IDR Blog
Is Farooq off the point?
Farooq Abdullah, as is his wont, has once again stirred the hornet’s nest. He says let Pakistan keep its part of the State and we keep ours. Had things been that simple, Kashmir would not have earned the sobriquet of ‘Gordian knot’ nor would have Pakistan lost its eastern part nor and finally volunteered to become the Frankenstein of its...
South Asia: A Region that can change the climate of Paris summit
Early in 2015, a landmark year for Climate Change, British naturalist Robert Macfarlane published a book, ‘Landmarks’. In that searching book, Macfarlane passionately presents the way we deploy and destroy words and phrases connected to our ecosystem. “We have forgotten 10,000 words for our landscapes….” he stated, adding that we are...
Paris Attacks: ISIS and changing Chinese policy towards terrorism
The events following the Paris terror attacks, including the execution of a Chinese hostage by the Islamic State (IS) group, appear to have placed China at the proverbial ‘fork in the road’ regarding its policy on combating terrorism. The dilemma appears to be rooted in a mix of local politics, internal security considerations, Foreign...
Indira Gandhi – Shiek Abdullah 1974 Agreement
Appendix – H In 1974 Indira–Sheikh accord was signed by on behalf of Sheikh Abdullah and then Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi whereby Sheikh became the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir again after 11 years. The text of the agreement is reproduced below: Agreed Conclusions: 1. The State of Jammu and Kashmir which is a...
War on terror can no more be selective
The recent mayhem in Paris resulting in 128 deaths and more than 300 seriously injured has once again brought to the focus the menace of global terror. Terror recognises no boundaries and terrorists can strike at will has been once again proved right. Some have gone on to term the Paris attacks as “attack on humanity” while some have...