Deepak Tripathi
Encyclopedia
Deepak Tripathi is a British
historian
, journalist
and researcher
with a particular reference to South
and West Asia, terrorism
and United States
policy.
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
. His grandfather, Pandit Vishwambhar Dayal Tripathi
, was a prominent leader in India
's independence movement, Member of the Constituent Assembly, and later of the Indian Parliament. His father, Krishna Dev Tripathi, was also a parliamentarian and an academic.
After a year at Aligarh University, Tripathi graduated from Christian College, Indore
in 1973 with a BA
in Politics
, Economics
, Sociology
and English
. He then did a year of graduate study at Jawaharlal Nehru University
in New Delhi
.
From 1974, Tripathi worked for the Voice of America
in Washington, D.C.
for 3 years.
In 1977, Tripathi worked with the BBC
as a South Asia correspondent
, BBC News
producer, and editor for the World Service Radio News. He was Afghanistan
correspondent in the early 1990s in Kabul
. He has reported from Sri Lanka
, India
, Nepal
, Pakistan
and Syria
.
In 2002, Tripathi completed a Post-Graduate Diploma
in Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School
of Heriot-Watt University
, Scotland
.
From 2002, at the University of Sussex, Tripathi researched the Cold War
Afghan conflict. This led to his well-received book on Afghanistan.
Tripathi writes on the effects of superpower rivalries in South Asia and the Middle East
, and on U.S. policy in the region, for publications including Al-Ahram
, History News Network
, CounterPunch
, AlterNet
, and ZNet.
Tripathi is a Member of the Political Studies Association
and the Commonwealth Journalists Association.
, writes of 'Breeding Ground': "Tripathi’s excellent work ends with a call to replace the military strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan with development, reconciliation, and reconstruction." and "Breeding Ground makes a significant contribution toward understanding the origins and triggers of terrorism. Tripathi traces the development of a ‘culture of violence’ in Afghanistan—largely due to resistance against foreign invasion—from the “U.S.-led proxy war” against the USSR to the current U.S. war."
David Hillstrom, in the Foreign Policy Journal, describes 'Breeding Ground' as a "concise yet powerful book" which details the dangerously interlocking decisions and ill-thought-through strategies that inflamed the Afghan conflict. According to Hillstrom, Tripathi used a broad array of sources that only recently became available from both US and Soviet archives. The tragedy is that Afghanistan, which has now been at war for 40 years, has suffered the same before, from the 'Great Game' that Tsarist Russia played with the British Empire
in the 19th century; the players then as now had "simplistic strategic goals" but only "a shallow understanding" of Afghanistan itself. Hillstrom finds that Tripathi sums up the tragedy beautifully by closing his book with a quote from Tolstoy
:
Tripathi, D. (2010). Overcoming the Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington, D.C: Potomac Books.
Tripathi, D. (2011). Breeding Ground: Afghanistan and the Origins of Islamist Terrorism. Washington, D.C: Potomac Books.
Tripathi, D. Journal of Foreign Relations (list of 14 articles). JOFR: D Tripathi
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
with a particular reference to South
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and West Asia, terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
policy.
Life and career
Tripathi was born into a political family in UnnaoUnnao
The town of Unnao is the headquarters of Unnao District in Uttar Pradesh, India between Kanpur and Lucknow. It is approximately 18 km from Kanpur & 60 km from Lucknow . It is connected to these two cities by roadway as well as by railway. The nearest airport is at Amausi about...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His grandfather, Pandit Vishwambhar Dayal Tripathi
Pandit Vishwambhar Dayal Tripathi
Pandit Vishwambhar Dayal Tripathi was an Indian lawyer and politician. He was born at Bangarmau in Unnao District in what is now the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh...
, was a prominent leader in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's independence movement, Member of the Constituent Assembly, and later of the Indian Parliament. His father, Krishna Dev Tripathi, was also a parliamentarian and an academic.
After a year at Aligarh University, Tripathi graduated from Christian College, Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
in 1973 with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Politics
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
. He then did a year of graduate study at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.
From 1974, Tripathi worked for the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for 3 years.
In 1977, Tripathi worked with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a South Asia correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
producer, and editor for the World Service Radio News. He was Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
correspondent in the early 1990s in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. He has reported from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
In 2002, Tripathi completed a Post-Graduate Diploma
Postgraduate diploma
A postgraduate diploma is a postgraduate qualification awarded typically after a bachelor's degree. It can be contrasted with a graduate diploma...
in Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School
Edinburgh Business School
Edinburgh Business School is the Graduate School of Business of Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh, Scotland. Heriot-Watt University is the eighth oldest higher educational institution in the UK, and awards degrees by Royal Charter...
of Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
From 2002, at the University of Sussex, Tripathi researched the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Afghan conflict. This led to his well-received book on Afghanistan.
Tripathi writes on the effects of superpower rivalries in South Asia and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and on U.S. policy in the region, for publications including Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
, History News Network
History News Network
History News Network is a project of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Although the HNN resides on GMU's server, it operates independently of the university as a non-profit corporation registered in Washington State...
, CounterPunch
Counterpunch
Counterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
, AlterNet
AlterNet
AlterNet, a project of the non-profit Independent Media Institute, is a progressive/liberal activist news service. Launched in 1998, AlterNet now claims a readership of over 3 million visitors per month .AlterNet publishes original content as well as journalism from a wide variety of other sources...
, and ZNet.
Tripathi is a Member of the Political Studies Association
Political Studies Association
The Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom is an association of political scientists that exists to develop and promote the study of politics in the United Kingdom...
and the Commonwealth Journalists Association.
Reception of his work
Tripathi is respected by reviewers for his writings on world conflicts, such as in Afghanistan, notably for his books 'Breeding Ground' and 'Overcoming The Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan'.'Breeding Ground'
Marjorie Cohn, in the History News NetworkHistory News Network
History News Network is a project of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Although the HNN resides on GMU's server, it operates independently of the university as a non-profit corporation registered in Washington State...
, writes of 'Breeding Ground': "Tripathi’s excellent work ends with a call to replace the military strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan with development, reconciliation, and reconstruction." and "Breeding Ground makes a significant contribution toward understanding the origins and triggers of terrorism. Tripathi traces the development of a ‘culture of violence’ in Afghanistan—largely due to resistance against foreign invasion—from the “U.S.-led proxy war” against the USSR to the current U.S. war."
David Hillstrom, in the Foreign Policy Journal, describes 'Breeding Ground' as a "concise yet powerful book" which details the dangerously interlocking decisions and ill-thought-through strategies that inflamed the Afghan conflict. According to Hillstrom, Tripathi used a broad array of sources that only recently became available from both US and Soviet archives. The tragedy is that Afghanistan, which has now been at war for 40 years, has suffered the same before, from the 'Great Game' that Tsarist Russia played with the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in the 19th century; the players then as now had "simplistic strategic goals" but only "a shallow understanding" of Afghanistan itself. Hillstrom finds that Tripathi sums up the tragedy beautifully by closing his book with a quote from Tolstoy
Tolstoy
Tolstoy, or Tolstoi is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy who served under Vasily II of Moscow...
:
- “In all history there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious, even when successful.”
'Overcoming The Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan'
Ramzy Baroud, in the Global Researcher, writes of 'Overcoming The Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan': "While reputable author and world renowned journalist Deepak Tripathi agrees with this grim view [of the poor outcomes of Western intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan], he doesn’t think all is lost. He believes that there is still a chance, an opportunity even to redress the injustice and reverse the terrible mistakes that were made. A compelling writer and a meticulous researcher, Tripathi’s work is both gripping and comprehensive. His latest book, 'Overcoming The Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan' serves as a glaring reminder of what military power can do when it goes unchecked, and when it is combined with religious fanaticism or misguided political ideology."Selected publications
Tripathi, D., & Royal Institute of International Affairs. (1989). Sri Lanka's Foreign Policy Dilemmas. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs.Tripathi, D. (2010). Overcoming the Bush Legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington, D.C: Potomac Books.
Tripathi, D. (2011). Breeding Ground: Afghanistan and the Origins of Islamist Terrorism. Washington, D.C: Potomac Books.
Tripathi, D. Journal of Foreign Relations (list of 14 articles). JOFR: D Tripathi