Orchestrating their first act of violence in the current year, on January 10, 2024, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres shot dead their former comrade Nelson Bhengra near his house in West Singhbhum District, accusing him of being a ‘police informer’. Bhengra, a resident of Samtha village in Jeraikela, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Saranda Forest Division, was […]

India’s entry into the ranks of the world’s surviving theocracies — Iran, Afghanistan, the Vatican City — arrived bathetically. When the history of the nation’s descent from secularism to Hindu nationalism is written, it might end in Ayodhya. Just after noon yesterday, the Ram Temple was consecrated, a stone’s throw from the ruins of Babur’s Mosque, which was demolished three […]

The visit by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Russia on December 24-29 presented an extraordinary spectacle reminiscent of the halcyon days of Indo-Soviet relations. There was an unnameable ecstasy in Jaishankar’s words on Russian soil. He even took a walk on the Red Square in the middle of Russian winter. But the minister is anything but a sentimental diplomat, […]

The Indian Ministry of Defense released its Year End Review 2023 a few days ago. The review provides a state of play on areas under its purview including defense production and exports, major defense acquisitions, border infrastructure, and individual service updates from the Indian army, navy and air force. Much of what India is attempting to do in the defense […]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Terrorism Thrives On January 7, 2024, four persons, including two Security Force (SF) personnel, were killed while three others were injured in a suspected incident of sectarian attack on a passenger coach and a vehicle near Sadda Bazaar in the Kurram District. On January 5, 2024, (SFs shot dead two terrorists, including one “high value terrorist”, Gul Yousaf, […]

Delhi has closer Africa connection than Washington, is less vulnerable to ‘predatory lending’ charge than Beijing Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and the resulting economic and political crises have led the resurgence of the “Global South” – developing countries seeking leverage through unity on the global stage. Increasingly, they have found themselves caught in the crossfire of larger nations, such […]

The Tatmadaw usurped power in Myanmar through a coup in February 2021. In the two and a half years since, India has been tolerant of the junta and hasn’t yet interacted with the pro-democracy National Unity Government (NUG). Further, in taking a “business as usual” approach in the interest of certain geostrategic calculations, India has effectively also offered support to […]

The outbreak of Israel-Hamas hostilities, following the latter’s deadly raid on 7 October 2023, has sparked never-before-seen violence in the Gaza Strip. The involvement of external powers, coupled with the regional powers’ pursuit of geopolitical ambitions through proxies, threatens the fragile stability of West Asia. However, beyond the geopolitical implications lurks the threat of terrorist violence and radicalisation as a […]

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court of India, upholding the central government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, has reignited a profound debate on the intricate facets surrounding this move. Following this judgment, a thorough examination of the legal, political, and humanitarian dimensions becomes imperative to highlight the inherent flaws in the decision. The Supreme Court’s […]

On December 11, 2023, two Security Force (SF) personnel were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres exploded where a joint team of Security Force (SF) personnel was patrolling to provide security to road construction work, at Saltong village under the Kistaram Police Station area of Sukma District. On November 22, 2023, […]