The South Asia Politics, News, and Analysis Thread

Truth.

Narendra Modi is not Reagan. Or Obama. Or Evita. Or Margaret Thatcher

Haryana has the most obscene sex ratio in the country, and khap panchayats which are essentially grassroot-based Taliban. But you know what everyone is fighting over? Cow slaughter.

There are times where I consider Modi as N to the BJP's Team Plasma.

That has to be the most stereotypically Indian thing ever.

Not surprising

Very surprising. Apparently, four Muslim youth from Thane had joined ISIS, and the central government thinks that they need not be arrested if they can be deradicalised. Surprisingly thoughtful from the BJP government.

I live in Thane.

Extremely surprising. Many marriages being arranged may lead to this kind of situation, but in a country as conservative as India, these are still extremely eyebrow raising figures. Also, the first time I've seen the words 'YOLO effect' used unironically.

gunfire has been exchanged between India and Pakistan for almost a week or so now and it's quickly turning into the worst ceasefire violation since the ceasefire itself was put into place in 2003.

Maybe the Pakistani military figures it can retake power by starting something with India?

Pulling another Kargil? No. Especially since the guy in power in Pakistan now is the same guy from back then. The protests there are generally seen as the Army's move in that regard.

I actually think this is because a new general is in charge on the Pakistani side of that area. A handful of generals retired at the end of last month, and one of them was the CO of the Corps based in that sector. His replacement may be responsible for it. Certainly the timing is convenient.

I never said the Pakistani military was smart

They were certainly smart enough to con the US into giving aid. Don't underestimate them.

Also, this situation is getting worse. India is warning that it will escalate. Where or how or when is the question though...

Yeah we should really be cutting their aid budget right about now.

So if the Pakistani military isn't pulling some kind of power play why are they doing this?

Do the Indians with Iglas have any reason to start something? I mean from what I hear they are clearly subordinate to civilian authority.

The Military is subordinate to the civilian government, yes.

The issue is that outside of a lot of 'fighting words', not a whole lot has been done.

I guess ('hope' is perhaps a better word) that something is going on under the hood, because otherwise I would have to say that about 50% of Manmohan Singh's criticisms can also be applied to Modi.

Question is what can be done that doesn't invoke MAD. That will take time, and I'm still willing to give Modi some rope.

Nobel Peace Prize given jointly to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay, from India and Pakistan respectively

Nice.

India to build highway along disputed boarder with China The Indian government announced a proposal for a 1,800 km road along the disputed Arunachal Pradesh border with China.

New Delih is also mulling placing tariffs on Chinese good Though this is mostly because of the trade defect,and probably has nothing to do with the boarder dispute.

Is the road needed or are they just giving China the finger? I'm guessing a combination of the two.

You can move heavier military equipment with a road. As I understand it, the disputed border is pretty high up in the Himalayas. Being able to bring heavier dakka-dakka up there will be helpful for them.

I was actually thinking of civilian uses but that's a point as well. America's highway system was originally designed for military use.

The road is needed for the east since with the exception of the "chicken neck" it's landlocked. More roads the better.

So it seems Iran and Pakistan are taking potshots at each other all this week. Yesterday they called each others ambassadors to discuss it, and usually with them thats the end of it.

Well, today there have been mortars launched at each other.

They're welcome to each other.

One of the suspects in the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl has been set free by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan.

Qari Hashim was detained in 2005 and held in jail in Hyderabad, a southern city in Pakistan, during his trial.

The court acquitted Mr Hashim because of a lack of evidence, his lawyer said.

Pearl went missing in Karachi in January 2002. A month later authorities said he had been killed after receiving video footage of his beheading.

In May 2002, a decapitated body was found in a shallow grave.

DNA test proved it was Pearl, who was South Asia bureau chief at the Wall Street Journal.

Court official Abdul Samih told the BBC that Justice Abdul Ghafoor Memon ordered Mr Hashim to be released immediately.

Omar Sheik, the alleged mastermind of the murder, was sentenced to death in 2002.

Three other men were sentenced to life imprisonment.

My worry is for the Baloch stuck in the middle.

If there's genuinely no evidence he should be released. One wonders, then, why he was sentenced (or at least arrested) in the first place. My guess is that an intelligence agency uncovered something that links him to the crime but that link isn't sufficiently strong evidence (or cannot be made public) so it becomes impossible to justify holding the defendant guilty.

edited 24th Oct '14 2:54:14 PM by BestOf