Not one serious Indian thinker of int. relations in over 125 yrs has imagined India as a ‘pale imitation’—of the West or any other force. Not one. And our conduct & positions have riled, not pleased, many. Respectfully, there’s no era to be ‘put behind’.
My book ‘The Sovereign Lives of India and Pakistan’ is out with
@OxUniPress
, India. Available in stores/online. My gratitude to teachers, colleagues and friends whose support and encouragement made it possible. Links + thread 👇
Glad to announce publication of my paper in the latest
@IAJournal_CH
issue; it examines 25 years of official Indian thinking on international orders. Part of a special section of the journal edited by
@BajpaiKanti
&
@EvanLaksmana
.
In a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
), I discuss the knowledge asymmetry produced by colonialism & argue for equal & open digital access to ALL archival material about Indian & South Asian pasts moved to the UK during colonial rule.
Chaos and tragedy are one part of the global story centred on Kabul; the other is a West getting its act together. I describe how, in a piece for today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
).
In a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
), I make a case for a norm against unaccountable surveillance technologies and argue that liberal democracies must shed diffidence in their dealings with authoritarian forces.
Link:
Dr Manmohan Singh at a Dainik Jagran event on 8 Dec. 05: Art of political management lies in ensuring longevity in office, taking difficult decisions, resisting populism. Democracy is based on the notion of a popular mandate, but it shouldn’t be construed as a populist mandate.
Abrasive, paranoid, ill-drafted, tactless and plain lacking in good judgement -- a strand of New Delhi's diplomatic discourse has been declining in recent weeks. Unfortunate but not surprising.
My book 'The Sovereign Lives...' argues that more than an event, Partition was a set of moral and political questions that faced India in the '40s and that continue to be with us today. I discuss them in a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
).
Glad to receive my copy of this beautiful vol. ed. by Prof
@kumaraswamyJNU
celebrating the contributions of Cmde.
@theUdayB
to national security thought. Contains insightful essays by many friends and colleagues. My piece in it argues against ideological maximalism.
Thoroughly enjoyed interacting with young scholars and IR enthusiasts thanks to
@jnu_ir
. The importance of a community like theirs to good research and overall well-being of doctoral candidates cannot be emphasised enough. Best wishes to them!
We had a most wonderful session with the brilliant and passionate Dr
@atulm01
on South Asia, IR theories, career in academia and India's engagement with liberalism. We wish him the best in his endeavors and are also looking forward to future engagements with him. 🌸🍂🪻
Tightly cornered by Russia over Ukraine, the West, after decades, confronts power politics in all starkness. My piece on why this happened, and why it may not be a bad thing, in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
).
PS: title could be misleading.
1. The primary sources I need to write decent international histories of colonial South Asia lie in western libraries & museums.
2. So the choice before me is not 'publish or perish'; it is 'migrate or frustrate'.
3. Finally figured what 'Keep Calm and Carry On’ means.
In today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
), I discuss the reasons why our domestic challenges like civil liberties & minority vulnerability must be addressed at home. The wider world can't resolve issues that require hard work at levels of society and polity.
In a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
), I outline the western response to Russia's war, covering America's return to great power politics, the churn in Europe & why the West needn't be diffident about its values and vision of int'l order.
The good people
@TheLallantop
are following Afghanistan sanely, & the cool and sharp
@WathNikhil
hosted tonight's Show. My two naye paise on the safe passage res. and India's T engagement as acknowledged on 31/08.
At 14:40 and 18:25 on the TL below.👇
Dunno why Prof. Mehta resigned. But somehow this reminded that a social scientist risks losing livelihood for doing their job the only way it can be done: with a critical eye on power.
View is personal.
My speculations on the upcoming regime in Afghanistan and the implications of the Taliban's capture of power for South Asia's ideological ecosystem. For
@TheLallantop
Show, hosted by
@saurabhtop
Starts at 27:10:
My 3 mins on what India has done right on Nepal, Myanmar and Maldives recently (ref. China!). For the show Duniyadari, hosted by
@saurabhtop
on
@TheLallantop
👇🏾
With G20, Delhi prioritizes the Global South but the effectiveness of its strivings there will hinge on equations in the Geopolitical North. I examine those equations and put Delhi's G20 agenda in perspective in a piece in today's H'stan Times (
@htTweets
):
A collapsing Mughal empire, widespread anarchy, European military adventurers, an ascendant British power, inter-faith equations & a remarkable woman sovereign. The story of Sardhana in 18th-19th centuries is an imp. slice of the international relations of late Hindustan. 1/3
Thank you very much Prof.
@MohanCRaja
for a brilliant talk on how to think about South Asian geopolitics in light of the lessons offered by the Ukraine crisis. It was scholarly, insightful and provocative!
The poet Akbar Ilaahabadi (1846-1921) on the kind of heat currently oppressing North India:
पड़ जाएं फफोले अभी 'अकबर' के बदन पर
पढ़ कर जो कोई फूँक दे अप्रैल, मई, जून
This is a colloquial version. The original sher is a tad formal and difficult to grasp.
Complaint and controversy will occur as the global order restructures. But the big picture is China vs. the democracies, where AUKUS and suchlike won't derail the Indo-Pacific project or demote India. My macro view in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
):
Was a privilege to chat with Prof
@amitabhmattoo
on partition, sovereignty, Indo-Pak dynamics & South Asian regional thought -- themes from my book 'The Sovereign Lives of India and Pakistan' -- for
@ConvSix
. Short video below, full conversation here:
Ukrainians fight and suffer, European response gains substance, and the beginning of the (perhaps long) end for Putin. As day 5 of the unprovoked war on Ukraine begins, my piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
) discusses the current state of play.
Mahmudabad: Part of the story of modern South Asian international relations — from Awadhi geopolitics to the partition of 1947 and after.
Also stunningly beautiful.
Some pictures from a visit to the town, the fort, and a nearby saraai.
Was on a panel on a
@TheLallantop
show hosted by
@saurabhtop
and moderated by
@WathNikhil
.
Amb
@VivekKatju
and I discussed, and partly disagreed on, Russia's war on Ukraine and the road ahead for India's foreign policy.
Video link 👇
The Global South has many meanings in academia and international discourse. The one of the sovereign states, which held great promise in the 2000s, has frayed, mostly due to challenges within. I argue in a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
).
Glad to share that the conversation
@RohanV
and I recently had around my book, India-Pakistan dynamics, Nehru's civilizational reading of India, and doing IR in India is out now on
@scroll_in
. Thanks again, Rohan!
Spoke to the new batch of IFS officer trainees and 2 Bhutanese diplomats on IR theories and foreign policy
@SSIFS_MEA
. A lively, warm and thinking batch. Wishing them all the very best!
शिक्षक गुरु नहीं, मार्गदर्शक नहीं, त्रिदेव-स्वरुप बिलकुल नहीं। वह सोचने के तरीके और उनके परिणाम दिखाता है। नागरिकबोध को प्रखर और इंसानी क्षमताओं को प्रबल करता है। उसके पैर न छुएं, आशिर्वाद न लें। उससे वाद-विवाद और सवाल करें।
Analyses of Indian foreign policy need deep grounding in domestic politics. On New Delhi versus liberal democracy, pieces written today by our leading political scientists
@PalshikarSuhas
and
@_YogendraYadav
show why.👇🏾
1.
2.
In a piece in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
), I use Pelosi's Taiwan visit as an example to show why there are no good alternatives to confronting militant territorial revisionists. The US has just confronted China; India too needs to be assertive.
Putin has decisively ended the end of history but gosh the 'history' he is seeking the return of!
And he ain't the only 'historian' with grievances around.
The question of Indian 'interests and options' is only a part of the developments unfolding in and over Afghanistan. My summary of how things currently look for New Delhi in this episode of
@TheLallantop
Show, hosted by
@saurabhtop
Starts at 23:15 mins:
Was a privilege to discuss Pakistan's ongoing political crisis with
@saurabhtop
and Amb
@sharatsab
on
@TheLallantop
. We took a look view, covered considerable ground from 1947 to now.
First segment on the link below:
On 'diminishing democracy', New Delhi has countered its international critics on values, not facts. Will help if it clarifies whether the political values it upholds are universal or culture specific. I argue in today's
@the_hindu
As Tughlaq's Delhi collapsed, the Jaunpur Sultanate rose to power & patronage. It thrived about a century before being reabsorbed by the Lodi Delhi. Imp. episode of 14th-15th century Hindustan's geopolitics; should make for a fascinating study. Pic of J'pur's Old Shahi Fort 👇
Exam evaluation humour:
Student writing about realism.
Has to use statecraft and statesmanship in answer.
Writes: ‘states craft ship’.
I can’t disagree. States do craft ship.
Heartening to see student reading groups in universities in Delhi as also elsewhere in India thrive. Close reading of texts is key to building a solid foundation in scholarship. All best wishes to the bright people at
@jnu_ir
. And grateful for their taking up my recent work.
As part of our thematic session on Asian states & international order, we'll discuss New Delhi's approach in the upcoming Sunday IR Cafe, based on the Dr
@atulm01
paper in
@IAJournal_CH
. ✨
In a piece out in The Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
) today, I argue that New Delhi needs a political approach at the top level to effectively respond to emerging regional challenges.
Please check out this crisp explainer on the NPT in
@the_hindu
by
@MBHRishabh
, doctoral candidate at my Dept. and a young scholar with great promise!
The status of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Spoke to the incoming batch of IRS officers on how India approaches contemporary geopolitical challenges
@SSIFS_MEA
. Great initiative by the Institute to orient officers of other services to foreign policy ideas and practices.
@irgssnioe
@ShivNadarUniv
Dunno why they are calling it "Russia-Ukraine war". No case for hyphenation here. It is one country's unprovoked and increasingly brutal aggression against a neighbour. "War on" rather than "war between".
A masterclass on multipolarity in which
@RRajagopalanJNU
argued that it doesn't currently exist and is unlikely to emerge soon.
His talk showed why clear theoretical thinking is absolutely necessary for understanding international politics and assessing foreign policy.
At 71, Lata di sang this outrageously brilliant song for Zubeidaa. Held her pace, letting her voice fade in and out in waves to capture an entire province of moods. At an age when lungs weaken, control over breath suffers, she reasserted her sublimity.🌸
14 yrs of teaching and still haven’t succeeded in training a class in which no one has written Non-Alignment Movement and Liberalist in exam.
To say nothing of economical for economic and strategical for strategic.
The last seven words are the message.
"Today’s attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism and all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists."
There's a lake on the university campus which receives feathery visitors every winter. Yesterday, a few bar-headed geese were sunning themselves while a pair was coordinating steps.
We are bringing the debate on multipolarity and Indian foreign policy to my department, where the brilliant Prof.
@RRajagopalanJNU
speaks this Thursday. Excited!
@ShivNadarUniv
Had a brief chat with
@WathNikhil
on the developments in Pakistan for tonight's Duniyadaari show on
@TheLallantop
, hosted by
@saurabhtop
. I close by arguing that we shed apathy/wishful thinking and closely follow the goings on there. Starts at 13:50 👇
As inter-community relations worsen across South Asia, the absence of regionalism and a vision to address the challenge are cast into sharp relief. My piece discussing these aspects is out in today's Hindustan Times (
@htTweets
):
किसी देश का तंत्राध्यक्ष अगर सामूहिक गर्वोत्पादन को अपनी प्राथमिक उपलब्धता बताए तो यह उसकी विफलता का सूचक।
पर उस देश का नागरिक अगर तंत्राध्यक्ष की बात मान मंत्रमुग्ध हो ले तो राष्ट्रीय त्रासदी।
Recording of the session on 'Indian School of IR' at a recent Symbiosis University conference with Profs
@ProfVarunSahni
,
@AmitavAcharya
, & Siddharth Mallavarapu. I made the sceptic's intervention on the framework of 'Global IR':
Responding to geopolitical revisionism of the Russia-China combine is a tough one for Delhi, but sharpened criticism of the West & centering the 'Global South' in foreign policy discourse may not be the best moves -- I argue in today's Hindustan Times.
He is only 21 and has already interviewed many respected scholars in India and abroad.
@TenguriyaDeepak
has a good heart and a bright future. Was a pleasure to chat with him on the international relations of the Taliban's capture of power. Video 👇
Congratulations
@SameerP_IND
on successfully defending a fantastic doctoral thesis!💐 Look forward to more of the insightful and impactful work on national security and IR that you have done for so long and so well!
A democracy sans liberalism in India may lead to more than just tyranny. It may rob Indians of the many hard-won gains that have made us modern, civilised and democratic.
Made this argument at a talk delivered at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai recently.
What do Asian states think of political and international liberalism? And how do they voice their dissatisfaction with the existing international order?
@BajpaiKanti
and
@EvanLaksmana
answer these questions in this excellent essay for
@IAJournal_CH
.
Its hour of trauma is also Israel's moment of reckoning. Pragmatism and justice demand self-reflection & asking hard questions around its problematic policy towards the Palestinians, including the erasure of 2-state solution. My piece in today's
@htTweets
We are looking forward to hosting
@amitjulka
at the Department's seminar series. He will confess to committing a theoretical sin and reveal his attempts at re-colonising IR by laying claim to language in the theorisation of international relations. خیر مَقدَم
Pleased to host
@raji143
, Director, Centre for Security, Strategy & Technology,
@orfonline
for the weekly seminar of the Department of International Relations & Governance Studies,
@ShivNadarUniv
tomorrow 26 August at 12 PM. Please join at
The Department of IR & Governance Studies at SNU, Delhi-NCR is inviting applications for its doctoral programme.
Supervision available in IR/allied areas.
Coursework begins in Aug. 2022.
Details here:
@Medha_
@jabinjacobt
Quad.
In opening remarks, only Aus. PM referred to liberal democracies. The Joint Statement doesn't even mention 'liberal(ism)'. Democracy minus liberalism is a form of rule both diminished and dangerous. Shows where the battle for regulation of executive power lies: within.
Learnt a lot on this illustrious panel, and was glad to share a slice of my ongoing work. Covering politics, history, strategy, civil society, diplomacy and economics, this discussion has something for everyone interested in South Asia. Do watch.
What is the feasibility of regional integration in South Asia? 🤝🌏
Great to see
@MohanCRaja
of
@AsiaSocietyIC
in the discussion, as well as
@atulm01
and others:
India's G20 strivings suggest continuity and innovation in foreign policy, including in its historical role of reducing polarity in int. relations. But it would be unwise to ignore geopolitics or overread the 'Global South'. My column in
@htTweets
The IR Dept. at Jadavpur University continues to make stellar contributions to the field. Looking forward to speaking at their student-run annual Scholastic Conclave.
Pleasures of conversation. We arrived differently on the question of an ‘Indian School’ of IR. But we were all agreed on what should be avoided in its pursuit: cultural exceptionalism & anachronism, & ahistorical, acontextual & presentist enquiries in the theory building.
This promises to be a fascinating conference. I am looking forward to moderating Session 4.
@AmitavAcharya
will be presenting, Siddharth Mallavarapu and
@atulm01
will be the discussants. Well done,
@symbiosistweets
!
What do leaders do to prolong their stint in office? Four tactics from Putin's power playbook that have parallels in major countries with septuagenarian leadership. My column in today's
@htTweets
An unremarked divide marks political scientists doing domestic politics and IR people doing foreign policy in India. Much of our FP commentary lacks solid grounding in dom. pol.-- reason why this book is so important. Will read with my students. Congratulations
@rajesh_basrur
!
Happy to share: this is finally seeing the light of day (Georgetown U Press) after more than a decade's labor. Many thanks to innumerable friends and colleagues who played a part in shaping it, esp T. V. Paul and Don Jacobs.
Dear Sir,
@atulm01
Ipenned u about 5/6 years ago on pursuing 2nd MAinIR,when u wr @ CUG.I'll never forget how warmly,carefully u responded, prescribed me titles.I find a herd of professors here& there but fewest teacher like you!Utmost Regards, happy teacher's day- everyday 💐🙏