The year 2021 has begun with multiple challenges associated with political transitions. After the political chaos at the Capitol, the Biden administration has taken over the reins in Washington. In India’s neighbourhood, Nepal has been going through a painful process of political instability, with the survival of the caretaker government being tested on a daily basis. The most destabilising development has been the coup by the Myanmar military after the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) secured a spectacular victory in the November 2020 elections. The political crisis has continued in Pakistan and shows no signs of abatement. The prospects of a peaceful transition in Afghanistan look rather bleak at the moment. Such challenges further compound India’s problems to respond to China’s aggressive tactics along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
