A Gaulish Lens to the Brahmaputra’s Burden
Our scene opens at the Jug and Amphora, a pub that, as the rickety wooden board affixed to its entrance attests, specialises in Gaulish wines. After a few knocks at the closed pub door, our protagonists are greeted by the owner, Dipsomanix, himself.
The door swings open and the intrepid Obelix barges in carrying a barrel full of a magic potion brewed by none other than the talented druid, Getafix. The purpose of such a concoction? To give a small village of British rebels superhuman strength to resist a siege by Julius Caesar (who was invading and conquering territories across Britain).
But back to the Jug and Amphora we return. Obelix smuggles in the barrel with the intention to disguise it amongst the many other wine-bearing barrels and hopes to eventually deliver it to the rebel village. All goes smoothly…until they hear another knock at the door, an official Roman patrol who are aware of this special barrel’s contents and intend to prevent it from reaching the rebels.
In a moment, the entire legion has barged into the pub and confiscated every barrel in the cellar. Each legionary is then given one simple instruction by their legate: sample every single barrel and “notify your commanding officer if it tastes funny”.
And so the sampling begins in a sincere effort to identify the magic potion. The only unintended consequence they didn’t anticipate…was the entire tasting unit becoming hopelessly drunk and unable to clearly identify the right barrel.
Unlike the well intentioned but imprudent Roman legate, our Takshashila Geospatial Programme Research Analyst, Swati Kalyani, has considered the unanticipated implications of China’s recently approved hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, and has prudent advice to share: India and Bangladesh should consider the ecological concerns.
In her recent Op-ed in the Deccan Herald, Swati highlights the impact on the river’s carrying capacity and argues for greater cooperation, despite the longstanding water-sharing dispute between both countries:
India and Bangladesh should engage with each other to address existing river disputes, build cooperative hydro-political ties, and present a unified voice regarding the challenges of this initiative for the welfare of millions of people dependent on the river. Comprehensive stakeholder engagements among hydrology experts and leaders of both sides, on a regular basis, like the Indus Basin Knowledge Forum or Mekong River Commission, can create the necessary foundations for the required river management framework.
For a more fulsome look at her analysis, including the factors that contribute to this imminent ecological burden on the Brahmaputra follow this link.
Key Trends for 2025: Narayan Ramachandran
“Expect 2025 to be a year in which artificial intelligence trumps common sense” writes Takshashila Co-Founder, Narayan Ramachandran in his latest column in The Mint.
If you’re wondering what trends may warrant this assessment, turn to the column to see Narayan chart out potential key developments to watch for in 2025, categorised as either high, medium or uncertain levels of probability. To take a closer look his analysis (from geopolitical to fiscal trends, among others) follow this link.
MERICS China Forecast 2025
In conversation with the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), was Takshashila’s very own Chairperson for Indo-Pacific Studies Programme, Manoj Kewalramani, who provides thoughtful commentary on geopolitical concerns related to China, particularly in light of a new US administration under President-elect Donald Trump.
To watch their rich exchange, including Manoj’s views on the Chinese government’s goals for the year, follow this link.
DPDP Rules: A Lot to be Desired?
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules were released on January 3 and Takshashila Assistant Programme Manager, Anwesha Sen, argues that they are a far cry from what tech policy commentators were expecting.
She writes:
One of the most glaring issues with the DPDP Rules is their failure to clarify critical aspects of the DPDP Act, despite a gap of 16 months…moreover, while the DPDP Rules are open for public consultation, they are currently only available in English and Hindi, which severely limits the ability of most citizens to engage with the consultation process. In a country as diverse as India, with many regional languages, this narrow accessibility undermines democratic participation.
See her comprehensive analysis in its entirety, dear reader, at this link.
Fragile Ties: Pakistan-Taliban Relations, the ATP of the Week
This week’s All Things Policy (ATP) Episode we’re excited to showcase is a conversation between Takshashila Research Analyst for Pakistan Studies, Aishwaria Sonavane and Senior Associate Fellow at RSIS, Abdul Basit.
In this half hour discussion, they unpack considerations around Taliban-Pakistan relations, as well as relevant regional implications. To listen into their insightful chat at the link here.
Takshashila Tabletop Trove!
Welcome back to the Tabletop Trove of Dispatch! As you may well know, this section is intended to be a virtual repository of the books that sit at a high-table located in Takshashila’s physical office space in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
This week’s theme is ‘Living with Oneself’ as curated by our Indo-Pacific Studies Staff Research Analyst, Anushka Saxena:
Ugly: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards (Anita Bhagwandas)
On Human Nature (Edward O. Wilson)
The Underground Girls of Kabul: The Hidden Lives of Afghan Girls Disguised as Boys (Jenny Nordberg)
Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Trevor Noah)
This edition of the Dispatch was written by Kripa Koshy, Programme Manager for Takshashila’s Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy.