reasserting Courtesy: PMO
26 September 2011

Reasserting India’s independence

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech at the UN General Assembly has put Indian perceptions on the record and clearly outlined India’s independent foreign policy. India came out unequivocally in support of the Palestinian struggle & reiterated its traditional stance of respecting countries’ sovereignty.

mahmoud abbas and obama Courtesy: www.whitehouse.gov/WikimediaCommons
26 September 2011

Obama loses high ground on Middle East

Repeated applause greeted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' speech to the UN General Assembly, asking for support for the “establishment of Palestine.” But with the U.S. backing Israel, under almost all circumstances, will Abbas' proposal be able to bring about any change?

brics bailing out europe piece Courtesy: www.kremlin.ru/Flickr
23 September 2011

BRICS bail-out of Europe: A far cry

In a reversal of historical roles, the BRICS nations may be coming to Europe’s rescue. During the Asian Financial Crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) introduced structural adjustments in return for IMF loans, and many institutions and individuals went bankrupt. Will it be any different now?

US-India: Strategic Partners with a Limitless Future
15 September 2011

US-India: Strategic Partners with a Limitless Future

India and the United States have grown close very quickly over the last decade. Their commitment towards the war on terror, pursuit of joint energy security, and the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weaponry are some on a long list of common goals.

sarah chayes article Courtesy: U.S.ArmedForces/WikimediaCommons
13 September 2011

Mafia-nation: State capture by criminal syndicates

Corruption has become a galling global phenomenon: structured, vertically-integrated networks, whose objective is the extraction of resources, are forming in countries around the globe. And strikingly, these structures are masquerading as democratically-elected, seemingly-open governments.

Courtesy: WTCTributeinLight/WikimediaCommons
12 September 2011

9/11 America: Dignity, democracy and fear

Although the U.S. has not faced another terrorist attack since 9/11, much has changed in its democratic framework. Gripped by fear, 3,984 federal, state and local organizations work on domestic counter-terrorism, spending an estimated $1 trillion.

Copy of 9,11 global event pic_210x140 india Courtesy: WTCTributeinLight/WikimediaCommons
11 September 2011

Arab Spring to Wahabbi winter

A change has come about after 9/11: the ideologies grouped as “Al Qaeda” has morphed, from a group directed by a few individuals, it is now disaggregated. Due to this change, NATO is empowering it's future foes in the Arab world by its continued belief in the camouflaged jihadis.

9,11 neelam akshay piece_210x140 Courtesy: Scott Hudson/Flickr
10 September 2011

9/11: India, still waiting for peace

India's security concerns seem to grow weaker by the year. The dangerous political polarity, a paralysed ruling coalition, a fractured opposition, a popular distaste for a corrupt polity and complicit bureaucracy, and a slowing economy, has handicapped any progress towards this issue.