In Tibetan society, the process of identifying reincarnations is understood as one of the most sacred expressions of rebirth. Although this tradition may be unfamiliar outside the Tibetan Buddhist world, it is deeply rooted in Tibetan religious culture. Communist China remains fundamentally alien to this traditional reincarnation system.
This tactical aspect of nuclear counter-attack is perhaps the foremost reason why China reckons it needs absolute control over the South China Sea. China’s troubled relations with its maritime neighbors are, from its perspective, a necessary cost it has to pay for its national security.
When dominant military powers prioritise the enforcement of economic blockades, the legalities of merchant shipping and the safety of non-combatant crews are treated as secondary operational variables. No country can fully insulate its civilian seafarers from these realities.
In earlier conflicts, victory was often measured by territory captured, armies defeated, or governments forced to surrender. In modern warfare, however, the outcome is far more complex. A nation may achieve battlefield success yet suffer demographic, economic, and infrastructural losses that take decades to recover from.
Global recession has amplified domestic economic challenges and caused output contraction in 2020, with economies that rely heavily on tourism and travel particularly hard hit are Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
India too would appear to be finally moving towards a more ‘aligned’ foreign policy in response to a militaristic and aggressive China and its puppet ally Pakistan, both implacably opposed to her rise, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
A quarter of a century later, it is clear that the BJP has said farewell to such leniency and the spirit of accommodation which enabled Vajpayee to come to power at the centre in 1998, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
Both the governments of Bangladesh and India can come out with policies that promote renewable energy sources, which will help to improve air quality and human health, writes Safen Roy for South Asia Monitor
Attracting Japanese companies shifting out of China thus is consistent with Bangladesh’s Look East policy. To facilitate this a Special Economic Zone is being built, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
The US-Taliban peace deal also needs to be rejected, as it is a disaster in the making for Afghanistan, the region as well as for America since it would turn Af-Pak into a terror cauldron and a springboard to launch terror attacks on the US and its allies, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor
Can the EU hope for forward-looking language on at least a limited trade deal between India and the EU?, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
The Supreme Court of India has categorically held that criticism of the government, however harsh, does not amount to sedition unless violence is incited, writes Rahul Machaiah for South Asia Monitor
Fifty years of bitter experience should prompt the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to initiate a major paradigm-shift in India's defence-industrial programmes, writes Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India must seek a larger role for the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration in the international arena, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Jithin Sabu for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh should keep raising the Rohingya issue in all international forums. It should continue its efforts in various diplomatic arenas to exert more international pressure on Myanmar for a quick Rohingya repatriation, write MD Sakib Hossain & Kawsar Uddin Mahmud for South Asia Monitor
Asia has significant scope for regional cooperation and collaboration among its energy-deficient and energy-sufficient regions to enhance its overall energy security, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Communal or sectarian violence poses a serious threat not only to India’s secular and democratic spirit but also wreaks serious havoc on its economy, writes Asif Rameez Daudi for South Asia Monitor
The Shahtoot Dam project will be India’s second-largest in Afghanistan after the Salma Dam project. This would invariably help mitigate water scarcity in the country, writes Amb Tahir Qadiry for South Asia Monitor
Brexit could translate into an opportunity for India to reset the legal terms of its trade with the UK and EU at the multilateral level as well as through free trade agreements (FTA). This remains a formidable challenge, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
