Tuesday, Oct 04, 2022
Journalism of Courage
Shyam Saran
The writer is a former foreign secretary and senior fellow CPR. He was India’s ambassador to Nepal 2002-4.
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Taiwan between giants
Shyam Saran writes: Being a proxy in a fight between big powers is the most uncomfortable position for any state to be in. Just ask Ukraine
Thu, Aug 04, 2022
On a trek through Uttarakhand, a former diplomat muses on the unprecedented scale of developmental activity in the region
Travelling through the vulnerable landscape brings on the sobering realisation that the snows on the Himalayas may not be eternal after all, writes Shyam Saran
Mon, May 23, 2022
India must make the most of the diplomatic attention it’s receiving
Shyam Saran writes: A rare but perishable opportunity has presented itself to significantly advance India’s long-term prospects. It must be grasped with single-minded tenacity.
Mon, May 02, 2022
Russia’s friends are finding it harder to look the other way
Those who remained ambiguous in their reactions to the Russian invasion seem to be changing their stand so as not to be stranded on the wrong side of history
Mon, Feb 28, 2022
If Siachen is back on Indo-Pak agenda, it is good news
🔴 Shyam Saran writes: The glacial region is a most inhospitable theatre and the extraordinary human and material costs it imposes on our troops would justify a review
Sat, Jan 15, 2022
Glasgow Climate Pact is a mixed bag of modest achievements and disappointed expectations
Shyam Saran writes: As in the past, the can has been kicked down the road, except that the climate road is fast approaching a dead-end
Tue, Nov 16, 2021
Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India
Shyam Saran writes: Developments on security front herald a period of uncertainty and danger, but with China’s crackdown on its private sector, India’s economic prospects look brighter.
Thu, Sep 30, 2021
The horrors of Partition must be remembered — but for the right reasons
Shyam Saran writes: Remembrance can be a prelude to healing from a tragedy, to foster a determination among people to never allow the tragedy to repeat itself, but it can also be used to reopen old wounds and reignite ugly passions.
Thu, Aug 19, 2021
What explains the insecurity behind Xi Jinping’s remarks during Chinese Communist Party centenary celebrations?
Shyam Saran writes: Fear of China going the way of the Soviet Union and losing its ideological moorings is why the Chinese president emphasised CCP’s centrality to national objectives.
Thu, Jul 08, 2021
India must engage with Nepal — without intervening
The safeguarding of India’s vital interests demands it. A hands-off policy will only create space for other external influences.
Sat, May 29, 2021
Adaptation, not mitigation, should inform India’s climate strategy
Shyam Saran writes: At the climate change negotiation table, India needs to safeguard its interests and enhance its development prospects.
Sat, Mar 06, 2021
For India, despite a rising China, this is a favourable geopolitical moment which it must seize
The world wants India to succeed because it is regarded as a benign power wedded to a rule-based order. India can leverage this propitious moment to encourage a significant flow of capital, technology and knowledge to accelerate its own modernisation
Wed, Dec 23, 2020
With darkness brought by the pandemic, chasing light in the mountains
After months of relative isolation, a rejuvenating trek in Uttarakhand’s mountains
Sat, Nov 21, 2020
Pakistan Opposition alliance’s political inclusivity is both its strength and weakness
Disparate parties come together to take on Pak government. Can coalition overcome its contradictions?
Tue, Oct 27, 2020
China’s strategy of economic self-reliance, under label of ‘dual circulation’, has been sharpened by pandemic
In a recent statement, President Xi Jinping has said that “dual circulation” is by no means a closed domestic loop and reaffirmed that opening up was a fundamental national policy.
Mon, Aug 31, 2020
India should monitor ties between China and Iran, but must guard against hasty conclusions
The pursuit of a closer security partnership with the US does not mean that India should follow the US lead on its other important relationships.
Thu, Jul 23, 2020
As Nepal paints itself into a corner on Kalapani issue, India must tread carefully
India-Nepal relations are far too important to be derailed by this unfortunate display of cynical brinkmanship by Nepal's short-sighted leaders. India will need to tread carefully.
Fri, Jun 12, 2020
Beijing’s response to Covid underlines that the world needs more democracy, not less
There is no escaping the fact that COVID-19 may not have become a pandemic if China were a democracy with a free flow of information through an independent media and accountable political leadership.
Mon, Apr 20, 2020
Covid-19 nudges India to pursue regional cooperation through both SAARC and BIMSTEC
Covid-19 has proved to be an opportunity for reviving SAARC, but it remains to be seen if this prospect becomes a reality. The government has been cautious in describing such expectations as “premature”.
Sat, Mar 21, 2020
Rocky Mountain High
A valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex historiography of the Himalayas and the role of Tibet, India and China in this strategic zone.
Sat, Feb 15, 2020
India, Nepal must seek mutually acceptable solutions to controversy over new map
The India-Nepal border is unique in that neither country has allowed a political boundary to interrupt the age-old traffic of people who share ties of kinship, religion and culture.
Wed, Nov 27, 2019
Balancing the poles
As US-China competion intensifies, India should refrain from taking sides
Wed, Jun 12, 2019
As we go into the elections, political parties must engage in debate on national security issues
Citizens have the right to hold their political leaders and governing institutions accountable. It is unacceptable to assert that questioning the armed forces or government is unpatriotic.
Fri, Mar 15, 2019
Politics, but no politics
Deteriorating situation in Valley can’t be delinked from abdication of political responsibility by governments in Delhi.
Sat, Feb 16, 2019
The Wuhan window
Modi-Xi summit gives India the chance to expand its diplomatic options in the neighbourhood and beyond.
Thu, May 03, 2018