IDR Blog
Pakistan: A land of Treachery and Terror
It happens only in India is a cliché well known. But, seeing Pervez Musharraf featuring in a leadership summit recently on one of our national TV channels proved beyond doubt that moolah (read TRPs) is all that matters and that the fact that this johnny should be tried for war crimes in both India and Pakistan has no meaning for the media as...
China’s Growing Interest in Gilgit-Baltistan
Recent agreements between China and Pakistan during the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Beijing on July 4 reflect China’s growing interest in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan. The situation allows China to obtain the natural resources required to sustain its economic and industrial growth, and extend her sphere of...
The thinking man and the fighting man
The date, May 23, 2013, may well go down in the history of the Indian republic as a day when the first rays of a new dawn began to shed light on the culture of barren strategic thought within the national security establishment. On this day, the prime minister of India laid the foundation stone for the proposed Indian National Defence...
New Iran Prez can’t do wonders
Hassan Rowhani’s election as President of Iran on June 14 is unlikely to materially change the dynamics of the conflict between Iran and the western powers. The “reformists” in Iran who have backed Rowhani want improved handling of Iran’s diplomacy though not at the cost of yielding on principles. On the nuclear issue and relations...
Our war on terror, the long haul
Soon after Mir Jaffar did a deal with Robert Clive and helped him grab Bengal in 1757, adivasis in the East Godavari district revolted in 1770 protesting against their exploitation by local jagirdars and traders. Other revolts followed through to the 20th century against similar British exploitation. The forces were not only inadequate in...