Features

Renewed indications of an India-centric South Asia

Published

5 years ago

2021/03/25

Other evidence of the centrality of India in the South Asian region and of its re-doubling importance to the powers that matter most in the South and outside comes in the form of news of an impending thaw in India-Pakistan relations. Reports indicated that Pakistan’s army chief had called on the Indian government to create a ‘conducive environment’ in Kashmir for the resumption of a peace dialogue between the countries. This follows reconciliatory overtures towards India by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Needless to say, a less troubled relationship between India and Pakistan would do South Asia immense good.

While India’s regional predominance is a fact too obvious to be contested, current fast-breaking developments in South Asian inter-state politics in particular are likely to prompt those countries of the region, which have not quite come to terms with this reality, to initiate policy resets with regard to India. Policy issues for states of the region flowing from the impossibility of ignoring India’s presence are bound to intensify in the days ahead in tandem with the increasing presence of extra-regional powers in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR).

The realization ought to be increasingly dawning on these countries of South Asia that plans for their immediate well being are inextricably bound-up with India, regardless of how distasteful this idea may be to some opinion sections of the region. But such realizations should not be construed as tantamount to recognizing India as the proverbial ‘Big Brother’ of South Asia. The latter perception is rife in popular ‘discourse’ and is not admissible in a serious discussion on foreign policy questions.

It is the small states of South Asia that are likely to face these policy quandaries with regard to India most. There is the case of Sri Lanka, for instance, that has found it opportune over the years to strengthen its ties with China while attempting to ensure unruffled relations with India. This is a tight rope walk of the most exacting kind.

The policy issues Sri Lanka currently faces over its plans to develop the West Terminal of the Colombo Port, in the face of objections from local ultra nationalist sections and others, point to the sensitivity Sri Lanka would need to continuously cultivate with regard to India’s pressing needs while trying to pacify anti-India quarters at home. It’s a very hapless position to be in for a small state. But the ‘lesson’ is clear that ignoring India would not be easy for small states of the region in particular. Hence, the need for states to manage their India relations effectively and foresightedly. A foreign policy based on pragmatism and realism will emerge as a priority for all regional states.

There is the very interesting case of the Maldives, meanwhile, that warrants South Asia’s attention. It has chosen to bolster its security and defence ties with the US and India. While critics of the Maldives foreign policy are likely to focus on the implications of these moves by the archipelago for its sovereignty and connected questions, a more objective analysis would reveal a down-to-earth assessment of its legitimate needs by the Maldives. It should be plain to see that the Maldives is choosing to achieve its national interest through a policy of cooperation with the major powers concerned.

On the one hand, there is the recognition of the regional predominance of India, over which nothing of an ameliorative nature could be done, and, on the other, there is the recognition of the continuing super power status of the US, which would be needed by the Maldives to counter-balance the rising presence of China in the IOR in particular and in the world in general. It does not follow from these foreign policy moves that the Maldives is taking an anti-China position but we have the evidence here that the aim of the Maldives is to be seen as following a balanced course in its foreign relations with its national interest uppermost in mind.

Some of the provisions of the ‘Maritime Security and Development Administration and Maintenance of the Maldivian National Defence Forces Agreement’ which the Maldives reportedly signed with India recently are bound to be seen as highly controversial and a kind of ‘sell out’ to India by sections of opinion in the South in particular but it is up to a country to skilfully negotiate such accords to ensure that their best interests are served. If a country fails in this regard it has only itself to blame. Moreover, some compromises would need to be made by a state in the cause of furthering its vital interests. There are no ‘ideal formulae’, so to speak, in securing the latter aims.

The Maldives security accord with India would need to be focused on in this connection because the agreement, according to sections of the local press, provides for the stationing of Indian troops, among other things, in the island of Uthuru Thalafalhu (UTF). And the Indian troops will be ‘permitted to carry weapons’ within the isle.

At first blush, the Maldives would seem to have caved-in to some sort of ‘Indian pressure’, but it is highly unlikely that the archipelago has gone into the agreement blindly. Given the predominance of India and its strengthening alliance with the US, a friction-free security relationship with India would have been seen by the Maldives as central to its national interest. The Maldives is obliged to ensure that provisions of the accord are not abused in any way by the troops that would be stationed in the isle concerned. Skilful negotiating is the key but there is no reason to believe that the Maldives lacks this capability.

Meanwhile, a ground-breaking visit was made to India recently by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The purpose of his visit, primarily, was to further bolster US-India defence cooperation. Earlier, Austin reportedly told a US Senate confirmation hearing, among other things, that, ‘China presents the most significant threat going forward because China is ascending…’

Accordingly, containing the perceived spreading power and influence of China has become a key foreign policy platform of the US. It sees India as a very handy ally in this effort and it is not wrong in this assessment. India too is in an effort to contain China but it is unlikely to see China as an arch rival with which it cannot peacefully coexist.

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Features

US’ drastic aid cut to UN poses moral challenge to world

Published

17 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

An UN humanitarian mission in the Gaza. [File: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency]

‘Adapt, shrink or die’ – thus runs the warning issued by the Trump administration to UN humanitarian agencies with brute insensitivity in the wake of its recent decision to drastically reduce to $2bn its humanitarian aid to the UN system. This is a substantial climb down from the $17bn the US usually provided to the UN for its humanitarian operations.

Considering that the US has hitherto been the UN’s biggest aid provider, it need hardly be said that the US decision would pose a daunting challenge to the UN’s humanitarian operations around the world. This would indeed mean that, among other things, people living in poverty and stifling material hardships, in particularly the Southern hemisphere, could dramatically increase. Coming on top of the US decision to bring to an end USAID operations, the poor of the world could be said to have been left to their devices as a consequence of these morally insensitive policy rethinks of the Trump administration.

Earlier, the UN had warned that it would be compelled to reduce its aid programs in the face of ‘the deepest funding cuts ever.’ In fact the UN is on record as requesting the world for $23bn for its 2026 aid operations.

If this UN appeal happens to go unheeded, the possibilities are that the UN would not be in a position to uphold the status it has hitherto held as the world’s foremost humanitarian aid provider. It would not be incorrect to state that a substantial part of the rationale for the UN’s existence could come in for questioning if its humanitarian identity is thus eroded.

Inherent in these developments is a challenge for those sections of the international community that wish to stand up and be counted as humanists and the ‘Conscience of the World.’ A responsibility is cast on them to not only keep the UN system going but to also ensure its increased efficiency as a humanitarian aid provider to particularly the poorest of the poor.

It is unfortunate that the US is increasingly opting for a position of international isolation. Such a policy position was adopted by it in the decades leading to World War Two and the consequences for the world as a result for this policy posture were most disquieting. For instance, it opened the door to the flourishing of dictatorial regimes in the West, such as that led by Adolph Hitler in Germany, which nearly paved the way for the subjugation of a good part of Europe by the Nazis.

If the US had not intervened militarily in the war on the side of the Allies, the West would have faced the distressing prospect of coming under the sway of the Nazis and as a result earned indefinite political and military repression. By entering World War Two the US helped to ward off these bleak outcomes and indeed helped the major democracies of Western Europe to hold their own and thrive against fascism and dictatorial rule.

Republican administrations in the US in particular have not proved the greatest defenders of democratic rule the world over, but by helping to keep the international power balance in favour of democracy and fundamental human rights they could keep under a tight leash fascism and linked anti-democratic forces even in contemporary times. Russia’s invasion and continued occupation of parts of Ukraine reminds us starkly that the democracy versus fascism battle is far from over.

Right now, the US needs to remain on the side of the rest of the West very firmly, lest fascism enjoys another unfettered lease of life through the absence of countervailing and substantial military and political power.

However, by reducing its financial support for the UN and backing away from sustaining its humanitarian programs the world over the US could be laying the ground work for an aggravation of poverty in the South in particular and its accompaniments, such as, political repression, runaway social discontent and anarchy.

What should not go unnoticed by the US is the fact that peace and social stability in the South and the flourishing of the same conditions in the global North are symbiotically linked, although not so apparent at first blush. For instance, if illegal migration from the South to the US is a major problem for the US today, it is because poor countries are not receiving development assistance from the UN system to the required degree. Such deprivation on the part of the South leads to aggravating social discontent in the latter and consequences such as illegal migratory movements from South to North.

Accordingly, it will be in the North’s best interests to ensure that the South is not deprived of sustained development assistance since the latter is an essential condition for social contentment and stable governance, which factors in turn would guard against the emergence of phenomena such as illegal migration.

Meanwhile, democratic sections of the rest of the world in particular need to consider it a matter of conscience to ensure the sustenance and flourishing of the UN system. To be sure, the UN system is considerably flawed but at present it could be called the most equitable and fair among international development organizations and the most far-flung one. Without it world poverty would have proved unmanageable along with the ills that come along with it.

Dehumanizing poverty is an indictment on humanity. It stands to reason that the world community should rally round the UN and ensure its survival lest the abomination which is poverty flourishes. In this undertaking the world needs to stand united. Ambiguities on this score could be self-defeating for the world community.

For example, all groupings of countries that could demonstrate economic muscle need to figure prominently in this initiative. One such grouping is BRICS. Inasmuch as the US and the West should shrug aside Realpolitik considerations in this enterprise, the same goes for organizations such as BRICS.

The arrival at the above international consensus would be greatly facilitated by stepped up dialogue among states on the continued importance of the UN system. Fresh efforts to speed-up UN reform would prove major catalysts in bringing about these positive changes as well. Also requiring to be shunned is the blind pursuit of narrow national interests.

Features

Egg white scene …

Published

17 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

Hi! Great to be back after my Christmas break.

Thought of starting this week with egg white.

Yes, eggs are brimming with nutrients beneficial for your overall health and wellness, but did you know that eggs, especially the whites, are excellent for your complexion?

OK, if you have no idea about how to use egg whites for your face, read on.

Egg White, Lemon, Honey:

Separate the yolk from the egg white and add about a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and about one and a half teaspoons of organic honey. Whisk all the ingredients together until they are mixed well.

Apply this mixture to your face and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before cleansing your face with a gentle face wash.

Don’t forget to apply your favourite moisturiser, after using this face mask, to help seal in all the goodness.

Egg White, Avocado:

In a clean mixing bowl, start by mashing the avocado, until it turns into a soft, lump-free paste, and then add the whites of one egg, a teaspoon of yoghurt and mix everything together until it looks like a creamy paste.

Apply this mixture all over your face and neck area, and leave it on for about 20 to 30 minutes before washing it off with cold water and a gentle face wash.

Egg White, Cucumber, Yoghurt:

In a bowl, add one egg white, one teaspoon each of yoghurt, fresh cucumber juice and organic honey. Mix all the ingredients together until it forms a thick paste.

Apply this paste all over your face and neck area and leave it on for at least 20 minutes and then gently rinse off this face mask with lukewarm water and immediately follow it up with a gentle and nourishing moisturiser.

Egg White, Aloe Vera, Castor Oil:

To the egg white, add about a teaspoon each of aloe vera gel and castor oil and then mix all the ingredients together and apply it all over your face and neck area in a thin, even layer.

Leave it on for about 20 minutes and wash it off with a gentle face wash and some cold water. Follow it up with your favourite moisturiser.

Features

Confusion cropping up with Ne-Yo in the spotlight

Published

17 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

Ne-Yo: His management should clarify the last-minute cancellation

Superlatives galore were used, especially on social media, to highlight R&B singer Ne-Yo’s trip to Sri Lanka: Global superstar Ne-Yo to perform live in Colombo this December; Ne-Yo concert puts Sri Lanka back on the global entertainment map; A global music sensation is coming to Sri Lanka … and there were lots more!

At an official press conference, held at a five-star venue, in Colombo, it was indicated that the gathering marked a defining moment for Sri Lanka’s entertainment industry as international R&B powerhouse and three-time Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo prepares to take the stage in Colombo this December.

What’s more, the occasion was graced by the presence of Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs of Sri Lanka, and Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, alongside distinguished dignitaries, sponsors, and members of the media.

Shah Rukh Khan: Disappointed his fans in Sri Lanka

According to reports, the concert had received the official endorsement of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, recognising it as a flagship initiative in developing the country’s concert economy by attracting fans, and media, from all over South Asia.

Nick Carter: His concert, too, was cancelled due to “Unforeseen circumstances

However, I had that strange feeling that this concert would not become a reality, keeping in mind what happened to Nick Carter’s Colombo concert – cancelled at the very last moment.

Carter issued a video message announcing he had to return to the USA due to “unforeseen circumstances” and a “family emergency”.

Though “unforeseen circumstances” was the official reason provided by Carter and the local organisers, there was speculation that low ticket sales may also have been a factor in the cancellation.

Well, “Unforeseen Circumstances” has cropped up again!

In a brief statement, via social media, the organisers of the Ne-Yo concert said the decision was taken due to “unforeseen circumstances and factors beyond their control.”

Ne-Yo, too, subsequently made an announcement, citing “Unforeseen circumstances.”

The public has a right to know what these “unforeseen circumstances” are, and who is to be blamed – the organisers or Ne-Yo!

Ne-Yo’s management certainly need to come out with the truth.

However, those who are aware of some of the happenings in the setup here put it down to poor ticket sales, mentioning that the tickets for the concert, and a meet-and-greet event, were exorbitantly high, considering that Ne-Yo is not a current mega star.

We also had a cancellation coming our way from Shah Rukh Khan, who was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for the City of Dreams resort launch, and then this was received: “Unfortunately due to unforeseen personal reasons beyond his control, Mr. Khan is no longer able to attend.”

Referring to this kind of mess up, a leading showbiz personality said that it will only make people reluctant to buy their tickets, online.

“Tickets will go mostly at the gate and it will be very bad for the industry,” he added.