Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE | 9 December 2023 (IDN) — After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, India has accelerated its ‘Act East Policy’ (AEP) to link more closely with its Southeast Asian neighbours to consolidate its geo-political power through trade and infrastructure development that reflects China’s Belt and Road […]
Political Upheaval Haunts Bangladesh Ahead of January Polls
By M. A. Hossain* DHAKA, Bangladesh | 7 December 2023 (IDN) — The political milieu in Bangladesh has been fraught with tension, climaxing in weeks of protests and violent clashes, casting a shadow of apprehension as the scheduled general election on 7 January 2024 approaches. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), reinvigorated as the main opposition […]
Sri Lanka’s Northern Tamils are not for Sale to China
By P. Soma Palan* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 25 November 2023 (IDN) — I write this not as a northern Tamil but as an independent, free, and objective thinker. In today’s international politics, the phrase “Geopolitics” is a commonplace expression. It means an inter-play of power and spheres of influence between militarized nations. Geopolitics has […]
Crisis in Sri Lanka and the World
A Book Review by W. D. Lakshman The writer is Professor Emeritus, University of Colombo Asoka Bandarage| Crisis in Sri Lanka and the World: Colonial and Neoliberal Origins – Ecological and Collective Alternatives. De Gruyter Contemporary Social Sciences. Vol 30. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter. 2023 9 November 2023 (IDN) — Asoka Bandarage is known […]
Connectivity and Sri Lanka-India Relations
By Dr Sarala Fernando* COLOMBO | 6 November 2023 (IDN) — It seems that “connectivity” is the buzzword appearing in recent statements on Sri Lanka-India relations. Yet how relevant is it in relation to developments in the world today? In truth, “connectivity” is no longer the positive force that it was thought to be in […]
India’s Balancing Act: ‘Limited Liability Partnership’
By Herbert Wulf* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BONN, Germany | 6 November 2023 (IDN) — The Indian government has, in contrast to many governments of the Global South, assured Israel of its full solidarity following the Hamas terrorist attack. The reaction after the […]
Israel-Palestine: India’s Surprising Change of Course
While many countries of the Global South stand by the Palestinians, India is on Israel’s side. Why? By Herbert Wulf* BONN | 27 October 2023 (IDN) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement immediately after the Hamas attack left no room for ambiguity: We are ‘deeply shocked by the news of the terrorist attack in Israel […]
India-Pakistan Cricket is Downstream of Politics
By Ramesh Thakur* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. CANBERRA, Australia | 11 October 2023 (IDN) — On 14 October, my attention will wander between three unconnected stories as they unfold in real time. I will be in New Zealand on that general election date. […]
The US Should Beware of Fuelling Hostility in Bangladesh
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA. 5 October 2023 (IDN) — On 24 May 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a “visa policy” on Bangladesh, enacted on 22 September 2023. US Ambassador in Bangladesh Peter Haas has documented that this “visa policy” shall also apply to the media members in Bangladesh. Anyone knowing […]
India-led South Asia Plays a Significant Role in Global Politics
By Ambassador Kazi Anwarul Masud The writer is a former Secretary and ambassador of Bangladesh DHAKA. 1 October 2023 (IDN) — South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, defined in geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. As commonly conceptualized, South Asia consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Most recent figures in […]