India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 3, Page 293-303, September 2023.
Pakistan continues to face multiple sources of internal and external conflicts. Its all-powerful military is engaged in a subterranean battle to maintain its power. Economically, the country persisted in troubled waters as it has been for most of its recent history. In domestic politics, the failed experiment of a hybrid regime under Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan forced the military to part ways with Mr Khan and install a coalition government of 13 political parties through a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022. Mr Khan’s political party is facing a severe crackdown in Pakistan after he accused the powerful military of his ouster from power. At the regional level, a favourable outcome in Afghanistan in the shape of the Taliban’s takeover has not yielded any significant positive results for Pakistan. After concluding the Afghan conflict on a favourable note, paradoxically, the military establishment hints at a desire to shift away from geo-security to geo-economics in its foreign policy goals. At the extra-regional level, the military is walking a tightrope to balance its ties between the USA and China to offset any adverse consequences arising from its strategic partnerships with China over China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In this article, we explain a series of issues confronting Pakistan currently—including a deep economic crisis, political paralysis, and a resurgent terror threat—focusing on the military’s ambitions in the region and beyond.
Category Archives: India Quarterly
The Materiality of Space: Infrastructuring the Border Space in Arunachal Pradesh
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 3, Page 387-404, September 2023.
The materiality of space refers to the material constituents determining the space. The spatial imagination of the borderland, characterised by critical spatiality, is materially constituted. The fact of being materially constituted means to be infrastructurally configured. The infrastructures here include hydro projects, highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, airports, digital connectivity and other defence-related installations. These projects combine a two-pronged approach: security and development. The security challenges that the border space embodies compel the state to adopt an approach of competitive infrastructure building. The nature of this competition is determined by the competing other’s approach towards the border space. Arunachal Pradesh is a very critical border state that shares its crucial border space of 1,080 km with China, 160 km with Bhutan and 440 km with Myanmar. China’s increasing geopolitical clout in the region intensifies its spatial and material prominence. India under its Act East Policy (AEP) formulation in 2014 has taken up a very determined approach to accelerating infrastructure growth in the northeast and more particularly in Arunachal Pradesh for its border spatiality. Therefore, the border space loses its inferential, conjectural and abstract character and becomes materially determined. This imperative for materiality embodies, on the one hand, development, modernity, capitalist social space and mainstreaming of the neglected and, on the other hand, protectionism and upgradation of security architecture along critical geography known as the border space. Therefore, this study examines the development of materiality, meaning infrastructure, in a complex border space like Arunachal Pradesh. It decodes the economic logic of the systematic development of border space by the Indian nation-state from the point of view of the growth of the region and security urgency. It uses Henri Lefebvre’s theoretical formulations of spatiality to understand the convoluted category of border space and the introduction of material forces to achieve security and developmental objectives.
The materiality of space refers to the material constituents determining the space. The spatial imagination of the borderland, characterised by critical spatiality, is materially constituted. The fact of being materially constituted means to be infrastructurally configured. The infrastructures here include hydro projects, highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, airports, digital connectivity and other defence-related installations. These projects combine a two-pronged approach: security and development. The security challenges that the border space embodies compel the state to adopt an approach of competitive infrastructure building. The nature of this competition is determined by the competing other’s approach towards the border space. Arunachal Pradesh is a very critical border state that shares its crucial border space of 1,080 km with China, 160 km with Bhutan and 440 km with Myanmar. China’s increasing geopolitical clout in the region intensifies its spatial and material prominence. India under its Act East Policy (AEP) formulation in 2014 has taken up a very determined approach to accelerating infrastructure growth in the northeast and more particularly in Arunachal Pradesh for its border spatiality. Therefore, the border space loses its inferential, conjectural and abstract character and becomes materially determined. This imperative for materiality embodies, on the one hand, development, modernity, capitalist social space and mainstreaming of the neglected and, on the other hand, protectionism and upgradation of security architecture along critical geography known as the border space. Therefore, this study examines the development of materiality, meaning infrastructure, in a complex border space like Arunachal Pradesh. It decodes the economic logic of the systematic development of border space by the Indian nation-state from the point of view of the growth of the region and security urgency. It uses Henri Lefebvre’s theoretical formulations of spatiality to understand the convoluted category of border space and the introduction of material forces to achieve security and developmental objectives.
Beyond Borders: Rethinking Pakistan’s National Security in a Global Context
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 3, Page 425-434, September 2023.
Syed Shahid Hussain Bukhari, Pakistan’s Security and the India–US Strategic Partnership: Nuclear Politics and Security Competition (Routledge, 2021). Pp. ix+264, £ 38.99.Arshad Ali, Pakistan’s National Security Approach and Post-Cold War Security: Uneasy Co-Existence (Routledge, 2021). Pp. x+232, £ 38.99.M. Raymond Izarali & Dalbir Ahlawat (eds.), Terrorism, Security and Development in South Asia: National, Regional and Global Implications (Routledge, 2021). Pp. xiii+316, £ 39.16.
Syed Shahid Hussain Bukhari, Pakistan’s Security and the India–US Strategic Partnership: Nuclear Politics and Security Competition (Routledge, 2021). Pp. ix+264, £ 38.99.Arshad Ali, Pakistan’s National Security Approach and Post-Cold War Security: Uneasy Co-Existence (Routledge, 2021). Pp. x+232, £ 38.99.M. Raymond Izarali & Dalbir Ahlawat (eds.), Terrorism, Security and Development in South Asia: National, Regional and Global Implications (Routledge, 2021). Pp. xiii+316, £ 39.16.
Soft Power in India’s Act East Policy: A Cambodian Perspective
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 189-208, June 2023.
In the contemporary multipolar world order, great powers are on the rise. As they possess coercive hard power, they also tend to have persuasive soft power in international relations. Soft power has become one of the most important dimensions of the foreign policies of great powers. Over the past decades, the use of soft power in the Asian context has gained significant traction. As an emerging power, India has begun to realise the usefulness of its rich culture and ancient civilisation as an indispensable source of soft power in the practice of public diplomacy. Specifically, New Delhi has utilised soft power in its Act East Policy (AEP) towards Southeast Asia, where historical connections and cultural legacy are deep between the two regions. In this context, the article examines the concept of soft power and its implications in India’s AEP. It argues that rather than asserting influence on the recipient country, India’s soft power is instrumental in building its international image as a benign power in international politics. The article looks at Cambodia as a case study to see how India’s international image has been perceived in the Southeast Asian kingdom, given that both countries share strong cultural and civilisational links.
In the contemporary multipolar world order, great powers are on the rise. As they possess coercive hard power, they also tend to have persuasive soft power in international relations. Soft power has become one of the most important dimensions of the foreign policies of great powers. Over the past decades, the use of soft power in the Asian context has gained significant traction. As an emerging power, India has begun to realise the usefulness of its rich culture and ancient civilisation as an indispensable source of soft power in the practice of public diplomacy. Specifically, New Delhi has utilised soft power in its Act East Policy (AEP) towards Southeast Asia, where historical connections and cultural legacy are deep between the two regions. In this context, the article examines the concept of soft power and its implications in India’s AEP. It argues that rather than asserting influence on the recipient country, India’s soft power is instrumental in building its international image as a benign power in international politics. The article looks at Cambodia as a case study to see how India’s international image has been perceived in the Southeast Asian kingdom, given that both countries share strong cultural and civilisational links.
Editorial
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 155-156, June 2023.
Book review: Nutan Kapoor Mahawar and Pragya Pandey (eds.), Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 275-279, June 2023.
Nutan Kapoor Mahawar and Pragya Pandey (eds.), Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage. Macmillan Publishers India Pvt Ltd and the Indian Council of World Affairs, 2022, pp. 262, ₹1895, ISBN-10: 9354552730, ISBN-13: 978-9354552731.
Nutan Kapoor Mahawar and Pragya Pandey (eds.), Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage. Macmillan Publishers India Pvt Ltd and the Indian Council of World Affairs, 2022, pp. 262, ₹1895, ISBN-10: 9354552730, ISBN-13: 978-9354552731.
Border Region Railway Development in Sino- Indian Geopolitical Competition
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 209-222, June 2023.
India and China share about 3,488 km long International Boundary, which has three sectors: Western, Middle and Eastern. The Eastern sector comprises two Northeastern states, that is, Arunachal Pradesh measuring 1,124 kms and Sikkim measuring 219 kms, respectively. Due to recent changes in the geopolitical relationship with China, border management and transport infrastructure development have occupied centre stage. In recent years, the Government of India has taken initiatives to develop railway infrastructure in Northeast India. The study will focus on the role of railway transportation in Sino-Indian geopolitical competition. The study is based on secondary data collected from the office of General Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway, the Census of India and reports of Memorandums of Understanding between India and China. The study reveals that railway infrastructure along the border creates geo-psychological pressures on both countries, influencing the divergent geopolitical relationship between India and China. Railway diplomacy is a tool kit of critical geopolitics which reveals the contours of geopolitical competition in borderlands.
India and China share about 3,488 km long International Boundary, which has three sectors: Western, Middle and Eastern. The Eastern sector comprises two Northeastern states, that is, Arunachal Pradesh measuring 1,124 kms and Sikkim measuring 219 kms, respectively. Due to recent changes in the geopolitical relationship with China, border management and transport infrastructure development have occupied centre stage. In recent years, the Government of India has taken initiatives to develop railway infrastructure in Northeast India. The study will focus on the role of railway transportation in Sino-Indian geopolitical competition. The study is based on secondary data collected from the office of General Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway, the Census of India and reports of Memorandums of Understanding between India and China. The study reveals that railway infrastructure along the border creates geo-psychological pressures on both countries, influencing the divergent geopolitical relationship between India and China. Railway diplomacy is a tool kit of critical geopolitics which reveals the contours of geopolitical competition in borderlands.
Book review: Colin Beck, Mlada Bukovansky, Erica Chenoweth, George Lawson, Sharon Nepstad and Daniel Ritter, On Revolutions: Unruly Politics in the Contemporary World
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 267-271, June 2023.
Colin Beck, Mlada Bukovansky, Erica Chenoweth, George Lawson, Sharon Nepstad and Daniel Ritter, On Revolutions: Unruly Politics in the Contemporary World. Oxford University Press, 2022, pp. 246, ₹2106. ISBN 978-0-19-763836-1 (paperback).
Colin Beck, Mlada Bukovansky, Erica Chenoweth, George Lawson, Sharon Nepstad and Daniel Ritter, On Revolutions: Unruly Politics in the Contemporary World. Oxford University Press, 2022, pp. 246, ₹2106. ISBN 978-0-19-763836-1 (paperback).
Book review: Sanjeev Kumar (ed.), China’s BRI in Different Regions of the World: Cooperation, Contradictions and Concerns
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 271-273, June 2023.
Sanjeev Kumar (ed.), China’s BRI in Different Regions of the World: Cooperation, Contradictions and Concerns. Indian Council of World Affairs and KW Publishers, 2022, pp. 398, ₹1299, ISBN: 978-93-83445-64-6.
Sanjeev Kumar (ed.), China’s BRI in Different Regions of the World: Cooperation, Contradictions and Concerns. Indian Council of World Affairs and KW Publishers, 2022, pp. 398, ₹1299, ISBN: 978-93-83445-64-6.
Political Economy of Elite Capture and Clientelism in Public Resource Distribution: Theory and Evidence from Balochistan, Pakistan
India Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 2, Page 223-243, June 2023.
The article critically examines the presence of political and bureaucratic capture in public sector resource allocation in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The article applies robust empirical techniques to evaluate how the political and bureaucratic elite indiscriminately and disproportionally allocate public sector funds to meet two overarching ends: (a) to allow maximum misappropriation of public funds for their benefits and (b) to make constituency/district-specific allocations to buy political allegiance and promote pork barrel and patronage politics (political clientelism). For the empirical purpose, the article uses an unbalanced panel technique using data for districts from provincial-level sources. The empirical results show a strong capture and clientelism in the process of budget making and the allocations of resources/projects to districts/constituencies for incumbent politicians and senior career officials who are at the helm of affairs, making disproportionate budgetary allocations of public resources to their home districts or constituencies or the projects with much leverage of extraction (read bribes) in the process of project allocations, bidding and execution. The evidence suggests that districts, which are neither represented by the incumbency of provincial government nor by senior bureaucrats in ministries that make public policy, receive far lesser budgetary allocations than their proportionate share despite the prevailing poor social and economic landscape. Such capture suffices personal interests, supports clientelism in resource sharing and creates an inter-regional and inter-district/constituency disparity in terms of economic and social development within the province.
The article critically examines the presence of political and bureaucratic capture in public sector resource allocation in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The article applies robust empirical techniques to evaluate how the political and bureaucratic elite indiscriminately and disproportionally allocate public sector funds to meet two overarching ends: (a) to allow maximum misappropriation of public funds for their benefits and (b) to make constituency/district-specific allocations to buy political allegiance and promote pork barrel and patronage politics (political clientelism). For the empirical purpose, the article uses an unbalanced panel technique using data for districts from provincial-level sources. The empirical results show a strong capture and clientelism in the process of budget making and the allocations of resources/projects to districts/constituencies for incumbent politicians and senior career officials who are at the helm of affairs, making disproportionate budgetary allocations of public resources to their home districts or constituencies or the projects with much leverage of extraction (read bribes) in the process of project allocations, bidding and execution. The evidence suggests that districts, which are neither represented by the incumbency of provincial government nor by senior bureaucrats in ministries that make public policy, receive far lesser budgetary allocations than their proportionate share despite the prevailing poor social and economic landscape. Such capture suffices personal interests, supports clientelism in resource sharing and creates an inter-regional and inter-district/constituency disparity in terms of economic and social development within the province.