As it stands today, Maldives is going to be drawn deeper into China’s strategic sphere. Chinese presence in Maldives is set to increase.

Sri Lanka is also allowing Chinese research vessels in its ports. China has big plans for the region, not just spy ships.

After the Indian protests over China’s research vessels in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has indicated that Chinese vessels can dock at Sri Lankan ports for replenishment and repairs.

Why no heads rolled for the surprises in 2020 with PLA exercising in Aksai Chin and a new road constructed five km short of Galwan?

But how does one counter the Swiss-based air-quality monitoring group IQAir which reports that India was the third most polluted country in the world after Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2023 and Delhi was the “most polluted” capital in the world?

Manipur appears to be veering toward massive armed attacks against the tribals – both the Kuki-Zo and Naga, with the state administration remaining ambivalent.  This is a dangerous development - civil war in a state bordering Myanmar which itself is experiencing rising violence.  

Since 2019, China has been building 628 dual-use military villages (termed ‘Xiaokang’ or ‘well-off’ villages) along the southern border of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including inside Bhutan and in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Much more violence could be expected in Manipur, with Meitei radicals waging all-out war against the Kuki-Zo, with Nagas fearing they would be the next target since the Arambai Tenggol alone outnumbers the tribals of Manipur hugely. 

If the Nagas are drawn into the already raging ethnic conflict in Manipur, it would be catastrophic for the border state and have repercussions in the entire northeast of India. The decision to fence the entire India-Myanmar border and cancel the FMR could potentially lead to discontent in Nagaland and Mizoram.

Ironically, recent actions will be playing into the hands of China which has a lien on many insurgent groups in Myanmar, including Meitei and Kuki-Naga groups, which it would use to destabilize northeast India.