Articles | Vivekananda International Foundation

For India, Myanmar is a vital neighbour, located at a cusp connecting the region of South Asia to Southeast Asia. In the wake of India’s increasing engagement with the Southeast Asian neighours including the ASEAN countries, the Myanmar connect is ....

June 26, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Myanmar , Economic Studies , Article , Indo-Myanmar border trade , Organising border trade with Myanmar , Moreh-Tamu

Deepening Challenges for the Ghani Government

Dr Yatharth Kachiar Article

The second round of intra-Afghan talks was concluded on 29 May 2019 in Moscow on the centenary of Russia-Afghanistan diplomatic relations during which the Taliban has once again refused the demand for a ceasefire.¹ The courting of the Tali....

June 26, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Afghanistan , Article , Afghanistan peace talks , Taliban’s terror ransom , Fanatics vs Afghan government

What does recent sentencing of its officials tell about the Pakistan Army redefining the contours of ‘nationalism’?

Dr Kapil Patil Commentary

Two former senior army officials and a civilian working for what the army termed as "sensitive organization" were awarded rigorous sentences under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act on charges of espionage. While Lt. Gen (Retd) Javed Iqba....

June 25, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Commentary , Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation , nuclear leaks from Pakistan , Pakistan Army’s accountability crackdown

Pakistan: Another Judicial Crisis in the Making?

Tilak Devasher, Consultant, VIF Article

In 2007 President Musharraf had tried to brow beat the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Chaudhry to desist from hearing cases of ‘enforced disappearances’ in Balochistan. This had led to a nation-wide movement of lawyers and ultim....

June 21, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Article , Judicial crisis in Pakistan , case against Pakistan Supreme Court Judge , curb on judicial independence

Notes from the Sub-Continent

Mayuri Mukherjee Commentary

Bangladesh: Optimistic but Unrealistic Budget?

On June 13, Bangladesh’s Awami League-government presented the country’s biggest-ever national budget, amounting to Tk 5,23,190 crore. However, most analysts and commentators seemed to agre....

June 20, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Commentary , Bangladesh , Pakistan budgets , Sri Lanka-US agreement , Nepal’s regulating Hindu Guthis

What Explains the Appointment of Pakistan’s New ISI Chief?

Prateek Joshi Commentary

In a recent reshuffle of the Army top brass, Lt. Gen Asim Munir was replaced by Lt. Gen Faiz Hameed as the new chief the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The change comes barely eight months after Munir was appointed as the spy chief. The fact that....

June 20, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Commentary , Pakistan domestic politics , Pakistan’s new spy chief , the ISI reshuffle

Neighbourhood Media Watch - May 2019

Mayuri Mukherjee Commentary

Bangladesh: Desperate Migrants

On May 10, a boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy capsized in the Mediterranean. Of the 51 Bangladeshis on board, 37 drowned; bringing back painful memories of a similar tragedy in February. Over the c....

June 12, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Commentary , Neighbourhood media reports , India in neighbourhood news

BIMSTEC - Towards a Security Architecture

Dr Sreeradha Datta Commentary

The renewed mandate for PM Modi holds several implications for India’s domestic and foreign policy both. The presence of Bay of Bengal initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) leaders in Delhi for the Prime Ministe....

June 10, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Commentary , India’s BIMSTEC commitments , India’s extended neighbourhood , Common security architecture

Modi’s Second Term: Implementing the ‘Neighbourhood First’

Dr Sreeradha Datta Article

Along with others, the neighbourhood attention was riveted on the Indian general elections. For many, not only the scale of the exercise was fascinating but more importantly, what it portends for the future of their bilateral with India. And as the c....

May 31, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Governance and Political Studies , Article , Regional Security , New Government’s tasks , Neighbourhood engagements

Pakistan: the IMF Bailout Agreed, the Hard Part Begins Now

Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF Commentary

The IMF and the government of Pakistan have agreed on a structural adjustment program of USD 6 billion for three years to stabilise Pakistan’s crisis ridden economy. This will be the 13th such IMF package since 1988. The agreement was reached after....

May 20, 2019 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Commentary , Pakistan economic mess , IMF bailout to Pakistan