The Mecca Pact

The Mecca Pact: A Mirage of Islamic Unity, A Pact on Paper?

The Mecca Pact, barely a month old, has already been discredited. Its authenticity is in question, its efficacy doubtful. The very notion of an “Islamic Nato” has been exposed as a mirage. Collective defence requires not just declarations but capabilities, coordination and political will. None of these are evident in the pact’s functioning.

Diplomacy Cannot Wait: The Case for an Immediate Bangladesh–India Bilateral Visit

A more sensible and balanced engagement with India might help Bangladesh maintain its national interests while boosting its competitiveness in the region as it moves into the post-LDC transition period. A bilateral visit should happen soon to address Bangladesh's food, fertiliser and fuel shortages.

India Through a Different Lens: Post BRICS Summit, a Nuanced Change in Outlook Towards India in Chinese Media and Policy Circles

The real change, then, is not merely that Chinese media sounded friendlier towards India. It is that they assigned India a different place in the story. New Delhi appeared as a complex but consequential partner, whose strategic autonomy and cooperation matter to China's imagining of a changing world order. 

The Indus Waters Treaty: What Comes After The Hague Ruling?

Pakistan, for its part, will have to recognise that the old assumption of an immutable treaty operating independently of the broader India-Pakistan relationship has become untenable. Islamabad cannot expect the water relationship to remain insulated indefinitely from terrorism

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Demography and skills: What South Asia has to offer to the EU

The EU therefore will need to depend on other regions to bridge the manpower gap and  South Asia could be an important source, but global partnerships in skilling will need to happen in a big way.

Patriarchy breeds deep-rooted misogyny across Bangladeshi society

Women have to take risks at every step while walking down the streets. In the vast area of Bangladesh, there is hardly any place where a woman can breathe safely. Hatred towards women is being spread at every level of society. 

Can India become an economic powerhouse?

The two major reforms in labor and land policies being politically sensitive will be a dampener if not implemented. These are political decisions much like the aborted advantageous farm reforms.

Challenges of securing the nation in the era of new wars

Building trust within our societies and institutions is paramount, as evidenced by the correlation between trust levels and resilience during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Landmark judicial verdicts seek to preserve Indian democracy

What is of significance and runs parallel in both the above verdicts is the Supreme Court's innate concern for upholding democratic values in the Indian polity.

Is there a gradual shift in focus in US-Bangladesh ties?

The United States wants to keep the South Asian region stable, seeking to neutralize the overdependence of any nation on China. Bangladesh, because of its geostrategic position, is being lured to align Dhaka with Washington’s strategic objective for a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

Pakistan-Afghanistan border friction continues to be haunted by the divisive Durand Line

While the contentious Durand Line has become one of the main reasons for cross-border skirmishes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban has turned from being seen as an ideological ally that can give Pakistan 'strategic depth' against India, to a troublesome neighbour that is now viewed with deep suspicion.

India should be prepared for a long war with China

Since 2019, China has been building 628 dual-use military villages (termed ‘Xiaokang’ or ‘well-off’ villages) along the southern border of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including inside Bhutan and in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Bhutan's new government should safeguard territorial integrity and uphold cultural pluralism

Diplomatic efforts must be intensified to address the ongoing border situation with China and safeguard Bhutan's sovereignty.  It is also imperative to address the unresolved Bhutanese refugee issue and protracted family separation among Bhutanese Americans.

Pakistan elections: A rebuke to the military establishment's policies?

The time has come to drastically curb the unchecked and ultra-constitutional powers of the army chief, subject the intelligence agencies to public scrutiny and accountability, and limit their influence over domestic and foreign policy. 

Are Manipur's warning bells going unheeded?

Much more violence could be expected in Manipur, with Meitei radicals waging all-out war against the Kuki-Zo, with Nagas fearing they would be the next target since the Arambai Tenggol alone outnumbers the tribals of Manipur hugely. 

A new 'great game' in the Maldives? Male's shifting sands a strategic challenge for Indian diplomacy

The Maldives has undergone a radical transformation. To see this as playing the India or China card would be a miscalculation. Indeed, the strategic narrative of what is going on is very different. 

An emerging force in Sri Lankan politics may have wider regional implications

While the NPP’s visit to India exemplifies changes in its political understanding, it has an important dimension in Sri Lanka's domestic politics. New Delhi appears to have judged that the NPP coalition has the potential to play a decisive role in the upcoming presidential election.

Pakistan: Will it remain a democracy in uniform?

The Pakistani military went all out to deliver this vote. Its idea to have direct control of the political situation to what it comprehends will bring stability to Pakistan’s crisis may be a pipe dream with a fractured verdict leaving Pakistan open to elements that will only compound its instability.

The Myanmar crisis is a worrying security challenge for Bangladesh and India

Rakhine's lack of effective government structure and civil order will continue to be a significant source of worry for the region, particularly in terms of humanitarian, security, economic, and political issues.