U.S. Department of Defense Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense
11 January 2013

Chuck Hagel: Revising U.S. strategic postures?

The nomination of Chuck Hagel for the post of the U.S. Defense Secretary has garnered severe criticism from Israel and the Jewish lobby. Given the geopolitical changes unfolding in the Middle East and the rest of Asia, what will Hagel’s assumption of office mean for Israel, India and the rest of the world?

AFSPA Sanjoy Hazarika Courtesy: lecercle/Flickr
9 January 2013

Time to repeal AFSPA?

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, introduced decades ago in India’s northeastern states and Kashmir to control militancy and turbulence, often has undemocratic side-effects. By the government’s own account, the situation in the northeast has improved. Why is the Act still in place, despite calls for a repeal?

26,11 four years later Courtesy: Swami Stream/Flickr
27 November 2012

Mumbai, after 26/11

Four years after the 26/11 terrorist attacks, Mumbai remains almost as vulnerable. The city is losing its expansiveness, while terrorism drives a wedge between the Hindu and Muslim communities in bindaas Mumbai. Are India’s secular traditions strong enough to emerge from such assaults with its integrity assured?

talib Courtesy: movieevery/WikimediaCommons
26 November 2012

Squeezing the Haqqanis: Will it work?

In the backdrop of a gradually weakening Quetta Shura, the Haqqani network has emerged as a powerful extremist group operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater. How can the UN Security Council's recent sanctions against the Haqqanis act as a potential de-motivator for this Pakistan-based terrorist outfit?

afghanistan route 606 Courtesy: Isafmedia/Flickr
25 October 2012

Afghanistan: Strategic depth to strategic peace

As the NATO troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, India is already positioned to take on a larger, pro-active role, which can radically alter the balance of power in South Asia. However, what will determine the future of security in the region, is how India and Afghanistan deal with Pakistan.

siachen pic Courtesy: Guilhem Vellut/WikimediaCommons
16 October 2012

Siachen: To hold or to fold?

There have been many discussions on the need to de-militarise the Siachen Glacier. Why have India and Pakistan suddenly begun to believe that they were mistaken in holding on to the region all this while? What are the possible ramifications of de-militarising this strategic location?

manmohan zardari_0 Courtesy: Cropbot, Russavia/WikimediaCommons
17 September 2012

Advantage: Pakistan

Manmohan Singh is likely to visit Pakistan later this year. As the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 8 years, it will be a significant event. The timing and the agenda of the PM’s visit, however, raise a few questions.

Courtesy: FREEDOM HOUSE2/FLICKR
24 August 2012

Syria: What next?

With the Free Syrian Army being supplied aid by the West and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the endgame for the Syrian regime has begun. Does Assad's exit guarantee the replacement of autocracy with democracy? What implications will it have on regional politics?