‘No hope for a regime change’
R. Viswanathan, Distinguished Fellow, Latin America Studies, Gateway House, has been following the movements in Ukraine and Venezuela closely. In this interview, he explains the parallels and the impact on Venezuela
Courtesy: Google Maps
Latin America Update, March 2014
In 'Latin America Update' Gateway House lists some of the important events in Latin America over the past month
Courtesy: durdaneta/Wikimedia Commons
Tough times for Venezuela
On the political as well as economic fronts, Venezuela is facing multiple problems – from protests against shortages and crime, to high inflation and low foreign exchange reserves. The government itself is responsible for creating this situation over the years and a change in leadership may now be the solution
Courtesy: Arian Zwegers/Flickr
Save Damascus, now
If the violence in Syria shifts focus to Damascus, the destruction will be incalculable. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, a cultural and religious centre. It is a collective heritage. Forces on both sides, led by the U.S. and Russia, must get all parties to declare Damascus a weapons-free zone
Reasserting the Ramayana
The Ramayana is multiple narratives, recreated over time, as the story has passed from teller to listener and from place to place. There is no singular text. With the recent decision to withdraw Wendy Doniger’s book, it is time to once again ask: what is the Ramayana? How can it inspire us to counter intolerance?
Dialogue on Trusteeship: futuristic ideal
Gateway House and Sabarmati Ashram hosted a dialogue on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary. The topic of the dialogue was Trusteeship, a Gandhian ideal and how it needs to be looked at as a basis for addressing problems related to environmental distress and income disparities
Courtesy: Pete Souza/Flickr
Where Obama’s American dream falls short
U.S. President Barack Obama's fifth State of the Union address where he set out America's social and economic agenda fails to take into account certain realities. Hal Bergold blogs
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Decoding anarchism and swaraj
By calling himself an anarchist, Arvind Kejriwal has started a debate among supporters who equate anarchy with a potential breakdown of law and order. But anarchist philosophers believe that the basis of society is self-governing individuals and not a dominating ruler – an idea similar to Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘swaraj’
Courtesy: Prasar Bharati
Taking Doordarshan global
News channels like China’s CCTV, Russia Today and Al-Jazeera have become definitive voices for their nations and for international views. It is the right time for Doordarshan, a late entrant to electronic media-driven influence, to showcase India’s growing global ties and the success of its democracy to the world
Courtesy: The Prime Minister's Office/Flickr
Bangladesh elections: was India right?
The return of the Awami League to power has generated protests and violence in Bangladesh. India’s support to the January 5 election was aimed at keeping at bay anti-India forces in Bangladesh, but anti-India sentiment in the country is high and fresh elections may throw up a result that does not suit New Delhi