The Bay of Bengal Conversations 2025 resonated with the compulsions of smaller nations and the opportunities that the unraveling of the western model offers. The theme — Rivals, Ruptures, Realignments — brought out some unusual critique of the global North, something that was unthinkable until a couple of years ago. Issues like frustration with the status quo; helplessness vis a vis big power agendas; small powers' dilemmas such as who to side with; back-paddling of democracy, often condoned by the big powers if democratic regression is aligned with their interests; demise of the rules-based order (the way the West peddled it as an abiding principle for all); and the inevitability of China as a bridge between the North and South dominated the charged discourse for three days.

The forum, o

See Full Page