The India Blog
The India Blog is about the socio-political-economic landscape of the country, its cultural moorings and the challenges it faces – whatever affects the lives and future of the people living within its boundaries and beyond.
by Fifty years after India shut its consulate in Lhasa in the wake of hostilities with China, South Block is showing renewed interest in returning to Tibet. It won't be easy. As foreign office sources pointed out, apart from Nepal, China does not allow any other country to have diplomatic representation in Lhasa.
But is India really interested? Officially, nobody will ever say otherwise. But academics and others who have closely tracked India's China policy, say a consulate in Lhasa is seen as "problematic" for Delhi. There could be issues over the grant of Indian visas, China's conflict with the Tibetans could draw India in and affect the whole relationship. Then there was the presence of the Dalai Lama in India.
India also remained cool to Chinese offers of a free trade region meshing Tibet and northern India....Read more...
Ever heard of Puntland? What about Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud? Well he's the president of this "state of Somalia", as the MEA describes it. It's the more stable part of the African Horn and he's in India seeking support for strong measures against piracy and training for his marine police.
Mohamud's presence in India was largely ignored by the press but naval sources were hopeful the government would push "his excellency" hard on the issue of piracy from his soil. Although Mohamud has been vocal against pirates, sources said two merchant ships hijacked in April and May are anchored in the port of Baladeer, which is in Puntland. When asked Mohamud denied it, nor was he illuminating on how the port of Eyl (also in Puntland) is a pirate hub.
Coincidentally, Mohamud's visit marked the first ever air...Read more...
More about Surya Gangadharan
Surya Gangadharan is International Affairs Editor at CNN IBN and was in Egypt to cover the anti-government movement. He has covered wars in Afghanistan, the UN intervention in Somalia and Rwanda, elections in Pakistan and the civil conflict in Sri Lanka where he interviewed the top leadership of that time. He has worked for the Straits Times Group in Singapore and also for PTI, the Indian Express and India Today in India.Recent Posts by Surya Gangadharan
- Indian consulate in Lhasa: is it a good idea?
Fifty years after India shut its consulate in Lhasa in the wake of hostilities with China, South Block is showing renewed interest in returning to Tibet. It won't be
- Indians in headsight of the pirates of Puntland
Ever heard of Puntland? What about Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud? Well he's the president of this "state of Somalia", as the MEA describes it. It's the more stable part of
Monica Verma
Not losing sight of a few realities in the euphoria of Modi maniaOur generation is the Internet generation with access to a lifestyle which our peers across the world enjoy. An average young Indian who can afford university education also has
Zafar Sareshwala
Why Gujarati Muslims are with ModiWhenever would-be prime ministerial candidates of the country for the 2014 elections is being discussed, it cannot be complete without mentioning Narendra Modi, who is, by far, way ahead
Jayshree Misra Tripathi
Little things of joy: sipping chai in an ancient cave in Urfa castleChai or cay, what would we and the world be without it? From the sweet, milky, cardamom-flavoured repeatedly- boiled chai of our dhabas, here I am, thousands of miles
Shailey Hingorani
India should embrace UN's ambitious proposal to end povertyThe Indian growth story has recently been marred by episodes of great violence against children, by reports of children dying of malnutrition, by stories of children going to bed
Desh Gaurav Sekhri
A guide to how and under which laws, plaThe ongoing situation regarding illegality around the IPL has led to much speculation regarding the scope and scale of those involved, as well as the possible punishment that could
Karan Thakur
A de-railed UPA falls flat on its face on coalgateThe euphoria of a victory in state elections in Karnataka proved to be pyrrhic for the Congress Party as the observations by the Supreme Court on the Coal allocation
