IDR Blog
Big Data near the Indian Border
Baima (or Padma in Tibetan) is a township in Pashoe County (Baxoi in Chinese) in Chamdo City of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR); it lies at an altitude of 3,772 metres (12,378 ft) on the National Highway G318. China Tibet News reported yesterday that ‘Big Data’ were used for ‘poverty alleviation’ in the county. It is a bit worrisome,...
Bangladesh election: A high-stake one for India
“Padosi pehle, lekin Bangladesh sabse pehle (Neighbours first, but Bangladesh foremost),” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was reported to have said at an event during her 2017 visit to the country, describing bilateral relations as having gone beyond a strategic partnership. And as Bangladesh readies to vote on December 30 in a...
The protectors of the sacred homeland and the builders of happy homes (II)
Year 2019 saw the mushrooming of model villages in Tibet at the proximity of the Indian border. Govern the nation by governing the borders; govern the borders by first stabilizing Tibet; ensure social harmony and stability in Tibet and strengthen the development of border regions. Thus spoke President Xi Jinping about China’s relations with...
US Pullout in Afghanistan: The Fallout
Donald Trump’s announcement to reduce American troops by half in Afghanistan seems to have caught everyone flatfooted, including his own administration, NATO partners, Afghan government and, naturally, the rest of the world. While there were many who, based on Mr. Trump’s penchant for unpredictability, felt that one day he may suddenly...
On the Sidelines of G-20: India's Third Way
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in several bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Argentina. Such meetings are not unusual. However, this year, two trilateral meetings that PM Modi was a part of drew significant attention. One meeting was held between India, Japan and the US, called JAI...