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Indian Artillery: Speed of Acquisition Is as Important for Readiness as Technology

India has demonstrated that it can develop and manufacture modern artillery systems. What needs reassessment is how quickly we acquire, integrate and field them, and how effectively we ensure that new technologies communicate and operate together.

Why Dhaka and Delhi Must Find Common Ground - and Their Shared Space

If India says the security of its Northeast, border management, trade and connectivity matter, Bangladesh can equally say that water sharing, deaths at the border, market access, energy security, river management and sovereign equality matter to it. 

PLA’s Partial Pullbacks from Ladakh Frontier: More Tactical Than Operational Move by China

The Indian military views no disengagement in Arunachal Pradesh as part of a wider strategic recalibration, prompting India to match Chinese force rebalancing by shifting strike corps and resources equally across both northern and eastern fronts.

China-US: Rivalry, Restraint, a New Equilibrium - and an Emerging Geopolitical Order

BRICS is acquiring greater visibility, while countries of the Global South continue to seek a greater voice in the international system. The desire for a more multipolar world is becoming increasingly evident. Over the next decade, this could produce a geopolitical configuration rather different from the one we have known since the end of the Cold War.

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Soleimani’s killing has only helped Islamic State, will threaten South Asian security

The re-emergence of IS would have a definite impact on the Af-Pak region, with its consequential fallout for India and regional peace and stability in South Asia, writes Brig Anil Gupta (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Shaheen Bagh protests: A unique civil society movement led by women

What makes the Shaheen Bagh rare in the history of Indian civil society movements is that this is the first-time Muslim women are leading a protest against a law passed by the state, writes Alakh Ranjan for South Asia Monitor

CAA will deepen perception of an India unfriendly to Muslims

It is widely believed that India’s decision on CAA would ‘question the principle of equality before the law’ and emotionally impact the Muslim community of both India and its neighbouring countries, writes Sukanya Bali for South Asia Monitor

Challenging times for Indian foreign policy as new foreign secretary takes charge

Shringla, who came in from Washington where he served as India’s ambassador, will have his work cut out, writes  Nilova Roy Chaudhury for South Asia Monitor 

Will China’s strategic embrace of Myanmar spell more trouble for Rohingyas?

The strategic gameplan of support to the Rohingya militancy is clearly visible. One, for China, making them into militants can be used to destabilize many countries, including India in South Asia, thus weakening its economic competitors, writes Swadesh Roy for South Asia Monitor

South Asian countries must formulate legal frameworks to control marine litter

In South Asia, the issue of marine litter management is not taken as a priority by any of the nations, write Harsh Mahaseth and Shubham Sharma for South Asia Monitor 

Religious extremism taking hold in Afghanistan as Taliban influence spreads

Salafist movements, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Jamiat-E Eslah, while opposing Taliban methods, are generally the same, and these movements, consciously or unconsciously, pave the way for Taliban recruitment in Afghanistan, Writes Saleem Payenda for South Asia Monitor

Vulnerable communities in Bangladesh to be worst hit by climate crisis

Bangladesh and Maldives, amongst others, are the most afflicted and vulnerable victims of environmental pollution and climate change, Write Akmal Hossain for South Asia Monitor

Anti-CAA protests in India mask Assam’s lonely struggle

The nature of protests and participation of people in anti-CAA rallies in Assam indicates that Assam rejects the communal agenda of the current BJP-led government and diversionary tactics of the mainstream media, write Minakshi Bujarbaruah & Rituparna Kaushik Bhattacharya for South Asia Monitor

What is drawing Iran and Taliban closer?

The Taliban has never been happy about Iran’s cultural influence in Afghanistan. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they rejected any cultural links between Iran and Afghanistan and ignored Iran’s interests, writes Zahid Aria for South Asia Monitor

The profound symbolism of the Shaheen Bagh protests

The world must note the significance of the Shaheen Bagh phenomenon, as it highlights the power of Gandhian non-violent and secular protests in the face of the formidable State machinery, writes Brigadier Deepak Sethi (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Was India's controversial citizenship act modeled on US legislation?

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar missed an opportunity at the news conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the two other participants at last month’s 2+2 strategic dialogue to clearly explain India’s goals behind the CAA in the rare opportunity he got to make the case in public before the US media, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor 

Is India heading for a constitutional crisis over CAA?

Nearly all the non-BJP state governments have ruled out implementing the two measures, thereby preparing the battlefield for an unprecedented confrontation which will shake up the federal polity, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

Cracking down on student protests augurs ill for Indian democracy

The dissent by young India is being cast as a diabolical anti-national act, even while many of the leaders in the BJP led government cut their teeth in politics during their student days, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor 

On CAA, India has scored a self-goal with friendly neighbours

Can India challenge the sovereignty of other nations and think of living peacefully with them, asks Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor