The ECTA with Australia will boost India’s confidence in signing similar trade pacts with the UK and EU, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
India's rise as a major global power will depend not on the promises of allies or the intentions of adversaries but on its capacity to build economic strength, military capability, technological innovation, and strategic resilience. Partnerships will remain important. Cooperation will remain valuable. Engagement with the United States and other powers will continue to serve Indian interests. But the foundation of India's security cannot rest in Washington, Moscow, Beijing, or any other foreign capital.
However, evolving regional dynamics, particularly China’s expansion and Pakistan’s tactical nuclear developments, continue to test the durability and interpretation of this doctrine. While India has officially reiterated its commitment to No First Use, debates persist within strategic circles about its future applicability under extreme scenarios.
The significance of Shisir Khanal’s visit therefore lies not only in the agreements reached but in the broader message it conveyed. Both Kathmandu and New Delhi are signalling a willingness to move beyond the grievances and suspicions that have periodically defined their interactions. If the emphasis on development diplomacy, economic integration, and pragmatic cooperation is sustained, the current moment could indeed mark the beginning of a new chapter in India–Nepal relations.
This is also the terrain through which the US 62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traverses, facing security threats from north to south, losing men and material in attacks by militants. That being the case, the US entry brings in another global player, ready to guard its interests against China’s looming presence. Is the South Asian region headed for a proxy war?
The ECTA with Australia will boost India’s confidence in signing similar trade pacts with the UK and EU, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Amid Sri Lanka’s crippling shortages, Hirunika Premachandra Yatowita, daughter of a slain SLFP MP and herself a former MP from Colombo, is being seen as a new leader, writes P. Jayaram for South Asia Monitor
Some major countries of South Asia have recently had Article IV consultations with the IMF since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Xi has been quick to grab the opportunity to launch his own diplomatic blitzkrieg by sending his Foreign Minister Wang Yi to South Asia, writes Amb Dilip Sinha (retd) for South Asia Monitor
China needs to seriously think whether it wants to continue the confrontation with India or settle the border with irrevocable guarantees, writes Lt Gen P.C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Governments across South Asia need to display stronger political will against violence and unrest over communal and religious issues, writes Shubham for South Asia Monitor
The film lives to its own dialogue that showing wrong is as dangerous as hiding the truth; it totally hides the murders and exodus of Muslims, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
The film has soured Hindu-Muslim relations to an extent in Kashmir - and also in the rest of the country - that the Pandits will be unable to settle down as before in close proximity with their Muslim neighbours, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
The younger generation of both countries is keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim-majority countries in the region, writes Mehjabin Bhanu for South Asia Monitor
Fortunately, Pakistan never went ballistic and their reaction has averted what could have potentially led to a disastrous escalation, writes Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan owes a measure of its progress to the India cricket board and its generosity in providing to the embattled Afghan cricketers the use of ‘home’ grounds in India, writes Qaiser Mohammed Ali for South Asia Monitor
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation listed India as the most attractive investment destination, yet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Delhi failed to generate that investment buzz, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
With its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, India has a vital role in America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Enhanced ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor
The international community needs to appreciate that against all odds and the trauma of partition, India’s culture is composite and represents her civilizational heritage, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor