The truth behind the rhetoric: India still holds influence, allies nearby

Of course, the elephant in the South Asia room continues to be China. But a strategy of containment that goes beyond banning apps is in place in the neighbourhood

As the year draws to a close, a new dispensation is set to take over in the United States. The world is changing. What are the prospects for India in South Asia?

 

Many argue that over the year India has done nothing in the neighbourhood but make enemies of friends. They point to Bhutan, where the demand that Thimphu review its options of putting all its eggs in the India basket is rising. In Nepal, a new regime, supposedly bitterly opposed to New Delhi, is in place. Observers there note that “in the absence” of an invitation from India, new(est)