In The News

Violence Spreads After Kashmir Shrine Siege

Rhys Blakely August 8, 2008
Kashmir, a subject of dispute for nuclear powers India and Pakistan since both states gained independence in 1947, is the home for a growing separatist movement by majority Muslims who would like to shake off Indian rule in that region. Hindu-Muslim clashes increased since June, when Kashmir government leaders backed away from a decision to give 40 acres of forestland to a Hindu shrine. Hindu...

Indian Poise

July 24, 2008
India’s coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh survived a crucial vote of confidence – and that paves the way for final approval of a US-India civil nuclear energy pact. The deal – which still requires approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and US Congress – has raised some concerns, both domestic and among neighbors, about India’s...

Indian IT Industry Roots for Barack Obama

Bhargavi Kerur July 1, 2008
Presidential candidate Barack Obama points to the need to fix the American economy and proposes expanding overseas opportunities by outsourcing jobs as a possible solution for a flailing economy. Business is a two-way street, this article from the Daily News & Analysis in India suggests, and nations that outsource work can benefit as much as the nations that receive outsourced work. Plenty of...

Bollywood Takes on the West

Dominic Rushe June 20, 2008
India’s film industry has a formula for success – flamboyant dancing, sexually charged scenes, and tension between traditional parents and rebellious offspring. Bollywood has long incorporated Western ideology in its films, yet only recently added English dialogue. Critics suggest the next step for Bollywood is to move beyond whimsical confections – and produce meaningful stories that resonate...

New Friends and Old

May 30, 2008
Nations with diverse populations and interests tend to collect a variety of allies. India and the US have enjoyed closer relations in recent years, particularly since the two nations began negotiating a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. But India’s friendship with the US is hardly exclusive and the country also pursues relations with nations at odds with the US, including Iran. India and Iran...

Pakistan’s Governance Imperative

Paula R. Newberg May 27, 2008
After a turbulent year in Pakistan, a civilian parliament has taken over the reins of government from General Pervez Musharraf and confronts a range of domestic and foreign issues. “Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gillani therefore faces not only the problems created by Musharraf’s national security state, but also the accumulation of decades of mangled constitutions, mixed civil-military law,...

Burma Victims Lose Aid Battle as Cash Flows Into China on a Flood of Sympathy

Rosemary Bennett May 22, 2008
An open society, one that allows photos during national disasters and the weakest moments, immediately invites world sympathy and offers of help. The contrast in media coverage of the May 2 cyclone in Burma and the May 12 earthquake in China could not be starker: The Chinese government and people instantly mobilized, and photos showed widespread devastation and earnest rescue efforts; Burma may...