August 2021 | Page 3 of 5

What the Taliban victory in Afghanistan means for India and the world

August 17, 2021 Editor

How did Kabul fall in the blink of an eye, what are the potential ramifications of the rebirth of an Islamic Emirate for India, what does this mean for the world order, and other vital questions answered By- Praveen Swami Almost in the blink of an eye, Afghanistan changed this week. The worst price is going to be paid by young Afghans who grew up in the wake of 9/11: for all the corruption and inefficiency of the government, the decades since have seen historically unprecedented gains in education, employment,…

Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

August 17, 2021 Editor

By -Bruce Riedel Tampa, Florida, is a long way from South Asia, but in mid-2011 I was there to attend a conference on Pakistan at the headquarters of the US Central Command as a guest of Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan. I was to review Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Only twenty-five years ago the United States had fought a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help. President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Pakistan’s support and won the war. Now, in the twenty-first…

Afghanistan’s neighbors watch warily as Taliban completes its dramatic takeover

August 17, 2021 Editor

The Taliban’s stunning takeover of Kabul sent shock waves around the world — with immediate implications for the complicated knot of three regional powers in Afghanistan’s neighborhood: Pakistan, India, and China. In recent months, all three governments have escalated their diplomatic outreach to the Taliban in anticipation of the possibility that it would grow into a political force in Afghanistan. That possibility became reality as the group swept into the capital Sunday, ushering in a new geopolitical landscape in Asia. For Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban’s return delivers a strategic defeat…

India’s security nightmare reignited as return of Taliban is likely to embolden militant outfits

August 17, 2021 Editor

The bad news is that India did not build equity with the Taliban By Namrata Biji Ahuja For India, the return of the Taliban is not so much about the fear of the Taliban, but the growth and proliferation of radical and terrorist outfits operating in the ungoverned spaces, particularly North Waziristan and areas along the Durand Line, where more than half a dozen terror groups have established base and are waiting to take advantage of the changing security dynamics to unleash terror activities. While a section of the Indian…

Hope: Keeps You Alive

August 16, 2021 Editor

By – Aubaid Ahmed Akhoon “The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date. Otherwise, you begin excusing yourself “ (Margaret Atwood) Change is the law of nature and for the last two years every aspect of life has been affected by Covid 19, but if we put aside the negative effects and consider the positive ones, we will see many positive aspects such as…

Veiling reference to Pakistan & China, India facing two challenges: Narendra Modi

August 16, 2021 Editor

PM Modi said India was fighting terrorism and expansionism with courage, and the government would take all steps to strengthen the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. In his 88-minute Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the dual challenges of terrorism and expansionism–a veiled reference to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and China‘s expansionist policy in Ladakh—and India’s resolve to strengthen the armed forces, its growing prowess in defence manufacturing and the government’s full commitment to boost self-reliance in the defence sector. He said…

The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact Jammu & Kashmir

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 Editor

The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact J&K

Many in the government believe that an unstable Afghanistan might have a direct impact on Jammu and Kashmir like that in the 1990s when militants trained in Taliban and Al-Qaeda camps entered the Valley and carried out multiple attacks. By- Aalok Sensharma It was on August 5, 2019, when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rewrote history by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the erstwhile state into two union territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. By ending the…

What is India’s new endgame in Kashmir?

August 14, 2021 Editor

A man on a motorbike shows his belongings to an Indian security force personnel during a cordon and search operation, in Srinagar

The Indian government has changed its approach to the ‘Kashmir problem’ because it has new strategic priorities. By- Umar Lateef Misgar If performance and posturing were the only indicators within politics, it may be said the political scene in Indian-administered Kashmir has been abuzz with renewed activity in the past few months. Earlier this summer, New Delhi initiated a new dialogue with local collaborators it has forged inside Kashmir, signaling its willingness to once again put its trust in them to help it subdue and rule the valley’s rebel population.…

Qamar Ali Akhoon, Asgar Ali Karbalai & Sajjad Hussain, Ladakh Residents move SC challenging dilution of Article 370

August 11, 2021 Editor

The plea says that the Centre’s move to read down Article 370 imposes a ‘dictatorial regime’ wherein the entire democratic process has been annulled and the people have been left at the mercy of administrators. Two political leaders and a journalist from Ladakh have moved the Supreme Court seeking impleadment in a petition challenging the 2019 decision of the Union government to read down Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcate the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The…

Only two people from outside J&K have managed to purchase properties in the UT since 370 abrogation: MHA

August 11, 2021 Editor

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the Lok Sabha that there are only two people who have purchased properties in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, in which the former state’s special status was removed, thus making way for people from other states to buy land. The MHA has said in a written reply in Parliament that there are only two people who have purchased properties in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 2.5 years since the Centre’s action. As per the information provided by…