The foreign policy of a country generally changes incrementally but in the case of Bangladesh it changes dramatically towards India depending upon which political party or alliance is in power. The ideological cleavage prevailing in the country affects not only its domestic politics but also its relationship with its neighbour India. In this article an attempt has been made to explain why and how the domestic politics of Bangladesh affects India–Bangladesh relations.

• Anand Kumar |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

Ever since India and Pakistan went overtly nuclear in 1998, a plethora of studies by scholars, both from the subcontinent and outside, have pondered the issues of ‘deterrence stability’ and ‘escalation control’ in South Asia. While the majority of them extrapolated the Cold War type of scenario to the South Asian nuclear discourse, the book under review stands out—for not attributing ‘the primary dangers … to a lack of professionalism on the part of those responsible for nuclear stewardship’ (p. 9).

• Sitakanta Mishra |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

Growing international concerns about human rights violations in the last phase of the Eelam war and the continued surveillance and intimidation of the Tamils in Sri Lanka have drawn the attention of their co-ethnics across the world. The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which had detached itself from the political events in Sri Lanka after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, has renewed its interest. In the post-war phase, the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils has become an emotive issue.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

At a time when the Republic of Korea (South Korea) occupies considerable space in India’s foreign policy, particularly in its ‘look east’ policy, it is incongruous that there is no corresponding awareness among the people about the country and the India–Korea relationship. Knowledge and understanding about the Korean peninsula and India’s engagement with the region are limited to academia and the miniscule endangered scholarly tribe in elite universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University or Delhi University.

• Rup Narayan Das |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

This article explores the drivers of North Korea and Iran’s nuclear aspirations and behaviour by employing the theoretical prisms of ‘security dilemma’, ‘regional security complex’ (RSC) and ‘social constructivism’. It argues that ideational values and interests are shaping Iranian and North Korean nuclear aspirations and behaviour. Conversely, the absence of positive inter-subjective understanding of the US and its allies regarding Iran and North Korea is influencing their nuclear non-proliferation policy towards these states.

• Shaheen Akhtar , Zulfiqar Khan |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

Relying on a wide range of archival material, the author draws our attention in this thoughtful book to the lesser known yet rich historical dimension of India–Japan relations. He investigates the presence of Indian troops as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) in Japan during 1945–1947 and relates the fascinating story of Justice R.B. Pal’s dissenting judgement at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE). The author also explains why India did not sign the Japanese peace treaty at San Francisco in 1951 despite being sympathetic to its terms.

• Arvind Gupta |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

Three verities appear to underwrite contemporary environmentalism. We live in an interdependent world. The earth is fragile. And good science is our best bet to ‘save’ the planet. When strung together, these views can speak forcefully for responsibility, restraint and hope. But what appears as today’s clinching common sense had very little intellectual purchase among decision makers for much of the recent past.

• Rohan D’Souza |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

At the outset, it is important to put on record the epistemological root of the reading of Chanakya’s Arthashastra applicable to this commentary. The main text is from the translated volume by L.N. Rangarajan, titled Kautilya: The Arthashastra published by Penguin in 1992. Rangarajan has himself stated that he was guided by two versions of the original treatise of R. Samasastry and R.P. Kangle.

• Pinak Chakravarty |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

With water concerns growing increasingly urgent, the global community will benefit from a treatment of the lessons learned and best practices in water dispute resolutions and approaches to water management. This report discusses the outcome of a working group of water experts from the Near East and South Asia (NESA) region,1 set up by the Strategic Studies Network, National Defense University, Washington DC.

• Uttam Kumar Sinha |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis

On November 7, 1950, Vallabhbhai Patel wrote his celebrated letter to Jawaharlal Nehru on India’s China policy. ‘The Chinese Government has tried to delude us by professions of peaceful intention’, he stated, referring to Beijing’s decision to move troops into Tibet. A new challenge confronted India as a result of the ‘disappearance of Tibet, as we knew it, and the expansion of China almost up to our gates’. ‘Chinese ambitions … not only cover the Himalayan slopes on our side but also include the important part of Assam.

• Chandrashekhar Dasgupta |
• September 2014 |
• Strategic Analysis