AUTHOR'S BIO

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri is a Fellow in International Relations of the University of London, Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at India's University Grants Commission. He has recently authored Nuclear Politics: Towards A Safer World and Leftism In India 1917-1947.

RECENT COMMENTARIES

FEATURED COMMENTARIES

Asia's Dysfunctional Democracies

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri Series: The Asian Century

2004-09-02

Asia has been gripped by election fever all year. The Philippines and Taiwan have chosen new presidents; India and Malaysia have ushered in new parliaments and prime ministers. September brings two more vital polls: a legislative election in Hong Kong and a presidential election in Indonesia. Voters there may also extend a disturbing paradox that has emerged in the region: the more "vigorous" Asian democracy becomes, the more dysfunctional it is. ... read

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India's Revolutionary Restoration

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri Series: The Asian Century

2004-05-14

Truly, the day before India's stunning election results were announced was the quiet before the storm. Instead of bold pronouncements by the parties, there were quiet calculations about possible alliances because everyone was predicting a hung parliament. But May 12th saw a 'tandava', a form of Indian dance which turns everything topsy-turvy, a dance of doom.... read

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Childhood Lost

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri Series: Human Rights

2004-02-04

The cries of working children can be heard the world over. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 90 million children between eight and fifteen years old work in the labor forces of developing countries; worldwide the figure is higher. They often labor under hazardous conditions, handling poisonous chemicals, inhaling noxious fumes, and hauling excessive weights. They are usually overworked, underfed, and underpaid--if they are paid at all.... read

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Cheap Talk in Kashmir

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri Series: The Asian Century

2004-01-01

After two years of off-and-on nuclear brinkmanship, India and Pakistan are once again talking about how to settle their differences rather than issuing threats and rattling nuclear sabers. But do the talks now underway have any better chance of success than the countless failed negotiations that have marked the past fifty years?... read

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India's Pseudo-Democracy

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri Series: The Asian Century

2003-11-21

Recently, India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said that despite the outward appearance of health, Indian democracy appears to have become hollow, with elections reduced to a farce and the "party system eroded due to unethical practices." According to Vajpayee, "The outer shell of democracy is, no doubt, intact, but appears to be moth-eaten from inside."... read

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