Op-Eds
Fists of Fury in the Galwan Valley
From my first term in the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Pune, I participated in boxing tournaments. I was not a spectacularly successful boxer, but I volunteered because I enjoyed the…
Being ‘Vocal for Local’ – Part I
In this two-part series, the author analyses the recent comments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on being ‘vocal (demonstrative) for local (domestic products)’. However, the NDA government is also…
Being ‘Vocal for Local’ – Part II
In the first of this two-part series, the author analysed the meaning of ‘vocal for local’ and the government’s commitment towards ‘Make in India’. Here, he discusses discordant voices, their…
A Confrontation of Super Powers– Part III
Whose Madness is this Anyway? As already stated, this is a work of fiction, though based on contemporary realities. The technique adopted bears similarity to war-games, based on game theory and…
A Confrontation of Super Powers– Part II
Compulsions of Electoral Politics In the build-up to the US Presidential Elections, the Democratic Party launches a vicious campaign against the Republican Party incumbent. The President is lambasted…
A Confrontation of Superpowers- Part I
In this three-part series, the author examines worst-case scenarios, from an impartial point of view. This is a work of fiction; but built on contemporary realities. The place where truth ends and…
Chinese Government Work Report
Premier Li Keqiang delivered the annual Government Work Report at the Great Hall of the People before assembled delegates of the National People's Congress on May 22, 2020. It was a defining moment…
Reviving the Stalled Economy
We need to Learn to Live with the Coronavirus After 01 April, 2020, most of the world has remained in lock-down. In a historically unprecedented manner, governments across the world, forcibly shut…
Change of Guard- II
In the 1st Part of this series, the author had examined the effects of diplomatic leadership and military muscle, as elements of world power. In this part, he further analyses the facets of economic…
Change of Guard – I
In this two-part series, the author has examined contemporary international power, in its three dimensions; diplomatic leadership, military muscle and economic power. He then makes projections into…
COVID-19 and its Impact on the Global Economy
Epidemic to Pandemic Origins of the Coronavirus contagion named COVID-19 bear stark similarity with the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003. If SARS originated in the Guangdong…
President Trump’s Palestine Solution
The Announcement & Reaction On Tuesday 28 January 2020, President Donald Trump standing alongside PM Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House, announced the anticipated US plan for a solution to…
Xi Jinping in Myanmar -Heralding a New Era
Background President Xi Jinping has just completed a two-day official visit to Myanmar, on 17 and 18 January 2020. This was the first state visit by a Chinese President, in 19 years; though, in 2009…
Carlos Ghosn -The Great Escape
Scripted like a Hollywood movie, the escape of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn from Japanese law has captivated the world. Is he a plain fugitive or does the Japanese legal system warrant closer…
The Australian Bushfires
Australia is being devastated; probably by the worst wildfires in history. The fires which began in September 2019, have and so far, killed 24 people, razed more than 1500 houses and scorched 5.9…
The Killing Of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani
In the early hours of 03 January 2020 Major General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, the elite arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, was killed in a US airstrike, near Baghdad…
A Full English Breakfast For Boris
Boris Johnson concluded his early morning victory speech like only a journalist gifted with the pen of humour can. “Ladies and gentlemen, so let’s get Brexit done. But first, let’s get breakfast done…
The Maharashtra Muddle
The recent political shenanigans in Maharashtra can potentially be an inflection point in the increasingly unipolar politics of India. Since the 2014 general elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata…
Crypto Currencies Versus Sovereign Currencies
Case Study: Cambodia, 1993 In 1993, I was posted on deputation to the UN mission in Cambodia, which was called the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia or UNTAC. At that time, Cambodia was a…
United Nations: Cash Strapped?
The Financial Crisis On 08 Oct 2019, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General (SG), speaking at the Budget-setting meeting of the 5th Committee (Administration & Budget Committee), said the…