IDR Blog
Politics bares its ugly fangs in UP
Politics could not have sunk into more sordid depths in a state still shackled by the demons of casteism, lawlessness, graft and maladministration, yet making extravagant claims over development and progress. Each new day of electioneering unleashes a progressive low in duplicity and doublespeak in UP, compounded by an allegiance to vote...
The Great Economic and Geopolitical Asymmetry between India and China
At the end of the first round of the strategic dialogue between India and China co-chaired by Zhang Yesui, the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Jaishankar, the Indian Foreign Secretary, The Global Times commented in a paternalistic tone: “One lesson India may learn from China is to be honest with oneself. Asymmetry in economic and...
When the Taiwanese Came Calling: Chinese Reaction and the Indian Response
A Taiwanese delegation which included three parliamentarians among others visited India in February 2017. The visit elicited a sharp reaction from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) foreign ministry. Its spokesperson Geng Shuang commented, ‘We hope that India would understand and respect China’s core concerns and stick to the...
Gen Bajwa’s Three Months at the Top Job
“Defense and security of Pakistan against external and internal threat will remain my ultimate objective as military chief” – Gen Bajwa The transfer of power from one chief of army to another is usually an uneventful occasion, other than in Pakistan. Having experienced four military dictatorships and a dominating presence of the military...
India-China Ties: Rethinking the Terms of Engagement
China has mastered the art of bullying as strategy. Pradeep Khosla, an American of Indian origin, who is Chancellor at the University of California, San Diego, did not anticipate the reaction from Beijing, when he naively invited the Dalai Lama to give a talk at the university. Through a blistering editorial in a Chinese daily, he was...