South Asia Chat

Episode 223: Snapshot of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Relations in December 2023

Sri Lanka’s foreign relations are influenced significantly by attempts to recover from the national economic crisis in 2022. Its economic situation remains precarious, with a foreign reserve of US$3.6 billion reported in August this year and with foreign debt restructuring still in progress. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr A. L. A. Azeez, former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva and Vienna speaks to Dr Rajni Gamage, Postdoctoral Fellow, ISAS, on Sri Lanka's geopolitical engagement with regional and global powers, and in multilateral institutions and fora.

Episode 222: Road to 2024 General Elections

The Assembly election results in five Indian states, which were announced on 3 December 2023, had a few surprises. The set of elections was also the last before the 2024 general elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed back to power in Madhya Pradesh, where the election was expected to be close. In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress. In Rajasthan, where ruling parties are usually shown the door every election, the result was somewhat expected. However, in Chhattisgarh, where many had predicted that the Congress would retain power, the BJP won comfortably. The southern state of Telangana was the only bright spot for the Congress where it dislodged the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which had been in power in the state for two successive terms. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses the individual state election results and their impact on the 2024 general elections with Dr Neelanjan Sircar, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.

Episode 221: Bangladesh’s Electoral Challenges

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Professor Sreeradha Datta, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS, speaks to Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS, on the intricate terrain of Bangladesh’s political scene. They examine historical milestones, electoral intricacies, and the geopolitical dynamics influencing Bangladesh’s future. Join us as they unravel the complexities that define the political landscape of this vibrant South Asian nation.

Episode 220: Analysing the Expectations for COP28

The 2023 COP28 in the UAE, Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023 comes at a critical time to assess the progress that has been made towards building a more sustainable future. Delegates from nearly 200 countries will engage in critical conversations on funding and financing for climate action, the global stocktake exercise, energy transitions and making climate policies inclusive. To discuss the COP28 and the expected negotiations, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi, Research Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

Episode 219: US Investment in Adani Port Project in Sri Lanka

Recently, the United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced its investment of US$553 million in the Adani Port Project (Sri Lanka). This comes as a surprise to many, given that it is a rarity for a US government agency to be making such investments. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Coordinator for Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity, Policy Advisory Arm for Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, to discuss the rapidly growing US interests in South Asia and the Indian Ocean mean for India and South Asia.

 

Episode 218: India’s Climate Diplomacy

Climate action is inextricably linked with international cooperation and India has been an active player in this domain. However, navigating this landscape is increasingly complex with rising geopolitical tensions, the proliferation of international forums and the Global North - Global South divide. This episode of South Asia Chat looks at India’s climate diplomacy, maps its journey in this domain and reflects on the strategic debates on furthering climate action. To discuss this, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and Dr Constantino Xavier, Fellow, Foreign Policy and Security Studies, Centre for Social and Economic Progress. Dr Nachiappan and Dr Xavier are also co-editors of a recently published report titled Tracks to Transition: India’s Global Climate Strategy.

Episode 217: India’s Approach to the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Despite traditional fault lines between Israel and the Arab nations, India has obtained a fine balance in the Middle East. However, the recent Israel-Palestine crisis challenges India's partnerships in the Middle East. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, to discuss the challenges India's ties face in the Middle East, the possibility of peace in the Middle East and India's future role in the region.

Episode 216: Sri Lanka’s State of Democracy and Governance Challenges in 2023

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Rajni Gamage, ISAS, chats with Dr Nishan De Mel, Executive Director, Verite Research, on the key dynamics of Sri Lanka’s ‘crisis recovery’ since the 2022 national economic crisis. This includes identifying key governance-related challenges faced by the Sri Lankan government in carrying out political and economic reforms, the state of the government's political legitimacy and its impact on the country's democracy, and what measures the government is pursuing to cushion the impact of the crisis on the affected communities in Sri Lanka.

Episode 215: Maldives Presidential Election Results

Maldives’ incumbent leader Mohamed Solih has conceded defeat, paving way for Mohamed Muizzu to take over the presidency in the island nation. Mohamed Muizzu won 54 percent of the votes in an election campaign that ran on issues like corruption, sovereignty and the India-China balance. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS discusses the election and its consequences with Dr Rasheeda Didi, Senior Research Fellow for South Asia Focus Network, Maldives and Member of the Higher Education Council of Maldives.

Episode 214: Women’s Reservation in India

The Indian Parliament, during a special session from 18 to 22 September 2023, passed the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2023 to mandate one-third reservation for women in India’s lower house of parliament as well as state assemblies. The bill, which was cleared with near unanimity, also extends the quota to the seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor Krishna Menon, Professor of Gender Studies in the School of Human Studies at Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi. They discuss the content, journey of the bill and broader implications of women's reservation in India.