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April 30, 2010
Is US okay with China supplying N-reactors to Pak?
By choosing to keep mum over China's plans to deliver two new nuclear reactors to Pakistan, the Obama administration has once again enlisted the co-operation of China in strengthening Pakistan's capacity in various fields. Indian policy-makers ought to take this seriously, writes B Raman.
April 29, 2010
Focus on China, not India-Pakistan rivalry
The reach of China in other South Asian states has been extraordinary. India's protectionist tendencies have allowed China to don the mantle of regional economic leader. The sooner Indian policy makers realise this and take steps to redress this the better, writes Harsh V Pant Madhuri Gupta maligns the Indian Foreign Service
'The damage done by the sordid Madhuri Gupta saga to national interests may well be serious. The damage it has done to the reputation of the Foreign Service must also be of concern. The system of staffing of our missions and designations cannot change, but the public needs to be educated more about the diverse composition of our diplomatic corps abroad' View: Communism is on the wane in India
Communism and its unruly offshoots Naxalism and Maoism will continue to lose public support in India but a solution to the Naxal problem is still a few years away, writes Pramod Kumar Buravalli. Madhuri case: Making an ass of ourselves
The government and our officers who have been talking to the media do not realise the importance of keeping the Pakistani intelligence guessing as to what Madhuri Gupta has been telling her interrogators. As for the media, it has converted the case into a slapstick serial, writes security expert B Raman.
April 28, 2010
Time to rethink the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
The metropolitan regions of Mumbai generally depend on the core city for its identity and economy. It could be differently designed and developed so the metropolitan region has a better economic activity and help depopulate Mumbai, writes Mahesh Vijapurkar. Pakistan's IB is back in action
The Madhuri Gupta episode shows Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau is back from a relatively long hibernation, writes security expert B Raman
April 27, 2010
The development versus progress debate
We have to find a middle ground between the mal-development in Delhi and the non-development in Kerala. But the nation needs to divert a little attention away from such grave issues as the IPL to debate these matters. Army's expertise must be used to battle Maoists
It is necessary to make incremental progress, state by state, rather than aiming for an illusory knock-out punch against the Maoists, write Dr Shanthie Mariet D'Souza and Dr Bibhu Prasad Routray. View: Chinese navy means business
The Chinese Navy is there to stay and grow and assert China's claims and rights. That is the message loud and clear, writes B Raman A mole in an Indian mission can do great damage
Madhuri Gupta, the indian diplomat arrested for spying in the Indian mission in Islamabad, may not have access to sensitive information, but she has access to the high commission and could have planted transmitting devices and tapped phones, writes B Raman. The Naxal problem: Failure of political leadership
While security personnel and equipment are important, it is the mindset that is the pivotal tipping factor in the battle against the Maoists, writes Vivek Gumaste. View: Time to change your newspaper
It is critical that media brands that don't sell their editorial, and there are dozens of those, get together to shame the brands doing it, writes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
April 26, 2010
View: Fiddling while the country burns
Three issues should be dominating media coverage in India: China's imperial ambitions, Pakistan's increasing closeness to the US and its crucial role in Afghanistan and the Naxal insurgency, not the IPL controversies, writes Rajeev Srinivasan What India must do in Myanmar and how
The best course of action for India remains to work within the space it has created in Myanmar and not make the junta too apprehensive, while still trying to nudge for greater political reforms, writes Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd) Why operation Green Hunt won't win the war
To win the war against the Maoist insurgency, the underlying issues of tribal alienation needs to be addressed first, writes Shyam G Menon. India should robustly support Karzai
'President Karzai's visit is an occasion to refine our thinking apropos the 'reintegration' and reconciliation strategy toward the Taliban.' View: India, Pak must get their act together
Manmohan Singh and Yusuf Raza Gilani hold the key to South Asia's progress, observes Sanjaya Baru, former media advisor to the Prime Minister. View: Why both Tharoor and Modi are expendable
Neither Tharoor nor Modi is a political heavyweight, so sacrificing them is easy, writes Sunil Jain
April 23, 2010
Gadkari has arrived, the hard tasks begin now
'India needs new enthusiasm, and a bold youthful energy unburdened with the prejudices of the past that takes Bharat beyond the faultlines of religious bigotry and caste-based discrimination. A tall order? Seemingly impossible? But then who says leaders must have a cakewalk.'
April 22, 2010
Delhi radiation case: AEC, AERB also culpable
The Atomic Energy Commission and its subordinate organisations have the mandate to put in place a comprehensive plan to ensure nuclear safety in the country, but that does not seem to have been done, writes Dr A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
April 20, 2010
India's cryo-engine failure: Beginning not the end
It's time that we, as a nation, stopped fearing failure and waiting for instant success in our space ventures. Let us instead applaud the journey, even if it comes at a certain cost to the taxpayer.
April 19, 2010
Food Security Bill: Cause of elation or grief?
'The poor must be allowed to self select themselves. A poor family must be given a ration card on demand and the government must accept responsibility for providing subsidised food grain.' View: Tharoor will make a great leader
In a fashion, his political life may yet be only beginning. Seared by the anguish of the past week's hellish experience, he may henceforth see things and India's political culture in a new, mature perspective. His 'homecoming' may have become complete. The mistakes Shashi Tharoor made
'Shashi Tharoor should lie low for some time if he plans to continue in politics.' Tharoor was made a sacrificial lamb
A man like Tharoor, a breath of fresh air in Indian politics, has been forced to resign for committing no crimes. Tharoor has cleverly stitched up a support base
The Kochi IPL controversy also draws attention to the clout of Gulf-based Keralites
April 18, 2010
IM amateurs may be behind Bengaluru blasts
All the three improvised explosive devices of low sophistication planted outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru where an IPL match was played on Saturday afternoon would appear to have been planted in the open space outside the stadium after the anti-explosive sanitisation had been done thrice by the police. B Raman's discerning take on the incident:
April 16, 2010
Combating Maoists: Into battle sans leaders
With Maoist insurgents offering more lethal battles, police battalions will need a transformation to standards very close to infantry units. Even with the best equipment and training, they will not succeed if they do not have a dynamic leadership, writes Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd). View: UN report on Benazir silent on Rehman Malik
What was the role of Rehman Malik, the present interior minister and a close confidante of Zardari, who had been nominated by Zardari as her security officer on behalf of the Pakistan People's Party? He was responsible for liaison on behalf of the party with the officials of the Musharraf government who were co-ordinating the security arrangements.
April 15, 2010
Foreign policy: India's diffidence problem
India is a major power today in its own right. While much of the world has started to acknowledge it, Indian policy-makers remain diffident, almost apologetic, about their nation's rising profile, writes Harsh V Pant. Why we don't need urban political families
The domination of the Ganesh Naik family in recent civic polls in Navi Mumbai is not a good augury for democracy, writes Mahesh Vijapurkar. The nexus of sports, business, and politics
'Lalit Modi has raised questions; like it or not, answers must be forthcoming,' says TVR Shenoy. Adivasis: The Indians we forgot
Give the adivasis honour and dignity and the pool of discontent in which the Maoists swim will dry up, writes Nitin Desai
April 14, 2010
Has the buck finally stopped for Chidambaram?
Digvijay Singh's indictment of Home Minister P Chidambaram's strategy seems to be a preamble to the party's stance on Maoists which will differ from the government's plan, says Sheela Bhatt.
April 13, 2010
Is China sympathetic to the Maoists?
While the official media is silent on the issue, Chinese blogs and websites are much kinder to the banned Maoist rebels, writes China expert D S Rajan.
April 12, 2010
There is a much simpler answer to Maoism
'...and that is good and honest governance and rule of law. There should be visible evidence that the government is determined to deal summary justice to the corrupt and the venal, rid legislatures and cabinets of persons involved in crimes, and inculcate sensitivity, empathy, responsiveness, commitment to values, dedication to the public weal and, most of all, humility in public servants from top to bottom.' Marginalised India's Afghan options
To get back into reckoning and ensure India's interests are given their due in Afghanistan, we need to evaluate a new mix of soft and hard options, writes Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd). It's not competition, but cooperation with China
China is facing a competition, not with India, but between two ideologies within its own country. Red Lines at the Washington Summit
'The Washington summit is as much about nonproliferation and arms control as about nuclear security,' says T P Sreenivasan.
April 10, 2010
The threat of radio-active rays looms large
Why the recent incident of a radiation leak in New Delhi should not be taken lightly. Gopal Krishna tracks the vicious cycle.
April 09, 2010
Big Brother is watching you!
A citizen's privacy will be compromised through the unique identity project leading to misuse by the State and other agencies, writes Praful Bidwai. Sunita Narain: Bullets are not the answer
We cannot say that development-related issues are long term while the immediate task is to annihilate the Naxalites.
April 08, 2010
An urgent plan to deal with Maoist insurgency
Set up an auxiliary intelligence corps like the territorial army or the auxiliary air force. It should consist of part-time volunteers for intelligence collection by people in other professions who want to or are willing to help the intelligence agencies. Their links with the intelligence agencies must be protected by making the training course a short one and on an one-to-one basis, instead of holding it in a class where everyone becomes aware of the identities of others. A vanishing tribe
With Koirala no more, Asia has lost yet another grand old man of politics - the likes of him have always been rare.
April 07, 2010
The Naxals must be defeated, here's how
'A demonstration of the force by the State will wean away a large portion of sympathisers. The hardcore ideologically motivated cadres are not likely to be affected by this, but it will ease the path of the impending operations by lowering the morale of the Naxal rank and file and raising that of the police forces as well as common people.' An India pushed under the carpet hits back
The time has come for the prime minister to take in his hands the responsibility for working out a comprehensive political, operational and human strategy for dealing with the problems of the tribal homelands in Central India
April 06, 2010
View: Why Naxals can easily set up deadly ambushes
The CRPF and local police on anti-Naxal operations perform a thankless job but a few basic counter-insurgency measures could have prevented the deadly Dantewada attack, writes B Raman. Why Nixon detested Indira and other stories
C Uday Bhaskar reviews Nixon, Indira and India: Politics and beyond by Kalyani Shankar. 'Stable ties with China has global consequences'
On the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna spoke of the historic ties between the two counties and pitched for a strong and stable relationship between the two most populous nations on the planet. US wakes up to the Afghanistan of Pakistan
The available details regarding the fidayeen attack on the United States consulate in Peshawar, the capital of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan on Monday, are still confusing.However, certain aspects of the attack are clear: It was a single target swarm attack, meant to penetrate the US consulate in a manner similar to the penetration of the General Headquarters of the Pakistan army in Rawalpindi in October last year.
April 05, 2010
India takes Myanmar to Tawang for strategic talks
It's a tall order, no doubt, especially the task of countering China's influence in Myanmar. But over the past decade, India has at least managed to sustain a policy of engagement if not overt friendship with the hardliner military rulers in Myanmar. New Delhi is now moving into a new phase of closer cooperation. The talks currently on in Tawang are just one step in that direction, says Nitin Gokhale View: India, China need to talk boldly
During his visit to China beginning Monday, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna is expected to raise a number of issues with his counterpart Yang Jiechi and other top leaders. The tour assumes significance because this is the first high-level visit between the two countries after a series of spats in the media accusing each other.
April 03, 2010
US-Russia N-arms control: A farce
How history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. The era of arms control is back. It was indeed tragic that all the arms control pacts between the United States and the former Soviet Union could not prevent the qualitative and quantitative improvements in the nuclear arsenals of the two super powers during the Cold War. And what is now being attempted by the two sides almost verges on the farcical, notes Harsh V Pant.
April 02, 2010
Universalise the PDS, increase rations
The horrifying state of hunger in India adds urgency to the need to implement a new food security law, writes Praful Bidwai.
April 01, 2010
Dancing alone at the Carnival
'Where does the energy and the compulsive gaiety come from, I begin to wonder despite the mind numbing sounds.' Why the US must not alienate India
'Nobody ever said that moving from US-India estrangement to partnership would be easy. Constant engagement at all levels on disparate issues is necessary to build a strong friendship that is in the interests of both nations.'
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