It speaks for the stability of the Soviet system that it continued to tick along during Mr. Andropov’s prolonged illness. It certainly responded fairly coherently to external challenges such as the deployment of cruise and Pershing-II missiles in western Europe. But that is about all we can say. We are … Read More
It will be utterly cynical to describe President Andropov’s death as a non-event on the specious plea that he lay dying for some weeks, if not months. No one can possibly be indifferent to the change of leadership in the world’s second most powerful country, especially in this uncertain period … Read More
The Congress leadership in New Delhi, if not in Srinagar, should have resisted the temptation to use the tragic murder of Mr. Mhatre in Britain as an opportunity to continue its campaign of vilification against the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah. For all that we know, the … Read More
The Akali chief’s statement on the murderous plans of Sant Bhindranwale and his fanatical supporters is an important development. It shows that the cleavage in the Akali Dal has widened to the point where Sant Longowal has found it necessary to join the issue openly with his principal challenger. But … Read More
Sometimes it looks as if we have lost control over our political future. It looks that way to me today (January 31). Perhaps I am unduly depressed by the bandh in Bombay. I certainly regard the entire exercise symptomatic of the death instinct that seems to have seized millions of … Read More
It cannot be seriously disputed that General Akram’s recent articles “Shadows Over South Asia” in The Muslim, Islamabad, deserve the attention not only of Indian policy makers who would no doubt have read them but of commentators interested in the Pakistani perceptions of this country. General Akram is of the … Read More
No one could possibly have believed a year ago that anyone would be prepared to risk his life in the Kashmir valley to promote the cause of the Congress party. But such a miracle has taken place. Four Kashmiris by official count have died as a result of police firing … Read More
Pakistani officials have confirmed that early last year the Soviets dropped a hint that they would be willing to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in 18 months provided Islamabad in turn closed its border and stopped the infiltration of arms and men into that neighbouring country. So we cannot question … Read More
We can debate till the end of time whether Mrs. Gandhi is the cause or product of the decline of the once proud party of Indian independence. It is a futile debate of at best academic interest. For the decline is a fact. Similarly, we can debate endlessly whether Mrs. … Read More
Mr. Rajiv Gandhi’s attack on the record of the CPM-dominated West Bengal government at the Calcutta session of the Congress has created a great deal of confusion. Indeed, some people have gone so far as to say that he spoke without prior intimation to Mrs. Gandhi and that she was … Read More
