Jammu and Kashmir failure blot on PM Modi’s political career

The big failure in Jammu and Kashmir is a blot on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political career, Modi government started his rule in Jammu and or Kashmir by implementing muscular policy and after three years Bharatiya Janta Party decided to dump PDP by squarely blaming it for the faults that Modi himself committed.

Modi 's informal summits with Jinping, Putin : A big failure

Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his tenure by pledging to take India to new heights by declaring it a power of South Asia but has ended into becoming a subservient to China with weak economy .

Militarization of South China Sea by China could trigger conflict with US

To rule the world's sea, China is using both soft and hard power to increase its military footprint across the world. Deployment of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems in the Spratly Islands by China has escalated the risks of possible military clashes with the United States and also renewed tensions between countries who are claimants of strategically vital Sou

Narendra Modi-Xi jinping meet:Agendas and priorities

The Modi government has been deeply involved in  secretive meetings and agreements with China, keeping  the Opposition parties and people of India in dark amidst the heavy deployment of PLA and military vehicles in South Doklam, providing Chinese access to the ‘Jampheri Ridge’ that overlooks the Siliguri Corridor i.e. the strategic ‘Chicken Neck’ which is the ‘Gateway to India's North East’.

Xi-Modi summit:China regional power, India to remain cautious

There should not be high expectations from the informal summit between PM Modi and President Xi in the Wuhan on the banks of Yangtze as India has already bowed to please regional power China by cancelling the events of Dalai lama in New Delhi.

Modi's Kashmir strategy boomerangs: Youth radicalised, Army faces heat

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is grim and both the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state and the Modi government at the centre has failed to put an end to the killings and violence in kashmir, increasing radicalisation of youth who are taking up arms rather the crisis has deepened after the kathua gangrape came to light and the manner in which lawyers of the bar council and BJP ministers shielded the accused.

Trump's tactics in diplomacy:Boosts Pompeo's image, secures America's interests

US President Donald Trump boosted the calibre of CIA director Mike Pompeo who travelled to North Korea to meet with leader Kim Jong Un,a secret visit undertaken by him to lay the groundwork for the planned upcoming historic summit between the two leaders.

US, Russia and the Middle East

Warning by the Russian President Vladimir Putin that further Western attacks on Syria  would bring chaos to the world affairs,it  throws light on the prospect of  a real possibility of a direct military confrontation between the United States and Russia.

Afghanistan- Pakistan Call on Taliban to join Peace Talks

President Ashraf Ghani and visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have called on the Afghan Taliban to respond positively to the peace offer and join the peace process without further delay. They agreed that there was no military solution to the ongoing Afghan conflict and that the political solution was the best way to end the 17 year old war.

Britain's blunder :Can't confirm whether nerve agent was from Russia

Social media is abuzz with the announcement by Britain scientists who denied that Russia is the source of the nerve agent A-234 (also known as "Novichok") which was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in early March in the English city of Salisbury.

Kim's diplomacy indicates China's Xi playing central role in nuclear deal

Highly secretive China's visit by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is significant as it raises questions about the purpose of suddenly adopting a diplomatic approach after carrying out provocative nuclear and missile
tests for years.

Narendra Modi app to influence voters , ISIS app for terror :Be cautious

Social  media has emerged as a grave threat for the society and the countries as it is being misused by terrorist groups political parties and rival countries to subvert democracies.

Power game by Saudi creates havoc in Middle East

The decades long strategic rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran for power and influence has destabilized the entire Middle East .The war in Yemen has entered its fourth year and the conflict has escalated to such an extent that U.S.-supplied Patriot missiles intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Feeling unease over its shrinking influence in the Middle East stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf and Arabian Sea,Saudi is making an attempt to curtail Iran's regional hegemony by pursuing military campaign in Yemen backed by US,provided financial assistance and weapons to anti-Assad forces in Syria to promote regime change and is also making contacts with potential groups in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia reacted and countered the spring revolution in the Arab world that began from Tunisia in 2010 by establishing the pro-Saudi government in Bahrain, Egypt and Tunisia but Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya remain plagued with civil war and insurrection.Riyadh continues to stoke sectarian tensions in the Middle East with the assistance of non-Arab Sunni players such as Turkey and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Jordan is threatened by Islamic State and burdened with sheltering with over 650,000 refugees rom Iraq and Syria , which amount to its 10 percent of the population.While Egypt faces many domestic challenges including continuing jihadist insurgency in Sinai.

Libya has two competing governments entangled in a violent, nationwide power struggle,targeting Libya's lucrative oil sector.To reclaim its influence in the region and give an impression of aggressive behavior,Saudi Kingdom pressurized Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri to resign in November last year who publicly accused Iran of an assassination plot against him.

Kingdom’s heavy-handed approach with Lebanon's Prime Minister Hariri alienated even its staunch allies like the United States, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt including Hariri’s Lebanese Sunni party. It was reflected when Pakistan refused to send its army to assist the kingdom in Yemen and the Egypt,the Kingdom’s “strategic partner”also reportedly refused to send large numbers of ground troops,instead,a small contingent of several hundred soldiers and three to four ships were sent to assist Riyadh.

Prince Mohammed is on a mission to shake up the power structure of his own country and of the entire region to revive its hegemonic role in the Middle East.But certain actions including the eheading of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in 2016 sparked protests throughout the world—from the Middle East to South Asia and even Europe.

As Iran integrated into the international community due to the nuclear deal, Tehran's economy re-entered the oil market. Iran contains the fourth largest crude oil reserves, and the second largest natural gas reserves in the world.

Through his calculated decision of reigniting sectarian strife in the Persian Gulf,Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to exert his aggression toward his adversaries so as to revive its influence in the region that declined under King Abdullah’s rule.
The civil war in Yemen has been transformed into a proxy battle among Mideast rivals.While as the forces succeeded in eliminating Islamic State from Iraq and Syria, Turkey is exploiting the situation by expanding its war against Kurdish fighters in both the countries , by arguing that Kurdish groups are linked to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has launched a decades-long separatist insurgency against Ankara.

Turkey has invaded northwest region of Afrin in January to oust the YPG ,consequently at least 150,000 people have been displaced in this area along the border between Turkey and Syria .There are reports in the online media of Lebanon that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has stated that Saudi Arabia offered Syria hundreds of billions of dollars for reconstruction if the war-torn country severed its ties with Iran, but the offer was turned down by Bashar al-Assad.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, from 1950 to 2016,the United States provided Saudi Arabia with more than $34 billion worth of arms,while the United Kingdom with more than $10 billion, and France with more than $7 billion.

Former secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in a classified cable in 2009 "Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide,”While Riyadh “takes seriously the threat of terrorism within its country, it has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority,” she explained.

In other words, Sunni-based extremist groups continue to carry out Saudi Arabia’s interest in undermining Iran and Iran’s Shia allies across the Middle East.

Thus all the developments in the region show how the world institutions such as United Nations have failed to act and stabilise the Middle East and address the great game of power struggle between Saudi and Iran,the threat posed by Sunni-based extremist groups that has created world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis in the region.

The leaders of the countries who are aspiring to increase their influence and power must bear in mind to enhance their countries status, political social and economic structures so that more and more countries would desire to join for their own prosperity and betterment

Trump-Kim meet may bring in win-win situation for both

An extraordinary diplomatic move by sitting US President of accepting the invitation to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un reflects victory of Donald Trump's foreign policy of applying "maximum pressure ".

Putin claims new nuclear capable missile can pierce US defenses

President Vladimir Putin said Russia has developed a new array of nuclear weapons that are invincible, invulnerable to US missile defence as he stands for re-election this month.

Xi’s Power Grab in China have wider implications worldwide

Ruling Chinese Communist Party’s move to authorize Xi jinping to rule China throughout his life by proposing constitutional amendment that will abolish limits in presidencies to two five-year terms.Strongman Xi will stay in power indefinitely thus returning China to the era of former dictator Mao Zedong or even imperial rule.

With this the number of countries under authoritarian governance increases as it includes Vladimir V. Putin of Russia,Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

In 2017,China’s Communist party bestowed the title of 'core' leader to the president, Xi Jinping,putting him on par with previous strongmen Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

Under Xi, China has been aggressively progressing economically,militarily and politically.Moreover China's influence has enhanced immensely with his flagship belt and Road initiative that propel connectivity and trade projects.

The party will vote on the proposal in March that aims to abolish term limits of president and vice president i.e "serving no more than two consecutive terms”.The absolute power will provide Xi the time and political space to implement his nationalistic vision of making China a great country as the Constitution of China has enshrined President's political philosophy alongside those of Mao and Deng Xiaoping to establish a powerful socialist country by 2050.

But what does this mean for China, India and the rest of the world?

In the past five years, Xi carried out economic reforms,a fierce campaign against corruption that has punished corrupt Communist Party officials, including former political rivals and senior military leaders , as well as a resurgence in nationalism and a crackdown on human rights.

Trying to achieve his aim of restoring the nation’s central position on the world stage,Xi is aggressively working to make China a dominant player not in the region but globally as well.

Xi has been pursuing robust diplomacy and a muscular military posture by protecting and furthering its interests 

by controlling disputed South China Sea.Projecting China as a major power in Asia, Xi has offered to mediate between Bangladesh and Myanmar,between AFghanistan and Pakistan and also between India and Pakistan. In July 2017,Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stated that China was “willing to play a constructive role in improving relations between India and Pakistan.” He was speaking in the context of the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir state.

China is also playing a major role in stabilizing Afghanistan and emerged as a key supplier of military equipment to Pakistan,Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.China has also clinched various economic, infrastructure deals with countries in South Asia.

Strategically significant tri-junction between China, Bhutan and India,Donglang,known as Doklam is a major point of conflict between China and India.

As Bhutan and China agreed to hold the 25th round of their boundary talks in Thimphu next month,this development assumes much significance as the announcement of the meeting was made after India’s top security and foreign policy triumvirate — National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Army chiefGeneral Bipin Rawat visited Bhutan.

India should worry as Maldives has snubbed New Delhi by rejecting India's invitation to join Milan,a joint Naval exercise that is scheduled to begin on March 6.This development comes after India criticised ruling government's decision to declare Emergency in the island nation.Although his absolute authority will also leave him vulnerable to absolute blame in the event of an economic slowdown or foreign policy crisis.

As there exists a vaccum in Asia by the retreat of Washington, China is positioning itself as a sole Asian super power under Xi with a bullish military and diplomatic policy .

Uptill now, China has not invaded or annexed any part of the neighbouring country but Xi has mentioned in his vision of retaining the government's grip on China's national security matters concerning Xinjiang and matters linked to land and maritime territorial interests thus ratcheting up of its demands for respect and recognition of its various territorial claims.Xi is the son of one of the Communist Party's founding fathers. He joined the party in 1974, climbing its ranks before becoming president in 2013.Thus China's burgeoning military arsenal and the increase in capabilities will impact the regional security. 

Highlighting his ambitious targets to be achieved during the next 30 years, Xi had stated that "From 2035 to 2050, China should become a nation with pioneering global influence by boosting national security and the party would resolutely protect its sovereignty and interests. "

India should be concerned as China’s air force has depolyed its “latest stealth jet fighter” – the J-20 Chengdu – 

near the disputed Sino-India border.China Military Online states it is “Authorized by the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and sponsored by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily and cited as a ”threat posed by the US, Japan, South Korea and India.There are also reports that the US Air Force has begun deploying the F-35 in Japan’s Kadena air base.

China has equipped its Sky Wolf commandos,a branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) special 

operations forces deployed along the Indian border with QTS-11,a powerful US-style integrated individual soldier combat system to prepare for a future "informatised warfare".The western theatre command looks after the security along the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.On July 25,2017 Chinese soldiers intruded 800 meters into the Indian territory in Barahoti, located in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, and stayed for sometime before returning to the Chinese territory.

The Chinese and Indian troops were in a face-off situation for more than two months in Doklam in Sikkim sector after Indians stopped the construction of a road by China's army.

To counter China,US is equipping its allies with hitech and modern weapons as Japan, which has a F-35 production plant in-country, has 42 F-35s on order.South Korea will get its first F-35s this year, with 40 due to be delivered by 2021.Singapore too seems likely to opt for the F-35.

Four regional partners such as Australia, the United States, India and Japan are contemplating to establish a joint regional infrastructure scheme as an alternative to China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to counter Beijing’s spreading influence, as PLA has been acting with increased assertiveness in contested territorial claims in the East China Sea and South China Sea, as well as its border with India.

World gearing up for a third world war:UK warns of Russian threat

There is a growing unease in United States and Britain about Russia  progressing in achieving "Eurasian Union" of former Soviet republics along the lines of the European Union under Vladimir Putin .Britain has warned that Russia is the biggest threat to UK's security since the end of the Cold War.Drawing similarities with the 1914 First World war,

US, Russia developing mini tactical nukes for use in conflicts

The Trump administration's new nuclear arms policy calls for modernizing the US nuclear triad by developing mini "tactical" nukes  to counter China and Russia’s growing stockpile of nuclear weapons  including the "Status-6 system of  nuclear armed intercontinental torpedo that has the capability to strike  US coastal cities. 

US sees Moscow's S-400 deployment in Crimea as threat to Europe

The deployment of second battalion of S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems in the Ukrainian region of Crimea by Russia has sparked massive reactions from United States which has termed Moscow's move as a threat to Europe and beyond.

China takes assertive stand over sovereignty issues

way China annexed South China Sea,it is similarly trying to seize Arunachal Pradesh from India.Asserting its growing economic  and geopolitical clout , China has summoned the executives of  international companies such as Inditex-owned

Kim Jong Un wants US pushed out of Asia,South Korea credits Trump for talks

As Asian countries are reeling under economic troubles and other disputes with their neighbours,China and North Korea are consistently pursuing to achieve their aim of becoming world power economically and militarily, while Kim Jong Un's ultimate aim is to become number one nuclear power and achieve his granfather's desire of Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

India falls short of apprehending China's influence in South Asia

India may have averted the standoff with China across the Line of Actual Control near Bishing in Tuting area of Arunachal Pradesh but the troops of Peoples Liberation Army are consistently engaged in occupying the areas they deem as belonging to Beijing.

Trump's policies vs Jinping's vision

One year of his ruling the  United States, President Donald Trump has unwittingly revealed the fault-lines in his policies of dealing with North Korea nuclear and ballistic missile progamme and cutting off  aid to Pakistan on the grounds that Islamabad is not helping  U.S. foreign policy priorities like clamping down on the Taliban and Haqqani network  for stabilizing  Afghanistan.