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South Asia Chat

South Asia Chat podcast series will feature conversations with analysts, academics and thought leaders on topical issues impacting South Asia.

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All Episodes

17:46

Episode 71: Bangladesh and Bhutan Trade - Way Forward

South Asia Chat ·

2021/01/19

Bangladesh and Bhutan signed the first ever preferential trade agreement or PTA in December 2020 to boost bilateral trade. The agreement comes at a time when the two South Asian countries mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. Bhutan recognised Bangladesh’s independence on December 6, 1971, becoming the first country in the world to accept it as a sovereign nation. According to official figures, trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan was $12.77 million in the fiscal year 2008-09, which rose to $49.65

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45:07

Episode 70: Prospects for South Asia in 2021

South Asia Chat ·

2021/01/12

The Indian subcontinent is witnessing several structural changes caused by the on-going China-India clash along the border in eastern Ladakh, renewed civil military tensions in Pakistan, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the economic rise of Bangladesh. In the first episode of 2021, Professor S D Muni, an Emeritus Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, discussed these broad prospects for South Asia with Professor C Raja Mohan.

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24:33

Episode 69: Rise of the Right Wing

South Asia Chat ·

2020/12/23

In recent times, the role of religious political parties in Pakistan has grown significantly, with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) being one of them. The party has been at the forefront of anti-France protests and opposed the amendments to blasphemy laws. However, it is now facing a leadership crisis after the untimely death of its charismatic leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi. To further discuss the TLP and its future, alongside the significant role religious political parties play domestically, we spoke to

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28:23

Episode 68: Sri Lanka’s China Policy - A Continuation...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/12/15

With Sri Lanka’s insistence on a “neutral” foreign policy, questions are being raised over Colombo’s relationship with other global and regional powers like the United States, China and India. One of the common foreign policy challenges that the country faces is navigating big power relations. To discuss the strategies in detail, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Visiting Research Fellow, was in-conversation with Dr Palitha Kohona, the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to China. Dr Kohona shared more insights into

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27:30

Episode 67: Religion, Secularism and State in Bangladesh

South Asia Chat ·

2020/12/08

Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim country in the world and one of the recent challenges that the country faces is religious extremism and violence. The existence of Islamic militant groups is not new to the country. However, these groups are now increasingly relying on transnational networks and narratives. Bangladesh, which was historically secular, is now increasingly turning towards religion as a source of its national identity. To discuss these developments and the transformation of the

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27:21

Episode 66: The Afghan Peace Prospects

South Asia Chat ·

2020/12/02

Recently, there have been various developments in Afghanistan such as the withdrawal of US troops, Imran Khan’s visit to the region and talks with the Taliban. While the Trump administration has set a Christmas deadline for withdrawal of troops, it is unclear how the incoming Biden administration will impact the region in terms of policy and its relationship with the Afghanistan. In this episode, Dr Imran Ahmed, Consultant at ISAS, spoke to Dr Zahid Shabab Ahmed, a Research Fellow at Deakin

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21:38

Episode 65 : RCEP - The Road Ahead for Regional Trade

South Asia Chat ·

2020/11/24

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP was signed by 15 countries including all Southeast Asian nations after eight years of negotiations on 15 November 2020 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Dubbed as the largest free trade agreement in history, it focuses on the reduction of tariffs and increasing market access. However, India decided to walk out of RCEP stating strong concerns over Chinese goods flooding Indian markets. At this juncture, India and the United States are the two big countries

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26:54

Episode 64: Decoding Bihar Election Verdict

South Asia Chat ·

2020/11/17

The recently concluded assembly elections in Bihar was a closely contested one with the National Democratic Alliance winning by a small margin. While Nitish Kumar has been sworn Chief Minister for the seventh time, the Janata Dal (U) performed poorly. Asserting itself, two Deputy Chief Ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party were also sworn in. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, spoke to Dr Neelanjan Sircar, a Senior Visiting Fellow at CPR, Assistant Professor at Ashoka

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19:21

Episode 63: The Biden Presidency and South Asia

South Asia Chat ·

2020/11/10

Two days after the United States elected Joe Biden as their next President and Kamala Harris as the Vice President, uncertainties and anticipation about the current President conceding remains. However, the election outcome was welcomed in South Asia with greater emphasis on the first female Vice President and her Indian ancestry. The region is at the cusp of competition with India and the US on the one hand and China on the other. The recent visit of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to South

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27:14

Episode 62: Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Politics - One...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/11/03

Last year, the Shiv Sena broke up with its traditional partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and entered into an alliance with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and a few others to form the government in Maharashtra. Since then it has faced many challenges including the COVID-pandemic and interference from the BJP which is in power at the Centre. The party has also decided to contest 40 seats in the Bihar elections, without entering into any pre-poll partnerships. To share her views on the

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42:23

Episode 61: Trade Prospects of South Asia

South Asia Chat ·

2020/10/27

A recent ADB reports points to developing Asia experiencing its first recession in more than six decades, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is expected to have profound influence on Asia-Pacific's geopolitics leading to restructuring of supply chains and realignments in global trade. What must South Asia do to take advantage of these changes and which sectors could be the game-changing strategic industries for the region? To give us more insights into these developments, Dr Amitendu Palit,

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29:18

Episode 60: Political Rumblings in Pakistan

South Asia Chat ·

2020/10/20

The recent political protests and rallies by a united opposition seem to be part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan. Interestingly, the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led PML (N) also chose to take on the all-powerful Army, criticising the hybrid model of governance where the Army leads the Imran Khan government from behind. Also, the government has announced elections in the disputed Gigit-Baltistan province on 15 November 2020. To gain more insights into these developments, we

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30:00

Episode 59: Changing Geopolitics of South Asia

South Asia Chat ·

2020/10/13

The current India-China rivalry has revealed the fault lines in South Asia. The increasing Chinese interests in the region, be it elections in Sri Lanka or involvement with Nepalese communist parties, has resulted in a complex dynamics between New Delhi and Beijing. How do South Asian countries navigate between China, which has risen to be a great power and India, that is at the heart of the subcontinent? In this backdrop, Professor C Raja Mohan spoke to Ambassador Shivshankar Menon about the

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26:47

Episode 58: American Elections - Implications for India

South Asia Chat ·

2020/10/06

Soon after the first American Presidential debate for 2020 concluded on September 29, President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. While there is uncertainity over the next two debates set for 12 and 22 October, one thing is certain - whoever wins, there will be implications for India. With growing understanding between New Delhi and Washington, the Indian diaspora too has gained prominence. What role will the significant population of Indian Americans play and would the nomination of Kamala

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45:26

Episode 57: India’s Approach to 5G - Is there...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/10/01

Many studies estimate that by 2035, 5G technologies will enable $12.3 trillion of global economic output and support 22 million jobs. Therefore, the race to develop these technologies has begun. But where does India stand with respect to 5G? To discuss this and the challenges that India faces, the country’s position on working with Chinese telecom companies such as Huawei and ZTE as well as the economic gains from adopting these technologies, Dr Karthik Nachiappan spoke to Manoj Kewalramani, Fellow

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27:06

Episode 56: The Road Ahead for Sri Lanka under the...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/09/29

The recent Sri Lankan Parliamentary elections led to the resounding victory for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), strengthening the hold of the Rajapaksa family. Since coming to power last year, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pushed for many changes with regard to the constitution and foreign policy. To explain the implications of this win, we spoke to Mr Waruna Karunatilake, a senior journalist and political analyst. He shared his views on various issues related to the country's economy,

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27:04

Episode 55: US Presidential Elections - Role of South...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/09/24

The nomination of Kamala Harris as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party and her part-Indian identity has put the South Asian diaspora’s role and contributions in the forthcoming American elections under spotlight. The growing cultural ties between the United States and India became prominent after the bonhomie between PM Modi and President Trump reflected in the 'Howdy Modi' and 'Namaste Trump' events. So would this have an impact on voting, given the fact that Indians have

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12:04

Episode 54: Germany’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and its...

South Asia Chat ·

2020/09/22

Germany’s Indo-Pacific strategy unambiguously promises greater responsibility and engagement in Asia, including intensified military cooperation and deployments, defence diplomacy and participation in regional multilateralism particularly ASEAN-led forums. The shift in Germany’s strategy is expected to strengthen the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific as more countries in the region come out in support. To discuss the internal factors that led to the change, new areas of cooperation with India and the

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30:13

Episode 53: Navigating Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy

South Asia Chat ·

2020/09/08

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasised on an equidistant policy soon after being elected in 2019. While China is Sri Lanka’s largest economic partner, the latter recognises India to be an important neighbour. However, as a small state, it is concerned about the power competition in the Indian Ocean. With the incoming of a new cabinet, how will the island nation navigate the challenges? Will there be any major departures from the past policies? To shed light on the direction of Sri

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35:28

Episode 52: The Big Tech Affair in India

South Asia Chat ·

2020/09/03

India has witnessed huge developments in the technology space in the recent past. First, it welcomed investments from American tech companies and now is witnessing collaborations between US and Indian firms such as Facebook and Reliance Jio. However, there are challenges that come with these. Recently, Facebook has come under heavy scrutiny in India for not acting against hate-posts targeting one of the minority groups in India. This has opened debates about the intervening role of big tech

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312 results

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