Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

“Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties” by Ranjit Rae, Vintage Books, New Delhi, pp. 224, 2021, ₹ 499

As one completes the immigration and security checks at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and passes through the boarding gates, one gets amused on why is there another set of security checks, just next to the runway, before boarding an Air India flight to Delhi? The two feet tall ladder is fixed to a wheeled iron chamber where one gets their hand/cabin bags checked. The practice had begun after Indian Airline flight IC 814 enroute from TIA Kathmandu to IGIA, New Delhi was hijacked by Pakistan backed terrorists.

September 23, 2021 Books/Book Review

India Nepal Economic Dialogue: Unleashing Potentials

In the ongoing VIF series on India and Its Neighbours, an interaction programme was organised on “India-Nepal Economic Dialogue: Unleashing Potentials” on 9 September 2021 in association with the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (AIDIA), Kathmandu. The session was chaired by Dr. Sreeradha Datta and Welcome Address was delivered by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, Vivekananda International Foundation. The eminent speakers in the session included Mr. Sunil KC, Director, AIDIA; Amb Ranjit Rae, Former Ambassador of India to Nepal; H.E.

September 17, 2021 Event Report

Talk on "India and Maldives Bilateral Relations"

On 06 September 2021, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk on “India-Maldives-bilateral Relations”. India-Maldives relations had made progress in the last couple of years. These relations are backed by positive activity, for example, the Great Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). The discussion overall highlighted a few of the security challenges in the Maldives, such as the presence of Islamic radicalisation, China’s inroads in the country and others. The discussion was held under the Chatham House Rules.

September 13, 2021 Event Report

BIMSTEC: The Journey and The Way Ahead

Dr Sreeradha Datta

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a sub-regional organisation straddling five member states from South Asia and two from Southeast Asia. In the larger context of the global developments in the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific, BIMSTEC has taken on a more distinct salience and collaborative endeavours would prove beneficial for all the member-states.

August 31, 2021 Books/Book Review

Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India’s Myanmar Strategy

Jaideep Chanda

Myanmar, the Golden Land, has for ages been the last frontier, steeped in mysticism and mystery. However, knowledge about Myanmar remains woefully inadequate in most spheres including Indian academia, media and in some cases, even foreign policy. The irony is such that premier educational establishments in India provide exotic courses on countries with which India has no borders and are thousands of kilometres away, but do not offer Myanmar studies or language courses, despite India sharing a 1643 km border with Myanmar.

August 31, 2021 Books/Book Review

India’s Engagement with Nepal and Bhutan: What can India do More?

Amidst rising tensions along India’s northern border, does India’s engagement with Nepal and Bhutan meet its strategic requirements, and what else can India do more? To discuss these questions, a webinar was organised on “India’s Engagement with Nepal and Bhutan: What can India do more?” on 03 August 2021. Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, Vivekananda International Foundation, welcomed speakers- Amb. Ranjeet Rae, Amb. Manjeev Puri, Amb P Haran, Prof. Rajesh S Khara and Dr Smruti Patnaik. The session was moderated by Dr Sreeradha Datta. Nepal

August 12, 2021 Event Report

VIF Virtual Talk by H.E. Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of Afghanistan’s NDS

The complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan before September 11 is turning out to be a complicated affair. Taliban is gaining a strong foothold in Afghanistan. It has not shown any seriousness in negotiations over intra-Afghan dialogue and has formulated a strategy to gain control of Kabul. Hence many questions arise about the future of Afghanistan and its people. In order to understand the current evolving situation in Afghanistan, Vivekananda International Foundation organized a virtual talk on “Situation in Afghanistan” by H.E. Mr.

July 30, 2021 Event Report

Penpa Tsering, the New President of the Central Tibetan Administration, Calls on China to Grant ‘Genuine Autonomy’ to Tibet

Sarada Subhash, Research Associate, VIF

Penpa Tsering has been elected as the new Sikyong or President of 17th Tibetan government-in-exile (TGiE), formally known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). This write-up explores the life and policy stance of the newly elected Sikyong, his future course of actions/concerns regarding the resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict and his aspirations for the diaspora of the Tibetan community. The article also looks briefly into the structure of CTA, Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) and the general elections conducted by TGiE.

June 07, 2021 Issue Brief

Politics of Geo-politics: Continuity and Change in India-Nepal Relations; Edited by Lok Raj Baral (2018); 256p; price: 799 ISBN-10: 81-8363-138-9; Publisher Adarsh Books, New Delhi

Dr Cchavi Vasisht

The edited volume includes multiple perspectives of former diplomats and academicians from India and Nepal. It theorises India-Nepal relations, focussing broadly on economic, security and geopolitical relations. The book was published in 2018, and written with a perspective to highlight the importance of India-Nepal relations in the changing times.

April 28, 2021 Books/Book Review

Omar Sadr, Negotiating Cultural Diversity in Afghanistan. Oxon: Routledge, 2020, xiii+242 pp., INR 995, ISBN: 978-1138371057

Soumya Awasthi

‘Negotiating Cultural Diversity in Afghanistan’ by Omar Sadr is an account of Afghanistan's multicultural society. The book discusses the challenges that the government faces in ensuring national integration under cultural diversity. The book covers twenty-two years of modern Afghanistan history, beginning from 1992 to the era of civil war i.e. from 1992-2014, which replaced the centralisation of power, with a collapse of the state the political turmoil and demands for ethnic and cultural rights challenging the government (p. 3).

April 26, 2021 Books/Book Review