The controversy surrounding the proposed Lord Ram statue has emerged at a time when the BNP government has been in office for only 100 days. Some political observers believe that certain groups may be attempting to exploit the issue to deepen existing tensions between Bangladesh and India
Every democracy permits foreign funding under regulated conditions. The question is whether democratic states possess adequate mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability and protection against external influence operations, which could be against core national interests.
Over the past two months, a series of alleged push-in incidents along the Bangladesh-India border has reportedly left scores of people stranded in zero-line and no-man's-land areas under difficult conditions.
The central message at the Shangri-La Dialogue is that America is staying, but on new terms. It will remain the core military balancer in the Indo-Pacific, but it expects allies and partners to become serious contributors. The era of strategic free-riding is ending. The new Indo-Pacific order will increasingly be defined by those willing and able to share the burden of preserving it.
Money is an integral part which ensures criminalisation of the political space remains dominated by many such non-state actors without much criticism and conflict. Corruption and the flow of money into politics, therefore, becomes codependent enabling a seamless structure that is vulnerable to uncontrolled hegemony and unlawful domination.
A new narrative then emerges and multiculturalism starts to be perceived as a disruptive force with a contrary ideology that poses a credible threat to the Western worldview. Immigrants are perceived as foreigners, who are disrespectful of the prevailing cultural unity by asserting – even imposing – an alien way of thinking and behaving.
The Biden administration has taken a relatively low-key approach compared to Canada, but it will continue to be an irritant in India-US relations and could balloon in a Harris administration.
In India, HT's message poses particular risks. India has a sizable Muslim population which exceeds 200 million, and around 47 percent of it consists of a young population under the age of 19. Socio-economic challenges of the community make the youth population vulnerable to the group's radical propaganda. This is especially concerning as India grapples with its own extremist threats.
It is estimated that about 37% percent of the world’s 1.1 billion multi-dimensionally poor people live in South Asia. And an estimated 272 million poor people in the region live in households with at least one undernourished person.
For India, its adoption of The Kazan Declaration represents yet another significant turning point. The Kazan Declaration is anticipated to support the BRICS countries' joint endeavours to tackle global concerns, ranging from security to economic development, and to demonstrate the group's increasing global clout.
The broader message of the Sino-India pact is clear: the world is moving toward a multipolar order where the dominance of Western powers is increasingly being challenged by the rise of nations like China and India. This agreement exemplifies the ability of non-Western nations to resolve their conflicts without Western interference
China has been saying that the border question should be left separate from the bilateral relationship, implying it should be kept on the back burner. Resumption of patrolling in Ladakh, in whatever form, will be good, But the reversion to pre-April 2020 posture by China is out of the question.
Nepal made history with its 2007 judgment, becoming the first South Asian nation to formally register same-sex marriage, with a trans woman and a gay man legally marrying in the Lamjung district. It also passed affirming laws regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, including the legal recognition of a third gender over ten years ago, placing Nepal ahead of many other countries.
The SAFER project achieves two goals, by prioritizing participation of women, children, youth, and resilience of vulnerable communities, and by achieving gender equality and social justice. This ambitious project by Pakistan sets a precedent for other developing nations to follow, showing the importance of community driven, ecosystem based approaches to climate adaptation.
ADR law aims to make justice more accessible and reduce the burden on courts, which currently have over 4.48 crore (nearly 45 million) cases pending from District Court to Supreme Court, 1.08 crore of which are civil disputes and 3.40 crore of which are criminal cases. According to the National Judicial Data Grid, these cases have been pending for anywhere from one year to more than 30 years.
Beyond the immediate flare up, the fact that Trudeau is sticking to his guns so publicly without offering any actionable evidence could mean that internally he is certain of the damaging nature of what his law enforcement has gathered. If not, then he is playing a dangerous game prompted by domestic political compulsions.
The current government came to power with promises of systemic reform and state reorganization. However, the alarming rise of mob justice across Bangladesh suggests a shift from reform to revenge. Since the police returned to duty on August 11, 21 people have been beaten to death in 38 days, with only eight arrests. This highlights the failure of law enforcement to curb mob violence
The rise of populism, religious polarisation, and centralization of power have raised concerns, especially concerning freedom of speech. While India's framework of democracy is more vibrant and institutionalized compared to its neighbors where fear of authoritarianism or military interventions is constant, it requires sustained efforts to put that democracy on a solid foundation.
