WORKING PAPER 21 – Popular Front of India- Understanding the Propaganda and Agenda
Abstract
There is an understanding that political views in the world are increasingly polarised - one dominant idea will be considered far right and those who are not on that side of the fence will get attracted towards the far left. The first evident indication of this phenomenon in...
WORKING PAPER 20 – An Ethnographic Insight on Border-Markets: Reflections from the Indo-Bhutan Border
(This is the revised version republished on 2 July 2020)
Abstract
Border spaces evolve as critical points of intersection between distinct economies and cultures. Local border markets, both within and across border spaces, often stand out in comparison to other local market structures as fascinating areas of ethnographic study. This...
Focus 58 – Crawling Back to Normalcy: The Super Cyclonic Storm ‘Amphan’ Brings West...
Abstract
The onset of the super cyclonic storm Amphan in West Bengal, India, was a package of petrifying winds, consistent rainfall, collapsing trees, overflowing sewages, shattered glass windows, blown off roofs and many other things to recall and revisit. The Super Cyclonic Storm ‘Amphan’ was a powerful and deadly tropical...
WORKING PAPER 19 – The NSRI and the BRI: the Future of Central Asia
Abstract
Maintaining peace and peaceful co-existence is one of the major goals of integration. It is rightly believed that a peaceful international society can emerge by working together in workshops and market places rather than by signing pacts in chancelleries. The United States of America and its Western allies...
COMMENT 188 – The Bridges We Have Already Built: European Connections with South Asia
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is, as per its official description, an ‘intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe’. Besides its political meetings – the biennial ASEM Summit, the ASEM Foreign Minister’s Meeting and the Senior Official’s meeting –, ASEM promotes a Cultural...
Focus 57 – Coping up with the Corona Crisis: India Inc shows the way...
Abstract:
The start of 2020 has been rough and despicable for individuals, corporates, governments, and nations at large. Being forced in one’s abodes, juggling between work and household chores, with restricted movement in public spaces and essential commodities delivered through e-commerce platforms – this has become a way of...
FOCUS 56 – The interpretation of religious texts and historical narratives around Hindu-Muslim conflict...
Abstract
The nationalist ambitions of individual leaders during the independence struggle, and the subsequent ethnic violence during partition, did not deter India from making itself a constitutionally safe haven for religious minorities. However, the system or its political parties are not without electoral entrenchment in religion, bolstering its agenda of...
COMMENT 187 – Social media in Pakistan and GSP+ compliance under stress
In the shadow of the corona virus pandemic and hardly noticed by international observers, the government of Pakistan is attempting to establish a sweeping state-oversight over the social media sector (CPJ, 2020, February 13). In order to do so, Islamabad envisaged a set of new regulations called the ‘Citizens...
COMMENT 185 – The Global conditions for the economic recovery
Prime-minister Modi set the international tone on the post-pandemic recovery path announcing a substantial stimulus and economic reform package on May the 12th. Still, for the recovery to be global and sustainable, trust must be restored, and for this, it will be necessary to overcome the psychological impact of...
Focus 55 – Broadening Horizons of India’s Act East Policy: Future Avenues
Abstract
The Act East Policy of India, announced in 2014 presented some significant differences from the previous Look East Policy. It aimed to look further east, towards the Pacific and beyond Southeast Asia. However, India's exit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) raises questions regarding where India's Act East...