Jawaharlal_Nehru_with_Einstein,_1949 Courtesy: Wikimedia
27 April 2016

Balancing Israel and Palestine

Since the end of the cold war, India has deepened its engagement with Israel while continuing to support the Palestinian cause. India’s position does not emerge out of a vacuum. The country has had many geopolitical and moral considerations to take into account before determining its stance.

bratislava Courtesy:
21 April 2016

Discussions in a disorderly world

Discussions at the Global Security Forum 2016 at Bratislava, Slovakia were reflective of some of the most pressing contemporary global security concerns; differences between NATO and Russia, the rise of China, turmoil in Iraq and Syria etc.

CyberAttacks_Samir Courtesy: Christiaan Colen / Flickr
18 February 2016

Geopolitical rivalries in cyberspace

The recent cyber attack on Ukraine’s power grids is indicative of the cyber space becoming the most useful tool for perpetuating geopolitical rivalries. Many countries are rapidly expanding their offensive cyber capabilities, and it appears the militarisation of cyber space is complete.

Soldiers in a Niger army unit stand in formation while a dignitary visits their outpost during Operation Desert Shield.  The men are armed with M-14 rifles. Courtesy:
20 January 2016

A new fault line in Nigeria

A recent confrontation between the Nigerian army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has rekindled the state’s tensions with its Shia citizenry. However, Nigeria should pay heed to its own contemporary history of the armed crackdown on an obscure religion sect that led to the birth of Boko Haram, and exercise caution while dealing with minority groups.

Shahbag_Projonmo_Square_Uprising_Demanding_Death_Penalty_of_the_War_Criminals_of_1971_in_Bangladesh_23 Courtesy: Mehdi Hasan Khan/ Wikipedia
24 December 2015

War crimes: Bangladesh shows the way

At a time when Islamic fundamentalism is threatening the world, Bangladesh as a moderate muslim democracy occupies a unique position in actively confronting this threat under Sheikh Hasina. Instead of the unjustified criticism levied against its war trials, the West must actively support its fight against terror.

Azaz,_Syria Courtesy:
3 December 2015

Is this World War III?

The U.S.-led bombings on ISIS locations have France and the British as its partners. On the other hand is Russia -- targeting the Islamic State but with a primary aim of keeping Assad in power. Is this then World War III?

EndISISFlickrDawn Endico Courtesy: Dawn Endico
3 December 2015

Can ISIS be defeated?

Today ISIS is the gravest international security threat. To defeat ISIS, the world should pay heed to India’s experience of the need to isolate state sponsors of terrorism. Ultimately, only when Saudi Arabia acknowledges the danger to its own survival from past policies of alleged support to extremist groups, can it be a reliable partner in the fight against ISIS.

South China sea Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
11 June 2015

India and the South China Sea

China's belligerence in the South China Sea is causing anxiety in India. India needs to strengthen its stance on the situation to maintain preponderance in the region which holds great significance to its trade.

PRISM_logo by NSA Courtesy: NSA/Wikimedia Commons
20 May 2015

Exposing NSA’s fallibility

This month’s U.S. Appeals Court ruling that deemed illegal the collection of bulk phone records by the U.S. NSA—falsely claimed by U.S. officials as having helped detect 26/11 plotter David Headley—is another nail in the coffin of the U.S. surveillance programme. However, detection of terrorist activity and prosecution of perpetrators remains as problematic as ever

Buhari victory Courtesy: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung/Flickr
9 April 2015

Time for hope and healing in Nigeria

On 29 May, Buhari was sworn in as the next president of Nigeria, ending the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. The mandate for Buhari indicates that Nigerians want a firmer hand in dealing with corruption, regionalism, and insurgency. It is now Buhari’s task to fulfil these hopes