping declared that his country supported Pakistan in its efforts to maintain national sovereignty and independence...
Could Iran be Obama's legacy?
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 16 Mar , 2013
Various battles rage in the region from Pakistan to the Maghreb and where once civilisations flourished in the Indus Valley, in Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt we today see intolerance and violence...
A policy of denial and defiance
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 28 Jan , 2013
What is with Pakistan’s rulers? Have they made their state a state in denial or are they themselves in a state of denial? It was both interesting and disturbing to see speakers from Pakistan...
Pakistan eyes Afghanistan once again
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 10 Jan , 2013
Pakistan and the Taliban have their eyes fixed on 2014 when the US packs its bags and leaves Afghanistan. The US now seems disillusioned with Hamid Karzai but have not yet found an obvious...
Afghanistan: The return of the warlords
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 07 Jan , 2013
So President Obama retains the White House and the power but the Party General Secretary Hu Jintao leaves his throne in March 2013. Nevertheless, the rest of the world is going to see continuity...
US India Pakistan - The Eternal Triangle
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Courtesy: MidDay Mumbai | Date: 27 Dec , 2012
President Barack Obama will soon be sitting with his team to prioritise his to-do-list for his legacy that will be intertwined with how he handles his country’s strategic and national...
Bangladesh: Let's think smart
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 17 Aug , 2012
15 August 1975 was the 37th death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president. His assassination by army officers in 1975 was followed by years of dictatorial military rule...
Afghanistan: Clash of the titans
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 04 Aug , 2012
The US-led war against Iraq in 2003 was never really about Saddam Hussein’s nuclear weapons programme or the presence of al-Qaeda in that country. It was about gaining control over Iraq’s oil....
TAPI Pipeline: Moving away from Iran
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 07 Jun , 2012
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline agreement signed on May 23 is a follow-up to the December 2010 agreement but essentially a rerun of the aborted 1990s game with a few...