dhasa protest Wen Courtesy: Wen-Yan King/Flickr
17 May 2013

Great wall of Tibet

India should recognise the importance of Tibetans for India’s security. Security in the Himalayan borderlands does not come only from only a military build-up in which India cannot surpass China, or new border infrastructure, but also from the pro-India sentiments of its inhabitants.

manmohan li Courtesy: Flickr/CreativeCommons
17 May 2013

On the borderline with Beijing

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to India next week is unlikely to fast-track a resolution of the Sino-Indian territorial dispute. Li may suggest confidence-building mechanisms on the border, but these proposals need scrutiny. China’s border agreements with other neighbours are indicators of what India can expect

iran election wikimedia commons Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
17 May 2013

Iran: Contentious election, uncertain outcomes

The 11th Presidential election of Iran will be held on June 14, 2013. Why will this election be a test for the Islamic Republic’s stability? What are the factors at play that make this election critical; and more importantly, why must India monitor it closely?

Bahrain protest1 Courtesy: Al Jazeera English/Flickr
16 May 2013

Policy and Prejudice: Shia Divisionism in Bahrain

Two years ago, during the Arab Spring uprisings in several West Asian nations, youth and pro-democracy movements flared up on the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain. In light of these events, this paper assesses how Bahrain’s policies toward its Shia constituency have affected relations between Sunni and Shia groups.