While the agreement remains controversial, China is likely to consolidate its presence and Sri Lanka likely to get deeper into the Chinese debt trap even though it has gained temporary relief through the equity for debt swap.
Sheikh Hasina’s visit should not be seen through the narrow prism of an agreement on defence cooperation or Teesta but through the broader perspective of the unexplored potential in India-Bangladesh relations.
Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Smruti Pattanaik’s commentary on the possibility of a coup in Pakistan, titled ‘Is a coup in the offing in Pakistan with the reported rift between the government and Armed Forces?’ was published in ‘NewsIn.Asia’ on October 12, 2016.
The reactions of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India indicate a new regional consensus that state sponsored terrorism cannot be dealt with only at the bilateral level.
Few issues have drawn as much attention and have been debated as intensely as the rise of India. There has been a plethora of literature that almost dissects various factors that have contributed to India’s rise and what the future holds for the country. Will India emerge as a major player in the international system? Will it be able to compete with a rising China as an Asian power? These are some of the questions that have confronted scholars of international relations and security.
Research Fellow IDSA, Dr Smruti Pattanaik’s article on Sri Lanka’s financial crisis, titled ‘Will Sri Lanka overcome its economic woes?’ was published in the East Asia Forum on April 14, 2016.
India’s engagement with its neighbours received a policy reinvigoration after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government assumed power and announced its ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. The first sign of this policy was visible when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited all the heads of state of the neighbouring countries for his oath-taking ceremony, on May 26, 2014. India’s interest and engagement with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has also intensified in the past few years – from being a reluctant player to driving the regional economic agenda.
The issue of ‘consensus’ that has been at the core of writing a constitution has been eroded through majoritarianism to secure the entrenchment in power of the hill political elites.
Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Smruti Pattanaik’s article on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wikramasinghe's recent visit to India, titled ‘Touching base . . .’ was published in The Sunday Observer on September 20, 2015.
For the people of Sri Lanka the choice is clear – between de-democratisation represented by Rajapakse and his supporters, and democratisation represented by Sirisena and his political allies.
New Hambantota Port Deal: China Consolidates its Stakes in Sri Lanka
While the agreement remains controversial, China is likely to consolidate its presence and Sri Lanka likely to get deeper into the Chinese debt trap even though it has gained temporary relief through the equity for debt swap.