Columnists

Shyam Saran

The writer is a former foreign secretary and senior fellow CPR. He was India’s ambassador to Nepal 2002-4.

On a trek through Uttarakhand, a former diplomat muses on the unprecedented scale of developmental activity in the region

Mon, May 23, 2022

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

India must make the most of the diplomatic attention it’s receiving

Mon, May 02, 2022

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.

Russia’s friends are finding it harder to look the other way

Mon, Feb 28, 2022

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

If Siachen is back on Indo-Pak agenda, it is good news

Sat, Jan 15, 2022

🔴 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

Glasgow Climate Pact is a mixed bag of modest achievements and disappointed expectations

Tue, Nov 16, 2021

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

Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India

Thu, Sep 30, 2021

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.

The horrors of Partition must be remembered — but for the right reasons

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

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.

What explains the insecurity behind Xi Jinping’s remarks during Chinese Communist Party centenary celebrations?

Thu, Jul 08, 2021

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.

India must engage with Nepal — without intervening

Sat, May 29, 2021

The safeguarding of India’s vital interests demands it. A hands-off policy will only create space for other external influences.

Adaptation, not mitigation, should inform India’s climate strategy

Sat, Mar 06, 2021

Shyam Saran writes: At the climate change negotiation table, India needs to safeguard its interests and enhance its development prospects.

For India, despite a rising China, this is a favourable geopolitical moment which it must seize

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

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

With darkness brought by the pandemic, chasing light in the mountains

Sat, Nov 21, 2020

After months of relative isolation, a rejuvenating trek in Uttarakhand’s mountains

Pakistan Opposition alliance’s political inclusivity is both its strength and weakness

Tue, Oct 27, 2020

Disparate parties come together to take on Pak government. Can coalition overcome its contradictions?

China’s strategy of economic self-reliance, under label of ‘dual circulation’, has been sharpened by pandemic

Mon, Aug 31, 2020

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.

India should monitor ties between China and Iran, but must guard against hasty conclusions

Thu, Jul 23, 2020

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.

As Nepal paints itself into a corner on Kalapani issue, India must tread carefully

Fri, Jun 12, 2020

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.

Beijing’s response to Covid underlines that the world needs more democracy, not less

Mon, Apr 20, 2020

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.

Covid-19 nudges India to pursue regional cooperation through both SAARC and BIMSTEC

Sat, Mar 21, 2020

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”.

Rocky Mountain High

Sat, Feb 15, 2020

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.

India, Nepal must seek mutually acceptable solutions to controversy over new map

Wed, Nov 27, 2019

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.

Balancing the poles

Wed, Jun 12, 2019

As US-China competion intensifies, India should refrain from taking sides

As we go into the elections, political parties must engage in debate on national security issues

Fri, Mar 15, 2019

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.

Politics, but no politics

Sat, Feb 16, 2019

Deteriorating situation in Valley can’t be delinked from abdication of political responsibility by governments in Delhi.

The Wuhan window

Thu, May 03, 2018

Modi-Xi summit gives India the chance to expand its diplomatic options in the neighbourhood and beyond.

So You Want to Know About the Environment?

Sat, Jan 06, 2018

A compelling account of the environmental concerns that India faces and practical solutions that could resolve the deadlocks