Geopolitical Analysis

By K.N. Pandita

How sad that some intransigent people in some parts of the country fail to listen to the warnings issued by the government at various levels. No less a person than the Prime Minister repeatedly said that he would request the public with folded hands to stay back home and not come out on streets to make crowds. The reason for this kind of unique appeal and with such a profound humility by the highest authority in the country deserves extraordinary regard and response. Continue Reading…

By K.N. Pandita

“Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country (Afghanistan) and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. Continue Reading…

By K.N. Pandita

Iran has joined three other Islamic countries to express “anguish” on what they call “killing of Muslims” in recent communal riots in north-eastern Delhi. Turkey and Malaysia lost no time to react angrily on the incident. The OIC has also given vent to similar statement. Continue Reading…

By K.N. Pandita

Iran has joined three other Islamic countries to express anguish on what they call “killing of Muslims” in recent communal riots in north-eastern Delhi. Turkey and Malaysia lost no time to react adversely on the incident. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also given vent to a similar outburst. Continue Reading…

By K.N. Pandita

Iran is different from other Middle East countries. Iranians are descended from the Aryan and not Semitic stock. The Shia-Sunni sectarian divide is an important factor in assessing Iran-Arab relations. Though Shia Islam is Iran’s state religion and she has made a valuable contribution to the enrichment of Islamic civilization, yet ethnic divide obstructed harmonizing of relations. Iran never forgave the Sunni Arabs for denying Ali (Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law) and his progeny the right of succession to the Islamic caliphate after the demise of the Prophet of Islam. Continue Reading…

By K.N. Pandita

Stakeholders in the 19-year old US-Taliban war in Afghanistan exude happiness over the signing of the peace deal on Saturday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. It is more than a year that the sides were pursuing the deal but hurdles cropped up unexpectedly only to defer the clenching of the peace. The last time peace talks were suspended by President Trump when, in retaliation to the killing of an American soldier by the Taliban in Afghanistan, he had broken negotiations unilaterally. However, it took a great deal of effort on the part of peaceniks on both sides to put things back on the rails and resume talks. Continue Reading…