Wakhan Corridor

Ghost Communities of the Wakhan: How an Imperial Buffer Zone Became China’s Next Frontier

The Wakhan Corridor has become a possible trade road for China's economic expansion. The corridor provides China with strategic advantages. First, it offers potential overland access to Afghanistan and on to Pakistan and the Arabian Sea

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Why Tehran did not Close the Strait Earlier

Before the mid-2020s, Iran lacked the specific low-cost tactical capability (drones, missiles and tech int) required to hold SoH against the US military. Today, the newly acquired capabilities allow Iran to enforce an effective, sustainable, and lethal denial-of-access corridor at a much lower cost.

Beijing's Subtle Power Play in South Asia: Is China’s Governance Model Influencing Democratic Nations?

China’s growing influence on small countries thus extends far beyond trade and infrastructure. It shapes debates on governance, challenges democratic norms, and pressures sovereign states to align with Beijing’s priorities. For nations like Sri Lanka and Nepal, the dilemma is stark 

Prolonged West Asia Conflict: US Loss of Credibility, Enormous Cost to the World

Here is something that is perhaps not widely reported. According to this account, Iranian forces were able to destroy a significant part of the logistics infrastructure supporting these large carrier operations. They struck the central logistics hub in Bahrain very early in the conflict.

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

From security dialogue to leading the world: Quad summit Friday to discuss larger global role

The broader agenda signals the Quad's move towards multifaceted cooperation to broaden their footprint, while also keeping the facade -- important to India -- that it is not directed against China, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor

India's new soft power: Pharmacy of the world

Gratitude has been expressed to India from the highest political levels of the 57-odd countries that have received 56 million doses through outright grants, commercially or through COVAX, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Manifold challenges faced by imprisoned transgender persons in South Asia

There are countries in South Asia, for example, India and Pakistan, where we have judgments from apex courts declaring self-determination of gender identity by trans people as fundamental to gender recognition, writes Sai Bourothu for South Asia Monitor

An icon of South Asia: Sahir Ludhianvi’s lifetime work and legacy still relevant

Sahir's birth centenary, on March 8, 2021, is an occasion for all to revisit his lifetime work and legacy that has tremendous relevance even in our own troubled, testing times, writes Venkat Parsa for South Asia Monitor 

Justice for India's women: Against a bleak backdrop, some encouraging developments too

This is an ironic and familiar pattern wherein  every March 8, the collective global attention briefly dwells on the status of women and while well-meaning statements are repeated – the substantive improvement in the welfare and safety of women  remains a work in slow  progress and an  area of grave concern, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Journey of an Indian woman diplomat: A story of struggle, success and empowerment

The Indian Foreign Service has come a long way in changing gender stereotypes. In the early years, women diplomats were forced to resign if they got married, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Sahir Ludhianvi: The poet-lyricist who belonged to both India and Pakistan

Sahir Ludhianvi’s relevance becomes greater and urgent in the present times for promoting an inclusive society and religious harmony, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

Privatisation is a fraught exercise in India: Will Modi succeed?

Modi’s address on the floor of the lower house on February 10 went much further in stating that the days are long gone when only the government was responsible for national development, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Why New Delhi should not fear the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul

Unlike Pakistan, India is an emerging regional power both from a political and economic point of view, and India, since the last two decades, has built a friendly image in the minds of many Afghans – many consider India as the second home for the Afghans, write Hamayun Khan & S. Nasrat for South Asia Monitor

India’s ethics code for online platforms: Need of one for politicians too?

The Indian government’s explanation for the crackdown on these presentations is comprehensive enough to nip all literary, cinematic, and journalistic ventures in the bud, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

US vows to deepen India partnership against China dangers; no zero-sum proposition vis-a-vis Pakistan

Biden is having to deal with the geopolitical realities of the rising threat from China and has to have India as a strategic asset for meeting the challenge, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor 

Developing India’s port sector to meet its global aspirations

In the last six years of being in office, this government has taken numerous initiatives to harness the potential of the maritime sector and improve India’s global standing, writes Cmdre Anil Jai Singh (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asia: Economic reality and policy options

Global recession has amplified domestic economic challenges and caused output contraction in 2020, with economies that rely heavily on tourism and travel particularly hard hit are Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Quad should define the new global narrative in checking China's rise

India too would appear to be finally moving towards a more ‘aligned’ foreign policy in response to a militaristic and aggressive China and its puppet ally Pakistan, both implacably opposed to her rise, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor

BJP’s guiding light: Enter Golwalkar, exit Vajpayee

A quarter of a century later, it is clear that the BJP has said farewell to such leniency and the spirit of accommodation which enabled Vajpayee to come to power at the centre in 1998, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor