Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty

Afghanistan poised on cusp of civil war

The current situation in Afghanistan is fraught with uncertainty. The risk of another civil war is looming large.

18 Jul 2021

Hardliner 'wins' Iran's Presidential polls

Raisi is backed by the Islamic hardliner lobby, including the powerful Revolutionary Guards which was unhappy with the relatively moderate and pragmatic Rouhani. 

27 Jun 2021

India-US ties: Overcoming hesitation

The ties between Delhi and Washington seemed headed for the doldrums due to a policy error on Biden’s part, but the US reversal is a good sign for both nations

08 May 2021

Quad – An idea whose time has come

Undoubtedly, the Quad is a direct result of China’s heavy handed and aggressive territorial expansionist policy around its periphery in the South China Sea (SCS), Ladakh and Hong Kong.

14 Mar 2021

Vaccine nationalism exacerbates global faultlines

Wealthy nations have turned towards subsiding their own pharmaceutical companies and locking in vaccine supplies for their population.

08 Feb 2021

Biden’s policy agenda: A bumpy road ahead

 Biden has a long list of policy decisions taken by Trump during his term that he will have to work on correcting. Not all of them will be easy to reverse
 

17 Nov 2020

China eyes opportunity Amidst Thailand protests

For decades since 1932, after the Chakri dynasty gave up absolute power, Thailand has lived under the shadow of military coups.

31 Oct 2020

India and the historic nomination of Kamala Harris

While Indian-Americans are delighted, many of them nevertheless see candidates through the lens of their attitude towards India

22 Aug 2020

Bangladesh too on the Chinese radar

Bangladesh, like many countries, is struggling with the challenge of the Chinese-origin Covid-19 as well as corruption charges against health officials.

29 Jul 2020

Trump hits the pause button on H-1B visa

President Donald Trump is not having a smooth ride.

28 Jun 2020

China’s hobnailed boot on Hong Kong’s neck

At a time when the world is distracted by the Wuhan virus pandemic, China has stepped up its plan to annex Hong Kong fully

08 Jun 2020

WHO, the battleground for cold war 2.0

There is no doubt that WHO’s director general is culpable. Whether the missteps were errors of judgements or deliberate kowtowing to China is the question

22 May 2020

Iran’s grim fight against coronavirus

Heightened rhetoric about a Western plot, quack remedies and blind faith added to the problem in a nation where senior clerics and politicians have died in the pandemic

18 Apr 2020

Trump’s visit is not about trade alone

Despite disagreements over trade, relations between the US and India are poised for further consolidation. Defence ties continue to remain strong
 

25 Feb 2020

Bangladesh, India ties: A new neighbourhood model

Sheikh Hasina has guided her country’s policy wisely and adroitly, making Bangladesh the best performing economy in Asia.

27 Oct 2019

Modi-Xi Mamallapuram summit not purely informal

The 2017 Doklam incident had led to the 2018 Modi-Xi informal summit in Wuhan, a city made famous by Chairman Mao by swimming across the Yangtse river to prove his virility.

13 Oct 2019

Bangladesh and the art of balancing

For Bangladesh, India is a neighbour with civilisational ties while China is a rising power with big bucks to spare; And Dhaka is playing its cards adroitly.

26 Sep 2019