India and the World | India Writes

India, Vietnam to step up energy ties

August 26, 2014 - by India Writes Network

Amid the churn in South China Sea and perceived Chinese assertiveness in the region, India and Vietnam have resolved to scale up their energy, defence and economic ties. The talks …

No table for three

August 25, 2014August 25, 2014 - by India Writes Network

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision this week to cancel the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan has drawn much political flak at home and generated some international concern that the NDA …

India & Vietnam: Old Friends, New Vistas

August 24, 2014August 24, 2014 - by Manish Chand

Look East. Look West. The multifarious relations between India and Vietnam are deepening by the day and are branching out in new directions. In many ways, it’s a perfect match between India’s Look East policy and Vietnam’s Look West policy as the two countries aim high to forge closer strategic, economic and energy ties in days to come. This confluence of interlinked interests will be reflected in the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Vietnam August 25-26.
Blending IT, education, Buddhism and strategy in its intricate tapestry, the relations between India and Vietnam have effortlessly blended the ancient and the modern to forge a robust contemporary partnership. In the days to come, the only way for the Delhi-Hanoi relationship is to go up, opening new vistas and opportunities for a mutually invigorating and empowering partnership.

B.K.S Iyengar: World’s yoga guru and India’s global emissary of soft power

August 24, 2014August 24, 2014 - by India Writes Network

If yoga is a global brand today, inspiring millions around the world to pursue wholesome living, much of the credit goes to a man who was born in a small village in Karnataka. With the passing away of Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar at the ripe age of 95 years, the nation has lost a stalwart in the Indian psycho-physical science of Yoga. Aptly, Yoga is referred as ethos of India’s most inspirational soft power to have created a global impact and to a great extent BKS Iyengar had enhanced this to newer heights. This renowned Yoga Guru, often named as the father of modern Yoga, breathed his last at Pune in India’s western state of Maharashtra on August 20.
As for the celebrities around the world who passionately adopted Iyengar Yoga are the famed violinist Yehudi Menuhin, author Aldous Huxley and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar apart from the highly respected philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurthy. Even the uniformed personnel including the para- military forces have invigorated themselves with yoga. Reportedly, prisons in Israel have adapted Iyengar Yoga as an ideal medium to reform the inmates in the prisons of Israel.

Modi-Abe Summit: Need for a breakthrough

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014 - by K V Kesavan

At last, the speculation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan has come to an end with the official announcement that he will undertake his four-day trip from August …

Failed India-Pakistan dialogue: Reworking policies

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014 - by India Writes Network

The recent India-Pakistan acrimony over separatist leaders leading to the calling off the foreign secretary level talks has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons both within India and internationally. …

India voices concerns over surge of terrorism in Arab world

August 21, 2014August 24, 2014 - by Manish Chand

Making a compelling case for building an enduring bridge between India and the Arab world, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has voiced deep concerns over “the rise of religious fanaticism, radical extremism and terrorism” in various parts of the region.

“Being a longstanding partner of the Arab world, we in India are also deeply concerned with the rise of fanaticism, extremism and terrorism in parts of the region,” Sushma Swaraj told journalists at the first India-Arab Media Symposium in New Delhi August 21.

“We are concerned for the stability of these countries where terrorism and fanaticism are tearing apart the fabric of societies and also concerned over the spill-over effects on regional stability,” said Swaraj, while underlining that “the fates of our two regions are intertwined in many ways.”

Modi’s ports

August 21, 2014 - by India Writes Network

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking up the importance of building sea ports along India’s coastline, China is focused on developing maritime infrastructure far beyond its own shores, whether …

Pakistan’s Army itching to get into driving seat, calls for dialogue

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 - by India Writes Network

The ongoing anti-government protests in Pakistan seems to have set the stage for Pakistan’s powerful army to enter the political drama unfolding on the streets of Islamabad. In its first …

Vietnam is India’s all weather-friend: Vietnam envoy

August 19, 2014August 26, 2014 - by India Writes Network

India’s multifaceted ties with Vietnam are poised to acquire greater strategic and economic weight. The visit of India’s External Affairs Minister to Vietnam August 25-26 is set to impart a fresh momentum to this burgeoning partnership, bound by a confluence of strategic, economic and energy interests. Sushma Swaraj’s trip will set the stage for the state visit by India’s President Pranab Mukherjee to Vietnam in September.

In this exclusive interview with Manish Chand, Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org), Vietnam’s ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Tan speaks about Vietnam’s expectations from the forthcoming visit by India’s foreign minister, the growing knowledge partnership between India and Vietnam and predicts an all-round acceleration in bilateral ties in days to come.