COMMENTARIES
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Our (Self) Imported Leaders
The Tahirul Qadri Affair
D Suba Chandran · 03 Jul, 2014 · #4542 · Commentary
It all started during the third week of last month in Pakistan. The Punjab police raided the office of Tahirul Qadri, the maverick “Visiting” political leader of Pakistan, in the garb of clearing the encroachments made as a part of s...
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Russia and the Ukraine Crisis: An Indian Perspective
Ranjit Gupta · 02 Jul, 2014 · #4541 · Commentary
Since the Crimean Parliament’s 6 March, 2014, decision to seek independence, India has issued several official statements regarding evolving events in or related to Ukraine, including a warmly worded message of congratulations to Mr. Petro...
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J&K
NC, NDA and Autonomy
Shujaat Bukhari · 02 Jul, 2014 · #4540 · Commentary
On June 26, the resolution adopted by Jammu and Kashmir Assembly asking for greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953, completed 14 years but without any substantial movement forward. The culmination of six-day-long debate on the issu...
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Teesta, Land Boundary and Immigration
A Ray of Hope for India-Bangladesh Relations?
Sonia Hukil · 01 Jul, 2014 · #4539 · Commentary
During her first visit to Bangladesh as the Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj pledged to strengthen bilateral ties.
What are Bangladesh’s expectations from the new government in New Delhi? Bangladesh largely views Indian P...
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Responses from South and Southeast Asia
China’s Cartographic Aggression
Roomana Hukil · 04 Jul, 2014 · #4538 · Commentary
On the 60th Anniversary of Panchsheel or the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence between India, Myanmar and China, China released its latest ‘vertical atlas’ that depicts parts of J&K (Aksai Chin), the whole of Arunachal Prad...
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Global Nuclear Arsenals: Taking Stock of Current Trends
Ruhee Neog · 01 Jul, 2014 · #4537 · Commentary
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its annual data on the global trends and developments in world nuclear forces on 16 June, 2014. In its press release, the SIPRI had this to say: “The data shows that whi...
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Pakistan: Potential Blowbacks of Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy · 30 Jun, 2014 · #4536 · Commentary
On 15 June, Pakistan’s military launched its most ambitious offensive on terrorists living and/or operating from the country’s territory. The sharply-worded press statement marked a stark difference in Pakistan’s otherwise soft...
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IPCS Special Commentary
J&K: Forthcoming Elections and the Peace Process
Ashok Bhan · 30 Jun, 2014 · #4535 · Commentary
A series of credible democratic exercises since 1996 have contributed positively to the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir. It may be recalled that the present conflict was triggered by what is often alleged to be the denial of political space t...
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Myanmar: How Free is the Contemporary Media?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee · 30 Jun, 2014 · #4534 · Commentary
In April 2013, for the first time in Myanmar, private newspapers were displayed in the newspaper stalls along with the state-owned newspapers that had not been censored by the Junta. In August 2012, President Thein Sein had announced the removal...
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Nepal and Ethnic Federalism: The Insufficiency of the Maoist Model
Subin Nepal · 30 Jun, 2014 · #4533 · Commentary
The last few years have seen a great rise in the discussion surrounding state restructuring in Nepal. At its very core has been the issue of ethnic federalism. First touted by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) in their agenda ...
