Kautilya, popularly known as Chanakya, was the first Realist thinker whose thoughts were critical to the evolution of the theories of statecraft, diplomacy, strategy, and power.
Washington is passing through a time when the Trump administration seems intent to project its America-centric foreign policy at the cost of annoying allies and partners while pushing adversaries to uncomfortable corners. How all stakeholders will wriggle themselves out of this geopolitical cauldron remains a primary foreign policy challenge for all involved.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to China marks yet another step towards a much more robust China-Bangladesh relations, with certain emerging trends which could offset India’s influence in the region.
Amidst a flurry of government pronouncements, official papers and white papers by quite a few countries outlining their respective Indo-Pacific policy in the past few years, should India consider an official policy document outlining its vision in the Indo-Pacific?
Current Modi Governments’ insistence on propelling BIMSTEC as one of the foremost regional platforms to encourage conducive relations between member countries will find fruition only if certain logistical handicaps are overcome pertaining to its lack of staff, underwhelming resource capital, absence of a charter and permanent working committee and the lack of regular meetings.
Are the people in power so deeply head-buried in the sand that they don’t see the demon knocking at their doors? Self-fulfilling prophesies will only take ego to the grave is a fact enunciated by mullahs, maulvis, and saints all along. And Pakistan is finding recourse in subduing people instead of supporting and developing them.
There has been an increasing trend of mainstream media houses publishing overzealous news and even photoshopped photos and governments have struggled to contain the viral nature of misinformation, which in some cases has led to protests, looting, and violent riots, often with a sectarian or religious element to them.
Cultures in both India and China need to be shared through a cultural exchange of youngsters between the two countries. This can help build further connection and communication among students from each country so as to prepare for “the prosperity of both countries.”
Modi 2.0 requires diversification and increase in the outreach of the programs that had been undertaken under Modi 1.0. One way of achieving this would be involving the local population who would actively work as agents of change.
What Russia need in Indo-Pacific is closer cooperation with India, which can perform the role of a “balancer” not a “disrupter” like China.