IDR Blog
Syria’s Sad Predicament
As one contemplates the ever worsening state of Syria, a few thoughts dominate. One, though Russia, the former superpower and the United States, the superpower in decline, appear to be at loggerheads, there seems to be a sinister but unacknowledged unity of purpose that brings them together; the net result of their policies has been the...
Xi Jinping and the Return of Mao
As President Xi Jinxing arrives in India for the BRICS Summit in Goa, weird information has recently come from China about the revival of the cult of Mao Zedong. It is usually linked to democracy and the role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Middle Kingdom. For Beijing, democracy is not a good system. Watching the US presidential...
Of Hawks and Doves
All soldiers want peace, and this is an undisputable fact. They want peace because they are the ones who die in war. I get messages from doves that accuse me of warmongering. They say that I have an unhealthy obsession with war and blood; that I don’t value human life. Think of me as a surgeon who recommends amputation of a limb that is...
Chinese President to Probe Bangladesh
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on October 14. Obviously the red carpet will be rolled out for him in Dhaka. The two countries have maintained stable and sustained relationship over the decades. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sk. Hasina visited China twice since she returned to power in 2009....
The future of Ladakh
Making Ladakh a Union Territory would not only help ‘localise’ the Kashmir issue to the Valley, it would also provide a better administration to the mountainous region, streamline the security and send a message to China: ‘India cares for Ladakh’. Union home minister Rajnath Singh paid a belated two-day visit to Ladakh after last...