“India gets booted out, by Iran, of Farzad-B gas field in Persian Gulf… India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd had discovered it way back in 2008.” India began to identify itself with the countries of the anti-Iran regional front that the former US President Donald Trump was sponsoring, involving Israel, Saudi Arabia …
Read More »UK carrier strike group will sail to India on its maiden deployment
The UK’s Carrier Strike Group 2021, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, will sail to India in the autumn on its maiden operational deployment. As a representation of the ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’ in the UK’s foreign policy, the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier – the largest ship ever built by the Royal Navy …
Read More »India and Pakistan Pursue a Thaw in Kashmir—Again
In late February, India and Pakistan announced a cease-fire along their de facto border in the contested region of Kashmir. In a joint statement, the two countries’ military authorities said that there will be a “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing,” while also claiming they will seek …
Read More »India And France Enhancing Strategic Cooperation In Indian Ocean Region – OpEd
Quite recently, on 30th March 2021 two ships of the French Navy ‘assault helicopter carrier-Tonnerre’ and ‘frigate Surcouf’ reached Kochi (a port city on the South-West coast of India) to participate in the three-day joint naval exercise ‘La Pérouse’. Though the exercise was led by France, four other members of …
Read More »Will Biden Seize the Opportunity for an Alliance With India?
President Joe Biden faces a slew of important foreign policy challenges. But with India, he has a historic opportunity to forge a strategic alliance to help build a stable balance of power in Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region. India has been a bright spot in U.S. foreign policy over …
Read More »Biden’s Afghan Peace Initiative – Analysis
The Joe Biden administration has chosen to revive the peace process in Afghanistan. However, this involves several political risks and spoilers as there are many elements in the package that are unacceptable to either Kabul or the Taliban, or both. Any change in the political structure of Kabul will have …
Read More »India-Pakistan LoC Ceasefire Decision: A Thaw In Sight? – Analysis
The decision by India and Pakistan to ‘cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors’, with effect from the midnight of February 25, 2021, is being seen as an important thaw in the bilateral relationship that was at an all-time low.1 The decision came about after …
Read More »A Proactive Indian Navy: Upcoming Naval Exercises – Analysis
The Indian Navy has a bevvy of planned engagements this spring, including with the UAE and France. The Indian Navy is preparing for a busy month ahead with exercises planned with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, and the Quad countries. According to media reports, the UAE is set to …
Read More »India: Continuing Consolidation In West Bengal – Analysis
On February 22, 2021, Police recovered handwritten posters, bearing the name of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), from three villages in Ajodhya hills, Kotshila and Balrampur in Purulia District. The posters, written in red ink on white paper, listed a series of demands, including the reduction of petrol and …
Read More »India: External Risks In Manipur – Analysis
On March 2, 2021, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) ‘executed’ a Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) militant, Thokchom Nando Singh, at an undisclosed location for “raping and murdering”, Lungnila Elizabeth (8), in 2003. Elizabeth, the daughter of Francis Ngajokpa, the then Minister for Taxation and General Administration, was abducted by …
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