Impact of West Bengal Politics on India–Bangladesh Relations
Abstract It was expected that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011 would transform India–Bangladesh relations. However, this did not happen as India could not sign the Teesta water sharing agreement, the biggest deliverable of the visit. It also made some people brand West Bengal (Paschimbanga) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a spoiler. But did West Bengal stop central government from achieving a historic diplomatic breakthrough for narrow political objectives, or were its leaders only protecting their state interests, which central government may not have been fully able to understand being far away from the region? This article examines the impact of West Bengal politics on India–Bangladesh relations and argues that the role played by the states can often add value to foreign policy making and might actually prevent the centre from jeopardising local interests, thereby protecting national interests as well. The India–Bangladesh relationship can improve if treaties are negotiated in such a way that they become win-win for both sides. This will happen if the treaties are signed after due diligence, taking into account all stakeholders, and if they are implemented sincerely.
Explaining the phenomenon of change in Indian foreign policy under the National Democratic Alliance Government
Abstract This paper seeks to explain the conditions under which governments decide to change the course of their foreign policy using the National Democratic Alliance regime of India as a case study. The foreign policy change literature is rich in insights about the sources, conditions and consequences of change. The relevant findings from the literature are used to analyse the nature and degree of change in Indian foreign policy under the National Democratic Alliance government in two areas: nuclear policy and Indo-US relations. While it is generally conceded that India changed the course and content of its policy in the late 1990s, the reasons and impact of the change are still a matter of debate. There is also no agreement on whether India has just made some adjustment changes or a fundamental shift in its orientation. This paper uses relevant indicators to establish the nature, level and degree of change in India's policy, and examines whether policy alterations were merely reactive, incremental and ad hoc, or whether they represented a conscious design comprising clear objectives and supportive strategies.
From the World Literature
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi INTRODUCTION: Goethe Coins a Phrase 1 PART ONE: CIRCULATION Chapter 1: Gilgamesh's Quest 39 Chapter 2: The Pope's Blowgun 78 Chapter 3: From the Old World to the Whole World 110 PART TWO: TRANSLATION Chapter 4: Love in the Necropolis 147 Chapter 5: The Afterlife of Mechthild von Magdeburg 170 Chapter 6: Kafka Comes Home 187 PART THREE: PRODUCTION Chapter 7: English in the World 209 Chapter 8: Rigoberta Menchu in Print 231 Chapter 9: The Poisoned Book 260 CONCLUSION: World Enough and Time 281 BIBLIOGRAPHY 305 INDEX 319