COMMENTARIES
-
Compellence, Deterrence or Defence?: Saxena Task Force and India’s Defence Reforms
Firdaus Ahmed · 27 Jun, 2011 · #3418 · Commentary
Mr Naresh Saxena, former defence secretary, cabinet secretary and ambassador to the US, is to lead a task force on the next steps in defence sector reforms. His team comprising former chiefs, bureaucrats, military technologists and strategists i...
-
Red Tourism: A Thriving Economic Industry or a Tool for Ideological Propaganda?
Namrata Hasija · 25 Jun, 2011 · #3417 · Commentary
Red Tourism has gained considerable momentum as a phenomenon in China. The government is encouraging tourism around historic sites. Is it purely an economic move? Is it primarily motivated by the need to strengthen the ideological base for the C...
-
China, the Philippines and Vietnam: Conflicting Claims in the South China Sea
Teshu Singh · 24 Jun, 2011 · #3416 · Commentary
In the recent weeks, there have been multiple claims and counter-claims on the South China Sea (SCS) between China, the Philippines and Vietnam. Why are there conflicting claims? And what are the bases of these claims?
The key difference bet...
-
Indo-Pak Relations: A Survey of Expert Opinions - II
Saswati Debnath · 23 Jun, 2011 · #3415 · Commentary
This article further explores what kind of diplomatic or military strategies India can adopt while dealing with Pakistan and what are the alternatives available besides the Pakistani military for dialogue.
What are the various political, mil...
-
Indo-Pak Relations: A Survey of Expert Opinions - I
Saswati Debnath · 23 Jun, 2011 · #3414 · Commentary
Lot of speculations abound on the future of Indo-Pak relations in the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden’s death. The current survey analyzes opinions from experts in three fields: the Defense personnel, bureaucrats and academicians. Based on in...
-
Reforming Qaumi Madrassas in Bangladesh: Hurdles and Alternatives
Md Jawaid Akhtar · 22 Jun, 2011 · #3413 · Commentary
Bangladesh is planning to integrate hundreds of madrassas into the mainstream education system. The overhaul seeks to improve the quality of education offered at madrassas by training Islamic teachers and bringing facilities up to national stand...
-
Ilyas Kashmiri: An Analysis of the Pakistani, Indian and American Print Media
Poonam Khatana · 20 Jun, 2011 · #3412 · Commentary
The death of Ilyas Kashmiri raised mixed responses in the Pakistani, Indian and American print media along predictable lines. This article attempts to analyze three important questions that have been raised after his death. Is Kashmiri indeed de...
-
Stuck in No Man’s Land: Thailand’s Repatriation of Myanmarese Refugees
Panchali Saikia · 20 Jun, 2011 · #3411 · Commentary
The refugee influx and clashes in May 2011 between the Myanmarese military troops and Karenni soldiers near the Daw Ta Naw village in Shadaw District and with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Kyarinnseikgyieat in Karen State have eme...
-
Indo-Pak Nuclear CBMs: Mere Dialogue will not Suffice
Ali Ahmed · 20 Jun, 2011 · #3410 · Commentary
Mandated by the MoU at Lahore, the foreign secretaries are to discuss nuclear CBMs. The last round of discussions on CBMs held in October 2007 was the fifth in a series that began five years after the agreement of 1999. The delay owed to both st...
-
China-Vietnam Friction: The South China Sea Factor
Teshu Singh · 20 Jun, 2011 · #3409 · Commentary
As a reaction to the cutting of the exploration cables of an oil survey ship by Chinese surveillance vessels, Vietnam staged a display of its military strength in the contested waters of the South China Sea (SCS). Why has Vietnam reacted in this...
