Comment & Briefs

With the discovery of the Higgs boson, the missing link in the Standard Model of physics has been found and the Standard Model stands further strengthened.

Regardless of the spin and gloss that Pakistan puts on the decision to re-open NATO supply lines to Afghanistan, it was in large measure the result of sustained US economic, political and diplomatic pressure.

With better connectivity and implementation of various development projects, the Asian Highway would enable the North-East region to become a business hub of South Asia.

Without rooting out the parallel structures of an illegitimate economy and violence existing in Nagaland, efforts undertaken by Naga civil society to bring about peaceful reconciliation would only deliver sub-optimal results.

The imbroglio over who should be chairperson of the African Union Commission has exposed deep divisions among African states, which will undermine the effective functioning of the commission itself.

SM Krishna’s visit marks the stepping up of India’s newly pronounced ‘connect Central Asia’ policy, although the biggest challenge is convert the proposals into reality.

There is much scope for imaginative thinking on the desirability, compatibility of goals and feasibility of the political, cultural and socio-economic components of the new compact as suggested by the Interlocutors.

It is important that the ULFA talks do not get enmeshed on issues that create divisions, counter-claims and result in lack of consensus leading to a locked positional dialogue with no resolution in sight.

Since the idea of export controls may be new for a large number of countries, and most of the proposed provisions are borrowed from existing systems in developed countries, the treaty should be flexible enough to remove redundant provisions and adopt new provisions suitable for changed circumstances.

Unless the Central Asian states, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Russia jointly contribute towards ensuring stability, Afghanistan is likely to fall to the Taliban again or even break up.