South Asia

Photo: President Xi visited Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region from from July 21-23 for the 70th anniversary of Tibet's "peaceful liberation". Credit: Xinhua

The Chinese President's Strategic Tibet Visit

Viewpoint by Shastri Ramachandaran *

NEW DELHI (IDN) — The significance and strategic implications of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Tibet from July 21-23 is unlikely to be lost on those entrusted with India’s external affairs, national security and defence.

How New Delhi views this landmark visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) by a Chinese president—the first since President Jiang Zemin’s visit in 1990—needs to be adequately articulated to enable an informed understanding of what it means in the context of the current impasse in eastern Ladakh between the armed forces of the two Asian giants.

: Shastri Ramachandaran; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 29 July 2021

Photo: RSS thinker and member of parliament Rakesh Sinha. CC BY-SA 4.0

Are Christian Missionaries Vestige of Colonialism?

Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani

This article is the 15th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and meanwhile a social activist and commentator.

: Suresh Jaura; OPINION; 27 July 2021

Photo: American Troops leaving Afghanistan. CC BY-SA 4.0

Would The US Surrender to the Taliban Bring Peace to The Region?

Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne

SYDNEY (IDN) — It may not be as dramatic as the Vietcong tanks crashing through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon while the US airlifts its last troops by helicopter at the end to the Vietnam war, yet the US troop "withdrawal" from Afghanistan this month looks nothing but a surrender to Taliban after spending $3 trillion on the war over the past 20 years and losing 2400 of its troops.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; OPINION; 19 July 2021

Photo: US troops leaving Afghanistan. Source: Daily News, Sri Lanka.

New Equations in South Asian Security with High Tension in Afghanistan

Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira

COLOMBO (IDN) — A transformation in the security dynamics in South Asia is taking place at such a fast rate that experts on regional security are totally confused and puzzled about the future scenario. The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, the gradual expansion of Taliban control in the country, India’s alleged secret talks with Taliban leaders in the Middle East, Pakistan’s growing concerns and the wait-and-watch attitude of China and Russia have added to the bewilderment and reluctance to forecast any possible outcome.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; OPINION; 17 July 2021

Photo: A young market vendor sells peanuts in Urozgan, a central province of Afghanistan. © UNICEF/Omid Fazel

Afghanistan Faces Funding Shortfall Amid Deepening Humanitarian Crisis

By Radwan Jakeen

NEW YORK (IDN) — Nearly 18 million Afghans or half the population of the South Asian country require assistance. A third of the country is malnourished, while half of all children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition.

In view of this critical situation, Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, has urged donors to step up support for the country.

: Radwan Jakeem; THE WORLD; South Asia; 15 July 2021

hoto: People of Action photo Hamish Burke/Crown Copyright (Creative Commons License)

US Exit from Afghanistan Promises Opportunities for China

Viewpoint by Emil Avdaliani*

TBILISI, Georgia (IDN) — China fears the repercussions associated with the looming US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a rise of extremism in the country could spread and threaten Beijing’s key positions in Xinjiang and Central Asia. However, America’s exit might yet bring some unforeseen benefits. A Chinese-led peacebuilding agenda would mean intensified cooperation with Iran, Pakistan, and Russia. Overall, this undergirds a new order of exclusion that could sideline the collective West in the traditional pivot area.

: Opinion Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 12 July 2021

Photo: The RSS believes the concept of being secular was "irrelevant" in the Indian context and the “artificial injection of secularism” was not needed in a social order as hospitable and assimilative as Hindu society. Credit: Hindustan Times.

The Opposition in India Should Focus on Restoration of Democracy

Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani

This article is the 14th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and meanwhile a social activist and commentator.

: Suresh Jaura; THE WORLD; South Asia; 10 July 2021

Photo: Yoga class online against the backdrop of Upasana Griha, prayer hall, built by Debendranath Tagore in 1863, Santiniketa. Wikimedia Commons.

Indian Univ. Fight against the Pandemic Adopts 'Communication from Within' Strategy

By Moumita Maji*

SANTINIKETAN, India (IDN) — Different units of Visva-Bharati University have come together since the onset of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, in an attempt to fight the virus and ensure the safety of the community with minimum expenses but maximum courage. The home-grown strategy developed is unique with an emphasis on a scientific approach that enables maximum penetration within and outside the campus.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; South Asia; 01 July 2021

Photo: India-Nepal Relations. Source: IAS Express.

DOUBLE TAKE: Nepal Falls Back into Familiar Rut

Viewpoint by Shastri Ramachandran *

NEW DELHI (IDN) — When K P Sharma Oli became Nepal’s Prime Minister for a third time on May 13, 2021, he was a much-diminished political figure from the one who rode to office at the head of a massive mandate in February 2018. He had then represented new hopes and aspirations. Today, he is perceived as one who has done enormous damage to Nepal’s polity and prospects of governance and economic development.

: Shastri Ramachandaran; THE WORLD; South Asia; 27 June 2021

Photo: The Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system is emerging as the backbone of the vaccination programme in India. Photo: Manisha Mondal | Credit: ThePrint

Cloud-based CoWIN Platform & India’s Journey towards Universal Vaccination

By Arjun Kumar, Ritika Gupta, Chhavi Kapoor, Kashish Babbar, Rohit Mehta*

NEW DELHI (IDN) — With the rolling out of vaccinations early in the year 2021, there was a need for an efficient vaccination drive to dose about 1.39 billion Indians.

To pave the way for a universal and citizen-centric structure of vaccination drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a digital vaccination management system called CoWIN, a cloud-based IT solution for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination in India.