IDR Blog
Nepal: Federal and State Governments on a Collision Course
It was in September 2015 that a federal Constitution was implemented with three tiers of administration- at the local level- the provincial level and at the federal level. In the elections that followed the new Constitution, the Ruling Party- the NCP not only got an overwhelming majority at the centre but had also formed provincial governments...
Mao Bluffed India in 1962
In the evening of November 19, 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru sent, in panic, a letter to Kennedy. Early in the day, he had already written to the US President asking for help: “The situation that has developed is really desperate. We have to have more comprehensive assistance if the Chinese are to be prevented from taking over the whole of Eastern...
Myanmar: Is Suu Kyi Getting Isolated?
When Suu Kyi came to power with an overwhelming majority in the elections of 2015, People’s expectations were rather high. Barring the Rakhine State, where the NLD had a poor showing, her party had performed very well even in areas dominated by Ethnic Armed Organizations. The belief was that she would bring back the “Panglong Spirit” of...
The Hidden Kingdom of Pemako ...hidden no more
Recently, several ‘official’ Chinese websites published a photo-feature on Metok county, North of Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. While Delhi still lives with its century-old ‘Inner Line Permit’, China is fast developing its borders (with India) by building a modern infrastructure and wooing the local tribes, providing them...
An Allied Approach to North Korea?
South Korean President Moon Jae-in met US President Donald Trump on 10-11 April 2019 to bilateral relations as well as the future course of their dealings with North Korea. Although both these issues are related, their delineation is also important. Since Trump assumed charge as president, the US has become more transactional in its...