On the streets of Tashkent and Dushanbe, Bollywood numbers incite local people to break into impromptu jigs. And in the war-torn dustbowls of Afghanistan, American workers are building schools and hospitals in the middle of non-stop gunfire. The Indians are doing the same, at the risk of their lives. This is the soft side of the story — efforts to woo the Central Asian Republics. The hard truths of the world's sudden love for the region are hidden behind the barbed wire fences and camouflaged battle gear. In the past few years, military bases have cropped up across the region. The Americans have several bases in Central Asia, including Afghanistan. The Russians, Nato and Chinese too have established military posts in the region. Even India can claim to have set up an air defence unit in Tajikistan.
Already branded villains of this scary scene, the two Asian countries will continue to guzzle more oil to feed their booming economies, even as demand for oil would fall in the industrialized world. In a report last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) spoke about two future scenarios — the growth of "long-term demand led by China and India..." and "the supply threats, including increasing conflict...."
Energy war: India and China face off in Central Asia
Amazing Statistics: California Uses More Gas than China
No comments:
Post a Comment