Pragmatism will continue to guide CPC

[B Raman analyses the implications of the recent changes in the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Here it is, published courtesy: South Asia Analysis Group. www.southasiaanalysis.org]

B.RAMAN

Pragmatism will continue to guide the policies of the new leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by Mr.XiJinping which took over from the outgoing leadership headed by Mr.Hu Jintao on November 15, 2012.

2. The seven members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, who will lead the party and the country till the 19^th Party Congress in 2017,belong to a transition generation which was born just before the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 or in the early years thereafter.

Adding substance to SAARC: India-Sri Lanka experience

By Col. (retd) R.Hariharan

[This article includes extracts from the valedictory address delivered by the author at the International Conference on “India-Sri Lanka Relations: Strengthening SAARC” organised by the Centre for Indian Ocean Studies, Osmania University Hyderabad on November 8 and 9, 2012.]

Introduction

There is a widespread feeling of pessimism among South Asians at the halting progress made by the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since its inception in 1985. Though SAARC is world’s largest regional grouping of 1.47 billion people, it has not been able to assert its collective strength like the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) or the European Union (EU).

But the comparison is a little unfair as both ASEAN and EU were formed in different historical contexts and environments. They were conceived when the world was in the grip of Cold War.[i] The European grouping came about to minimize the impact of twin threats: post war economic privations of Europe and the fear of Soviet Union destabilizing Europe. For ASEAN, the U.S. penchant for building regional alliances to fight Communist threat in Southeast Asia provided the incentive.

Sri Lanka Perspectives - October 2012

Col R Hariharan

Highlights

Abolition of 13^th Amendment: The provincial autonomy issue again came the fore as Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and leaders of two coalition partners - the right wing Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the left wing National Freedom Front (NFF) of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) sought the abolition of 13^th Amendment to the Constitution. This dissension within the ruling alliance could neutralize Indian efforts to get the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to restart talks with the government on the reconciliation process. 

Miscellaneous: 

• Closure of refinery
• India-Sri Lanka FTA’s progress.
• ‘KP’s new role.