Courtesy: Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison/Wikimedia Commons
The presidential election is vital not only for Afghanistan’s future but also for the stability of the region. The ensuing race has thrown up candidates from various ethnicities and they face an uphill task with a resurgent Taliban and a former President who still hopes to be a force in the political arena
Courtesy: Press Information Bureau/Wikimedia Commons
What are the implications for India of the scaling down of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the continuing tension with China at the border, and the political turmoil in Bangladesh? How should India address these and other upheavals in its neighbourhood, which are potential challenges to the country’s security?
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs
Following Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade’s expulsion, ties between India and the U.S. have hit a new low. This comes at a time when the two countries should be working closely to address the changing security matrix in Asia
Courtesy: isafmedia/Flickr
Gateway House recently co-hosted the premiere show of the documentary ‘Frontier Gandhi’ in Mumbai. But do the ideals of non-violence have any active adherents in Afghanistan today? A search reveals a remarkable variety of passionate action in the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Badshah Khan
Courtesy: Pete Souza/Wikimedia Commons
Since 2009, distraction and dysfunction in India and the U.S. resulted in low enthusiasm vis-à-vis bilateral ties. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who met U.S. President Barack Obama, prior to the UNGA, had one last chance to salvage India-U.S. ties before the country goes to elections in 2014. Did he succeed?
Courtesy: Jerchel/WikimediaCommons
India often finds itself in the right place at the wrong time or vice versa, as our dogma of non-alignment trumps honest calculations of self-interest in policy-making – rendering it unfavourable. The national interest, hence, calls for selective alignment on some issues with Washington and on others with Beijing
Courtesy: Zeinab Mohamed/Flickr
Today, the role Wahabbism plays in geopolitics poses a severe security risk not just to the West but also to the Muslim world. The West needs to rethink its strategy of promoting Wahabbi International, and realise that Wahabbism cannot be a moderated geopolitical asset
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to India this week comes at a time when the India-U.S. bilateral relationship has gone seemingly adrift. Can this visit, which comes just months ahead of the Indian general elections, rejuvenate the relationship which is rooted in long-term common strategic interests?
Courtesy: 2winTradez/Flickr
How did the Pakistani military fail to detect the raid in Abbottabad or the presence of Osama bin Laden? A report by a judicial commission in Pakistan, leaked by a TV channel on Monday, reveals the extent of the incompetence of civilian and military institutions, and the army’s complicity with the U.S.
Courtesy: openDemocracy/Flickr
Hassan Rohani’s victory in the June 14 presidential election has demonstrated a growing urge among Iranians for democracy, freedom and integration with the outside world. Will Rohani be able to create an environment where pragmatic policies and national interests take precedence over revolutionary zeal?