Beyond Nation & State with Smita Sharma

18 months and counting…Russia’s full blown invasion of Ukraine continues with no political resolution in sight to the war. With the conflict prolonged and the battlefield unpredictable, what is the physical and economic cost of this war in Russia and Ukraine, Europe and beyond? Is there any challenge to President Putin in Russia, or has he emerged stronger with the top brass of mercenary Wagner group including Prighozin eliminated. On Episode 14 of the foreign policy podcast Beyond Nation and State on Suno India, Independent Journalist and host Smita Sharma spoke to Alexander Gabuev. Gabuev is the Director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin and a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group. He contributes regularly to a wide range of international publications See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Cricketer turned politician, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan is behind bars. Dozens of cases against him- serious charges of corruption, incitement of violence, abuse of authority to leaking of official secrets. He has been barred from fighting elections for five years. Is this the end of the road for the outsider who challenged political dynasts in Pakistan - the Sharifs and the Bhuttos? What triggered the souring of relations between the army-ISI and Khan who was seen as the establishment's blue eyed boy when he won the elections in 2018? What does Imran Khan’s arrest mean for his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and for the struggling democracy in Pakistan? On Episode 12 of the weekly Foreign Policy Podcast Beyond Nation And State on Suno India, a look at the political turmoil within Pakistan and the future of Imran Khan. Independent journalist and host Smita Sharma speaks to Raza Ahmad Rumi, a noted Pakistani policy analyst, senior journalist, editor and an author based in the US. Raza Rumi is Director, Park Center for Independent Media and teaches in the journalism department at Ithaca College. He is also a Professor at Cornell Institute for Public Affairs.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

30th July is observed by the UN as the World Against Trafficking in Persons Day. This year’s theme was ‘Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind’. On Episode 10 of the Foreign Policy Podcast Beyond Nation and State on Suno India, we talk about the scale of this crisis in South Asia in particular where a quarter of the world’s population lives today. Independent journalist and host Smita Sharma spoke to celebrated photojournalist Smita Sharma who has documented the human trafficking network and crisis across South Asia in her powerful book We Cry in Silence. The book documents the trafficking of underage girls across South Asia and has won the Photography Book of the Year Award of Excellence by Pictures of the Year International and was listed in the Top 10 Photo Books by the International Center of Photography. The episode focuses on how the human trafficking network thrives, legal and policing loopholes, the socio-cultural perceptions of survivors of trafficking, responsible reporting of human trafficking and more. Tune in to the Suno India App to listen to all episodes of Beyond Nation And State. You can also listen in to the weekly episodes on Apple and Spotify podcasts.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the Eastern Theatre Command's headquarters on 6th July. This is the command in charge of the region around Taiwan. While there Xi warned about a 'new period of turmoil and change for the world’. This warning also came just days ahead of Taiwan’s main annual Han Kuang military exercises. Has Xi upped the ante on Taiwan? Will China force a reunification with Taiwan in the near future through military escalation? And what would the next Taiwan Strait military conflict mean for the US, India and the world. On Episode 8 of the foreign policy podcast Beyond Nation And State, independent journalist and host talks about the history of the Taiwan crisis, changing dynamics with the island and the Peoples’ Republic of China, and what is at stake for India and the world if it leads to a flare up involving the world’s two biggest powers of US and China. In conversation with Vijay Gokhale, Retired career diplomat, former envoy to Malaysia, Germany and China and Former Foreign Secretary. He is the author of 3 important books - Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest, The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India, and After Tiananmen: The Rise of ChinaVijay Gokhale is currently a Non-Resident senior fellow at Carnegie IndiaAnd has authored a recent working paper on -‘What should India do before the next Taiwan Strait Crisis.’ See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Since the National Uprising of Tibetans in 1959 against the People’s Republic of China (PRC) tens of thousands of Tibetans found refuge in India as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile came into existence. Today with an aggressive Chinese foreign, defence and security policy under President Xi Jinping, information and access to Tibet is extremely controlled with Tibetans saying they are dying a slow cultural death. On Episode 6 of Beyond Nation and State on Suno India, we talk about the centrality of Tibet in the dynamics of Indo-China relations, the question of the reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama and what is happening inside Tibet. The changing demographics in Tibet, Chinese cultural and religious influences as well as the environmental concerns around China's infrastructure development projects. Independent Journalist and Host Smita Sharma spoke to Penpa Tsering who is the highest political leader or the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration or the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Listen to all previous episodes of the Foreign Policy Podcast series on Suno India, Spotify and Apple. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold official talks with American President Joe Biden during his first State Visit to the United States on 22nd June. Two key components are expected to be likely deliverables of the state visit - the iCET or the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies and a possible agreement authorizing joint production of GE F-414 jet engines in India to power indigenous fighter aircraft. The two defense ministries are also expected to launch an innovation bridge under the framework. On this episode of Beyond Nation And State, host Smita Sharma speaks to two expert voices, Sameer P Lalwani - Senior Expert at the Asia Centre, USIP, and Arun K Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Israel, and France and Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Carnegie India to understand how the iCET can further transform the strategic ties and is it the next historic nuclear deal moment in ties? Additional Reading: https://carnegieindia.org/2023/04/17/what-should-india-do-before-next-taiwan-strait-crisis-pub-89515 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/new-phase-in-india-us-ties-but-there-has-to-be-room-to-disagree/ https://www.foreignaffairs.com/india/markey-modi-biden-united-states https://carnegieindia.org/2023/06/12/india-and-united-states-good-bet-one-year-of-u.s.-india-initiative-on-critical-and-emerging-technology-icet-pub-89926 See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

India and the US today are working closely on critical and emerging technology. The US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) will be an important component in talks during the upcoming State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington DC. He will be only the third Indian leader after President Radhakrishan in 1963 and Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2009 to be hosted on a State Visit by the American President. While the India US relations have undergone massive transformations in the last decade and a half, the one deal that reshaped and reset the contours of this relation was the 123 agreement or the India-US civil nuclear agreement inked in 2008. This marked a strategic repositioning of Indian foreign policy overcoming the deep mistrust of the US in the post Cold War era. It also ended the nuclear apartheid and discrimination that India was subjected to despite being a nuclear weapons power. This deal involved intricate and complicated diplomacy and negotiations over a period of 3 years under the leadership of US President George W Bush and Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. On Episode 2 of Beyond Nation and State season 2, we turn back the clock to reflect on what played out behind the scenes in obtaining a special waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group and inking the agreement. What still holds back the deal and the future of nuclear energy. Smita Sharma speaks to Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, currently the President of the India International Centre. Among the key architects who made the deal a possibility, Saran shares the make it or break it moments and sharp insights from the drawing board table.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Now tune into the new season of Beyond Nation and State with Smita Sharma, a seasoned journalist with experience reporting on foreign policy and global events. With her new role as a podcaster, she plans to explore the evolving world and India's position in it. She aims to uncover the behind-the-scenes diplomacy and decision-making that shaped Indian foreign policy in the past, interviewing key figures involved. Additionally, she will analyze current global developments and their impact on India and its citizens, providing insights into the country's future direction.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.