Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee | Indian Council of World Affairs (original) (raw)

Papers by Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee

Jindal Journal of International Affairs, Jun 1, 2017

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of OBOR or BRI, has brought China and... more China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of OBOR or BRI, has brought China and Pakistan economically and strategically close. As significant part of the corridor develops through the disputed region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), it has been difficult for India to accept the project as it infringes on its sovereignty. The nature of investment, the controversies associated with the location of the corridor in Pakistan, the opacity of the investments, the conflict in Baluchistan, and the manner in which Pakistani civilian and military administration has become embroiled in the multi-billion-dollar project, has made CPEC more of a challenge to the region, than a corridor of opportunity. The paper will try to assess the nature of the project and the various challenges that it entails. Building upon these notions, the article in the end would attempt to make future predictions for the region.

Social Science Research Network, 2015

South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and... more South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and conflict. When avenues of cooperation leading to development are sought, naturally, it strengthens the prospects for a stronger and stable region. The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan brought forth the hopes of such stability for Pakistan in the forthcoming years. The idea of developing a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was visualised by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan on May 2013, found a proper shape in the present visit. 1 The proposed economic corridor will connect the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang with the Pakistani port of Gwadar through a network of roads measuring around 3000 kms (1,800 miles), providing Pakistan its muchneeded economic infrastructure, especially power-generation plants. 2 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is located where the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road meet. It is, therefore, a major project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. 3

Social Science Research Network, May 29, 2015

With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, th... more With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, the government has adapted extra judicial measures in suppressing the anti-government movement, which has triggered more violence. The manner in which Balochistan is being pushed to the cliff has been discussed in the paper.

Social Science Research Network, 2015

Routledge eBooks, Mar 15, 2023

Social Science Research Network, Sep 3, 2015

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) constitutes one of the largest foreign investments Ch... more The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) constitutes one of the largest foreign investments China has made in the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. The expenditures planned for the coming years in the amount of approximately $46 billion will further intensify relations between China and Pakistan. At the same time, Pakistan will assume a more prominent role in China's foreign policy. But CPEC also affects relations between India and Pakistan. The transport corridor between Pakistan and China traverses Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been a subject of contention between India and Pakistan since 1947. This constellation would seem to suggest a negative scenario whereby CPEC could place additional strain on India-Pakistan relations. On the other hand, a positive scenario is also conceivable, with a settlement of the Kashmir dispute even becoming possible in the long term. (author's abstract) This book merges macroand micro-level analysis o...

With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, th... more With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, the government has adapted extra judicial measures in suppressing the anti-government movement, which has triggered more violence. The manner in which Balochistan is being pushed to the cliff has been discussed in the paper.

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2008

Reviewed by Dlt rri bajy ot i Bh attach ariee T h e post Cold War era has seen the rise of diplom... more Reviewed by Dlt rri bajy ot i Bh attach ariee T h e post Cold War era has seen the rise of diplomacy, open as well as secretive, both in various different dimensions and spheres. The rebirth of the Foreign Ministries due to the rising complexities of national and international events that decision-makers face has catapulted to a rising proportion, unfurling fresher dimensions every day. Prof. Rana's 'Asinn Diylonincy' remains to be a comparative treatise on the Foreign Ministries of the five Asian giants, China, India, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, each nation having its own nature and character in its national and international platform. As Rana has opined, "Diploiiincy, ns fliegeiieric sysfeiii of sfriictiires mid iiietliods fliroiigli wliicli stnfes den1 with otie niiotlicr, bilnternlly, regiotinlly, niid iiiiiltilnternlly, is wider rnyid evolufioii." Explaining the need of a 'pragmatic, inventive, flexible and prepared' Ministry of Foreign Affairs he quoted a foreign ministry's goal: "We m i s f eiijoy wide Lectiirer, Depnrtnieirt of Politicnl Science, Siligiiri College, Dnrjeehg, West Be)@.

The South Asia is an indefinite conglomeration of nations, which has been taken together in congr... more The South Asia is an indefinite conglomeration of nations, which has been taken together in congruence with the necessities that arose with clubbing nations together to create zones or regions. But these regions themselves are so strongly influenced by their neighbouring nations, that perfect dissection of interests are never possible. India and Myanmar also felt the urge to establish such links, to create some sort of stability and peace in the region that will make it more development oriented than strife ridden.

Terrorism is not a recent phenomenon and has been playing an important role in the world from the... more Terrorism is not a recent phenomenon and has been playing an important role in the world from the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. But the terrorism, as we see it today, has developed itself from the sixties and is the child of the war created by the imperialist powers. Terrorism stands out to be a method of combat in which random or symbolic victims serve as instrumental targets of violence. Narco-terrorism could be defined as the 'use of organized terror to secure control over a state by another state or organised criminal networks/or by insurgents or by a combination of any or all of them to achieve fixed political, economic or social objectives based on organizational and financial empowerment through drug trafficking.'

The relationship between India and China has always been a complex one. From the phase of being i... more The relationship between India and China has always been a complex one. From the phase of being identified as "Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai" to the humiliating defeat of India by the Chinese forces in 1962 to the growing warmth in the bilateral relations, the two countries over a period of half century and more have gone through various ups and downs. The importance of the relationship has been such that the tensions between the two Asian giants, whether expressed or unexpressed creates a sense of insecurity in the entire Asian region.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B)-the water tank of Pakistan-has been experiencing significant changes in po... more Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B)-the water tank of Pakistan-has been experiencing significant changes in political strategy introduced by the Pakistan federal government as well as China in the last few decades. With the building of the Karakoram highway, the Governance Order of 2009, the rise in sectarian violence and the present inclusion of the area in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Gilgit-Baltistan has turned extremely volatile. Gilgit and Baltistan-Political History The Constitution of Pakistan does not list Gilgit-Baltistan as a Pakistani territory, although the State has exercised sovereignty in the region since Independence. Rather, Gilgit-Baltistan is described as a territory "administered by Pakistan" and is excluded from the Constitution. 1 Though the region, which is around 72,496 sq kilometres, was known as the Northern Areas during the British rule and thereafter till 2009, it was renamed as Gilgit-Baltistan through the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order, 2009. It was one of the few cosmetic changes that were done to the occupied territories in the last seven decades. Neither was the region given the status of a province, nor was it provided the long sought after autonomy that the indigenous populace demanded from the federal government, showing the ambiguity and colonial mindset that the Pakistani authorities maintained regarding the

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and... more South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and conflict. When avenues of cooperation leading to development are sought, naturally, it strengthens the prospects for a stronger and stable region. The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan brought forth the hopes of such stability for Pakistan in the forthcoming years. The idea of developing a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was visualised by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan on May 2013, found a proper shape in the present visit. 1 The proposed economic corridor will connect the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang with the Pakistani port of Gwadar through a network of roads measuring around 3000 kms (1,800 miles), providing Pakistan its muchneeded economic infrastructure, especially power-generation plants. 2 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is located where the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road meet. It is, therefore, a major project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. 3

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

The issue of alternate sexual life style and nations in South Asia is governed by colonial laws, ... more The issue of alternate sexual life style and nations in South Asia is governed by colonial laws, religious norms and morality and a pseudourban mind-set that clubs sexual offences and alternate life styles to be same. The write-up tries to briefly assess how such life style exists in the nations in South Asia and the manner in which each respective nation deals with the issue. The manner in which rights and liberties of sexual minorities are being violated and undermined remain to be a notion that is grossly similar in most of the nations, except Nepal. The question of acceptability, rationality and constitutionality of providing equal rights to all minorities has been discussed. In the last ten years, the Indian society is experiencing a transformation, which is marked

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

The Present elections in Bangladesh, its prospects and the future ahead for the unstable democrat... more The Present elections in Bangladesh, its prospects and the future ahead for the unstable democratic regime. The manner in which the elections were held, its outcome and the nature of politics that lies ahead.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

The recent terror attack in Mumbai and the terrorist attacks in the last few years in the cities ... more The recent terror attack in Mumbai and the terrorist attacks in the last few years in the cities of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Islamabad, Kabul, Colombo and the like have put in place urban terrorism fully in view not previously experienced by Indian or security personnel of other South Asian nations, who has been tackling terrorism in other forms for the last three decades.

Children remain to be the most vulnerable and delicate balance of a society. They are the foundat... more Children remain to be the most vulnerable and delicate balance of a society. They are the foundation stone of a dream of a culture as well as a community that a society represents. Most of the developed and democratic world considers them to be the building bricks on which the society grows, whereas some till date considers them to be elements of pleasure, cheap labour and entertainment. Whenever, such a situation prevails in a community, such society suffers from the worst degenerative disease ever dreamt of.

Jindal Journal of International Affairs, Jun 1, 2017

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of OBOR or BRI, has brought China and... more China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of OBOR or BRI, has brought China and Pakistan economically and strategically close. As significant part of the corridor develops through the disputed region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), it has been difficult for India to accept the project as it infringes on its sovereignty. The nature of investment, the controversies associated with the location of the corridor in Pakistan, the opacity of the investments, the conflict in Baluchistan, and the manner in which Pakistani civilian and military administration has become embroiled in the multi-billion-dollar project, has made CPEC more of a challenge to the region, than a corridor of opportunity. The paper will try to assess the nature of the project and the various challenges that it entails. Building upon these notions, the article in the end would attempt to make future predictions for the region.

Social Science Research Network, 2015

South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and... more South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and conflict. When avenues of cooperation leading to development are sought, naturally, it strengthens the prospects for a stronger and stable region. The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan brought forth the hopes of such stability for Pakistan in the forthcoming years. The idea of developing a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was visualised by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan on May 2013, found a proper shape in the present visit. 1 The proposed economic corridor will connect the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang with the Pakistani port of Gwadar through a network of roads measuring around 3000 kms (1,800 miles), providing Pakistan its muchneeded economic infrastructure, especially power-generation plants. 2 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is located where the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road meet. It is, therefore, a major project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. 3

Social Science Research Network, May 29, 2015

With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, th... more With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, the government has adapted extra judicial measures in suppressing the anti-government movement, which has triggered more violence. The manner in which Balochistan is being pushed to the cliff has been discussed in the paper.

Social Science Research Network, 2015

Routledge eBooks, Mar 15, 2023

Social Science Research Network, Sep 3, 2015

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) constitutes one of the largest foreign investments Ch... more The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) constitutes one of the largest foreign investments China has made in the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. The expenditures planned for the coming years in the amount of approximately $46 billion will further intensify relations between China and Pakistan. At the same time, Pakistan will assume a more prominent role in China's foreign policy. But CPEC also affects relations between India and Pakistan. The transport corridor between Pakistan and China traverses Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been a subject of contention between India and Pakistan since 1947. This constellation would seem to suggest a negative scenario whereby CPEC could place additional strain on India-Pakistan relations. On the other hand, a positive scenario is also conceivable, with a settlement of the Kashmir dispute even becoming possible in the long term. (author's abstract) This book merges macroand micro-level analysis o...

With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, th... more With the growing frustration of the Balochi people against the federal government of Pakistan, the government has adapted extra judicial measures in suppressing the anti-government movement, which has triggered more violence. The manner in which Balochistan is being pushed to the cliff has been discussed in the paper.

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2008

Reviewed by Dlt rri bajy ot i Bh attach ariee T h e post Cold War era has seen the rise of diplom... more Reviewed by Dlt rri bajy ot i Bh attach ariee T h e post Cold War era has seen the rise of diplomacy, open as well as secretive, both in various different dimensions and spheres. The rebirth of the Foreign Ministries due to the rising complexities of national and international events that decision-makers face has catapulted to a rising proportion, unfurling fresher dimensions every day. Prof. Rana's 'Asinn Diylonincy' remains to be a comparative treatise on the Foreign Ministries of the five Asian giants, China, India, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, each nation having its own nature and character in its national and international platform. As Rana has opined, "Diploiiincy, ns fliegeiieric sysfeiii of sfriictiires mid iiietliods fliroiigli wliicli stnfes den1 with otie niiotlicr, bilnternlly, regiotinlly, niid iiiiiltilnternlly, is wider rnyid evolufioii." Explaining the need of a 'pragmatic, inventive, flexible and prepared' Ministry of Foreign Affairs he quoted a foreign ministry's goal: "We m i s f eiijoy wide Lectiirer, Depnrtnieirt of Politicnl Science, Siligiiri College, Dnrjeehg, West Be)@.

The South Asia is an indefinite conglomeration of nations, which has been taken together in congr... more The South Asia is an indefinite conglomeration of nations, which has been taken together in congruence with the necessities that arose with clubbing nations together to create zones or regions. But these regions themselves are so strongly influenced by their neighbouring nations, that perfect dissection of interests are never possible. India and Myanmar also felt the urge to establish such links, to create some sort of stability and peace in the region that will make it more development oriented than strife ridden.

Terrorism is not a recent phenomenon and has been playing an important role in the world from the... more Terrorism is not a recent phenomenon and has been playing an important role in the world from the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. But the terrorism, as we see it today, has developed itself from the sixties and is the child of the war created by the imperialist powers. Terrorism stands out to be a method of combat in which random or symbolic victims serve as instrumental targets of violence. Narco-terrorism could be defined as the 'use of organized terror to secure control over a state by another state or organised criminal networks/or by insurgents or by a combination of any or all of them to achieve fixed political, economic or social objectives based on organizational and financial empowerment through drug trafficking.'

The relationship between India and China has always been a complex one. From the phase of being i... more The relationship between India and China has always been a complex one. From the phase of being identified as "Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai" to the humiliating defeat of India by the Chinese forces in 1962 to the growing warmth in the bilateral relations, the two countries over a period of half century and more have gone through various ups and downs. The importance of the relationship has been such that the tensions between the two Asian giants, whether expressed or unexpressed creates a sense of insecurity in the entire Asian region.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B)-the water tank of Pakistan-has been experiencing significant changes in po... more Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B)-the water tank of Pakistan-has been experiencing significant changes in political strategy introduced by the Pakistan federal government as well as China in the last few decades. With the building of the Karakoram highway, the Governance Order of 2009, the rise in sectarian violence and the present inclusion of the area in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Gilgit-Baltistan has turned extremely volatile. Gilgit and Baltistan-Political History The Constitution of Pakistan does not list Gilgit-Baltistan as a Pakistani territory, although the State has exercised sovereignty in the region since Independence. Rather, Gilgit-Baltistan is described as a territory "administered by Pakistan" and is excluded from the Constitution. 1 Though the region, which is around 72,496 sq kilometres, was known as the Northern Areas during the British rule and thereafter till 2009, it was renamed as Gilgit-Baltistan through the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order, 2009. It was one of the few cosmetic changes that were done to the occupied territories in the last seven decades. Neither was the region given the status of a province, nor was it provided the long sought after autonomy that the indigenous populace demanded from the federal government, showing the ambiguity and colonial mindset that the Pakistani authorities maintained regarding the

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and... more South Asia is recognised as a region that is marred by instability, economic underdevelopment and conflict. When avenues of cooperation leading to development are sought, naturally, it strengthens the prospects for a stronger and stable region. The recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan brought forth the hopes of such stability for Pakistan in the forthcoming years. The idea of developing a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was visualised by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan on May 2013, found a proper shape in the present visit. 1 The proposed economic corridor will connect the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang with the Pakistani port of Gwadar through a network of roads measuring around 3000 kms (1,800 miles), providing Pakistan its muchneeded economic infrastructure, especially power-generation plants. 2 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is located where the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road meet. It is, therefore, a major project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. 3

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

The issue of alternate sexual life style and nations in South Asia is governed by colonial laws, ... more The issue of alternate sexual life style and nations in South Asia is governed by colonial laws, religious norms and morality and a pseudourban mind-set that clubs sexual offences and alternate life styles to be same. The write-up tries to briefly assess how such life style exists in the nations in South Asia and the manner in which each respective nation deals with the issue. The manner in which rights and liberties of sexual minorities are being violated and undermined remain to be a notion that is grossly similar in most of the nations, except Nepal. The question of acceptability, rationality and constitutionality of providing equal rights to all minorities has been discussed. In the last ten years, the Indian society is experiencing a transformation, which is marked

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

The Present elections in Bangladesh, its prospects and the future ahead for the unstable democrat... more The Present elections in Bangladesh, its prospects and the future ahead for the unstable democratic regime. The manner in which the elections were held, its outcome and the nature of politics that lies ahead.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

The recent terror attack in Mumbai and the terrorist attacks in the last few years in the cities ... more The recent terror attack in Mumbai and the terrorist attacks in the last few years in the cities of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Islamabad, Kabul, Colombo and the like have put in place urban terrorism fully in view not previously experienced by Indian or security personnel of other South Asian nations, who has been tackling terrorism in other forms for the last three decades.

Children remain to be the most vulnerable and delicate balance of a society. They are the foundat... more Children remain to be the most vulnerable and delicate balance of a society. They are the foundation stone of a dream of a culture as well as a community that a society represents. Most of the developed and democratic world considers them to be the building bricks on which the society grows, whereas some till date considers them to be elements of pleasure, cheap labour and entertainment. Whenever, such a situation prevails in a community, such society suffers from the worst degenerative disease ever dreamt of.