India Foundation organised the 2nd session of Young Conservatives Series on 20 June, 2024 in New Delhi. The session was addressed by Shri Ashok Malik, Partner & Chair of India Practice, The Asia Group, on the theme ‘Global Conservatism: What can we learn from it?’

Pacific Forum, in partnership with India Foundation and supported by the U.S. Embassy India, conducted the second edition of the Emerging Journalist Media Workshop in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 14-15 June, 2024.

India Foundation organised the sixth session of the Round-Table Discussions in the ongoing “Tibet Talks” series. The topic for this session was “Dams and Displacement: China’s Disruptive Development Drive in Tibet”. The session was addressed by Mr.Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, Deputy Director of the Tibet Policy Institute. The Round-Table Discussion took place on 13 June 2024 (Thursday) at the India Foundation office, with the session chaired by Maj. Gen. Dhruv Katoch, Director, India Foundation.

The speaker addressed the session by introducing the gathering to the protests that were recently held in February, in the Derge region of Eastern Tibet, Sichuan. These protests were held due to the proposed building of the Kamtok dam in the Derge region of Tibet and hence the protesters pleaded with the Chinese government to not build these dams due to multiple risks that surrounded it. Irrespective of this, the Chinese government have planned to build 13 dams in very close proximity to each other, which according to the Tibetans will lead to multiple risks like displacement of communities, loss of culture, environmental threats, threat to human life and many more for the Tibetan communities that live near these dams.

The speaker subsequently highlighted the 10-point call put forward by Tibetan experts on the current Chinese dam construction and forced displacement in Derge which included suggestions like local inclusivity, participation of local communities in decision-making etc. However, the Chinese government has justified the rapid development of dams by attempts at decreasing poverty, optimizing energy structure and achievement of ‘dual carbon’ goals which come under the aim of achieving a ‘Moderately Prosperous Country’ for the Chinese community and hence also put a lot of emphasis on their goal of achieving peak Carbon Emission before 2030 and Carbon Neutrality by 2060. To achieve this target, the Chinese government has started building multiple dams, and solar and power institutions as they conceive it to be eco-friendly and a source of renewable energy, though this idea of dams has been contested in recent times due to manifold consequences which encompass the domains of cultural, environmental and social losses.

The discussion then delved into the Tibetan view of these rapid development of dams who perceive it to be for the Chinese people and their government and not for the welfare of the Tibetans. They believe that the construction of these dams is against the culture and heritage of the Tibetan people. The speech then furthered onto the discussion of the Bolo landslide of 2018, wherein the Jinsha river was blocked for 11 days which made the river flow backwards, leading to subsequent flooding that submerged the whole of Bolo town and destroyed more than 100 houses. The risk extended not only to the Tibetan people, but also to the various Chinese communities that lived downstream. The speaker shed light on the massive damage that can happen if such a case happens with any one of these dams in Tibet as well.

India Foundation in collaboration with India Habitat Centre, organised a book discussion on ‘Gwadar: A Chinese Gibraltar’, authored by Capt Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation on 06 June, 2024 in New Delhi. The session was chaired by Shri Tilak Devasher, Member, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Dr Ashok Behuria, Coordinator, South Asia Centre & Senior Fellow, MP-IDSA, delivered their remarks as the discussants for the session.

India Foundation organised a book discussion as a part of its 7th Ideas Series on ‘Transformation: Emergence of Bangladesh and Evolution of India-Bangladesh Ties’, authored by Shri Pinak Chakravarty, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, and former Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, on 30 May, 2024. The session was chaired by Ms Rami Niranjan Desai, Distinguished Fellow, India  Foundation.

India Foundation, in collaboration with India Habitat Centre, organised a Roundtable Discussion on ‘Middle East after Iran-Israel Conflagration‘ on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at Juniper Hall, India Habitat Centre. The roundtable began with initial remarks by the moderator of the discussion, Captain Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation. The session was followed by the remarks of the three panelists. After the remarks by each panelist, the programme concluded with a free-flowing Q&A session and a discussion.

The first panelist, Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh,  Distinguished Fellow, VIF, and India’s former Ambassador to the US, France and Israel argued about the difficulties faced by Israel in achieving its stated goal of eliminating Hamas. He drew its parallel with the US’s efforts in Afghanistan to wipe out Al-Qaeda. He highlighted that notwithstanding the popular perception that the US is a declining power, it still remains a dominant power in the region of West Asia/Middle East and China and Russia, despite being very active in undermining the power of the US, still lag behind it. Amb Singh concluded by remarking that Israel, which followed the ‘doctrine of periphery’ in the initial decades of its establishment, has since 2000 started focusing on building its relationship with the Arab world, with the Abraham Accord as an example of it.

The second panelist, Dr. Meena Singh Roy, Former Research Fellow and Coordinator, West Asia Centre at MP-IDSA began her remarks that the region of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has always surprised scholars in many things, like what happened in Tunisia and Egypt. She mentioned the need for deeper research as to why negotiations about peace in the region have always failed. Most of the monarchs in the region, according to Dr Roy, have bought peace and established a new social contract. She also highlighted that the issue of food and water security would be a bigger challenge for the region in the future. She concluded that although at the regional level, there are many conflicts in the Middle East, yet there is a movement for greater regional dialogue, like that between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The third panelist, Ambassador Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF, and India’s former envoy to Jordan, Libya and Malta, spoke about the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7^th October. He emphasised that it was both about the loss of its people as well as about the loss of the perception of its infallibility. He pointed out that it must not be forgotten that the basic cause of the problem in the Middle East is the absence of any solution to the Palestinian issue. He also argued that there are no protests in the Arab world like those happening in US universities because the Arab leaders do not want a repeat of the Arab Spring and this attack has recharged Arab streets like never before. Amb Trigunayat concluded by stating that Middle Eastern states have indulged themselves in smart diplomacy and have started focusing on the countries of the East like China, India and Korea. The discussion concluded with the final remarks of the moderator Captain Alok Bansal, who gave an interesting insight about how the Arab streets remain anti-US, while their governments remain pro-US, which is diametrically opposite to the case of Iran, where although the regime remains staunchly anti-US, the people remain otherwise.

 

India Foundation held a condolence meeting for Shri Sushil Modion 24 May, 2024, who was a Member of the Governing Council of India Foundation. The gathering paid floral tributes to the great statesman, and shared their reminiscences about him.

India Foundation organised the 3rd Shakti Sinha Memorial Lecture on”The Future of SAARC”, delivered by H. E. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General, SAARC, on 13 May, 2024. The session was chaired by Dr Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation.

India Foundation organised the 95th India Foundation Dialogue on 10 May, 2024. The session on “India’s Nuclear Deterrence: Need for Doctrinal Change?” was addressed by Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, Former C-in-C, Strategic Forces Command of India and chaired by Vice Adm Shekhar Sinha, Member, Board of Trustees, India Foundation.

India Foundation hosted an interaction with Amb Indramani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC, on 10 May, 2024 in New Delhi.

India Foundation hosted an interaction for spirited youngsters active in the public and policy domain, with Dr Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation, on 09 May, 2024. The interaction included deliberations on various social and cultural issues, and a need to address them from an innovative, futuristic perspective.

India Foundation organised the fifth session of the Round-Table Discussions in the ongoing “Tibet Talks” series. The topic for this session was “Parliament in Exile: Administrative Role and Challenges”. The session was addressed by Ms Gyari Dolma, Security Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Dharamsala. The Round-Table Discussion took place on 2 May 2024 (Thursday) at the India Foundation office, with the session chaired by Capt Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation.

The speaker highlighted the unique democratic structure of the Tibetan exile Administration, contrasting it with India’s system. In the Tibetan democratic structure, there are no political parties, and candidates are nominated and elected directly by the people. The speaker explained the dual role of parliament members, balancing both ruling and opposition roles.

The speech then delved into the history of Tibetan democracy, mentioning the influence of Indian democracy on the Dalai Lama and the establishment of the Tibetan Parliament in exile in 1960. It discussed the challenges of holding elections for Tibetans in exile and explained the composition of the Tibetan Parliament, with representatives from each of the three traditional provinces of Tibet. The speaker highlighted the role of women in the Tibetan-Exile parliament with 2 out of 10 seats from each province reserved for women since 1964 and expressed pride in stating that today there are more than 2 women from each province on their merits and not gender. The role of clergy in the parliament was also highlighted, with a discussion on the debates surrounding their representation. The talk moved on to discuss the administrative role of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, describing it as powerful within its democratic setup. The parliament plays a significant role in formulating policies, including foreign policy, with input from the public and debate among members. The Round-Table Discussion was attended by the young Tibetan diaspora in India, Former Diplomats, Entrepreneurs, Indian scholars, and the India Foundation team.