Interview: ‘India can bring balance to Middle East peace process’
At 42, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is the youngest head of state in West Asia and also one of its most influential. On the eve of his visit to … Continue reading
Dateline Damascus: ‘Rising India’ good for Middle East: Assad
It will help restore some “balance” in peace process, he says 12 June 2008The Hindu ‘Rising India’ good for Middle East: Assad Siddharth Varadarajan Damascus: Noting that the problems of … Continue reading
The king gone, Nepal must confront a new danger
Unless the deadlock over government formation is broken soon, the constitution writing process will be compromised. 3 June 2008The Hindu The king gone, Nepal must confront a new danger Siddharth … Continue reading
Nine scenarios for the nuclear endgame
Whether the nuclear deal progresses beyond the current impasse or not, India needs to choreograph a proper diplomatic strategy to address all possible contingencies. 23 May 2008The Hindu Nine scenarios … Continue reading
Diplomatic Notebook: India, the NSG and cluster bombs
The U.S. probably has a pretty good idea of what India and the IAEA secretariat have negotiated. But India is still in the dark about what Washington plans to do … Continue reading
Bhutan – A Photo Blog -1
The Bhutan army’s ceremonial brass band gets ready to receive India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh Last week, I visited Bhutan as part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media delegation. I’ve … Continue reading
Chhattisgarh has lost the plot
One year after jailing the eminent doctor, Binayak Sen, State authorities have arrested another leading civil liberties activist, the journalist and filmmaker, Ajay T.G. 13 May 2008The Hindu Chhattisgarh has … Continue reading
Prachanda: “The people’s mandate is for all parties to work together”
If the Nepali Congress and the UML run away from the task of building the new Nepal, the people will never forgive them, says Maoist leader Prachanda in the second … Continue reading
Prachanda: ‘We want new unity on a new basis with India’
Without taking cooperation with India forward, we cannot do anything for Nepal, says Prachanda in an interview to The Hindu. 28 April 2008The Hindu‘We want new unity on a new … Continue reading
U.S. subverting Nepal poll mandate
The U.S. ambassador in Kathmandu, Nancy Powell, is actively pushing for Girija Prasad Koirala to remain Prime Minister despite the Maoist victory in the elections. 26 April 2008The Hindu U.S. … Continue reading
A lesson in statecraft, from Nepal to India
While Nepal’s erstwhile ruling parties are building peace with their Maoists, India is stuck with the disastrous Salwa Judum. If the Indian Maoists have something to learn from their Nepali … Continue reading
Neither flat nor round but bound
REVIEW: Ties that bind the world may not be easy to sever but global connections can be mediated. 22 April 2008The Hindu Neither flat nor round but bound SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN … Continue reading
Triumph of the new mainstream in Nepal
By voting in the Maoists, the Nepali people have chosen the party most likely to push for an egalitarian society and inclusive republican system in the Constituent Assembly. India must … Continue reading
The rumblings in Nepal’s Tarai
Unless the situation is handled with sensitivity and care, Madhesism, not Maoism, will be Kathmandu’s — and New Delhi’s — next big problem. 9 April 2008The Hindu The rumblings in … Continue reading
Siddharth Varadarajan 