Deepak Dwivedi
A mid the nationwide brouhaha over The Kashmir Files, we decided to turn our gaze towards the development aspect of the Kashmir issue. Our Cover Story elaborates on the all-around development activities launched by the Modi Government in Jammu & Kashmir post-the abrogation of Article 370. Making the recent J&K Budget passed by Parliament as the peg, the story dwells on a slew of projects being undertaken in the UT with a view to making a Naya Kashmir. A related story deals with how the Modi Government has speeded up efforts to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, now that the Valley is being directly administered by the Centre.
For Centerspread this week, we have picked a rather off-beat subject – the remarkable credentials of Siddharth Chatterjee, the Indian son-in-law of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Currently, the UN Resident Coordinator in China, Chatterjee’s background bears many similarities with that of the former SG. Like Ban, he too turned a ‘man of peace from a ‘child of war’ and the parents of both were sufferers of two different wars. Starting with humble beginnings, Chatterjee defied expectations, joined the Army, handled tough assignments, realized the futility of war at some stage, and took up a civilian job with the UN. War and conflict situations have remained part of his preoccupation and the feats which he has achieved during his illustrious career are a source of inspiration to many.
Bhutan, India’s unwavering friend In South Asia, is our chosen country for Globetrotting. India is Bhutan’s largest and most important trading partner. It is also the biggest market for several of Bhutan’s exports, including electricity, dolomite, ferrosilicon, and semi-finished products. Besides, India offers many scholarship schemes to Bhutanese students and training programs for its finance sector professionals and judicial officers. An accompanying box explains the shared threat perception in the Himalayas as Bhutan is one of the few countries questioning China’s regional ambitions by not establishing diplomatic relations with the former.
A flurry of visits by global leaders highlights the ever-growing importance of India on the world stage and we include this in our news package. While Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had to put off his planned trip after he tested Covid-positive, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and top leaders from Germany, Austria and Greece landed in New Delhi this week. Besides issues of bilateral concern, the Ukraine crisis was likely to be on top of the agenda in these high-level meetings. The week also saw the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and that too has been covered in this edition.
Over to you!
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