ASEAN-Russia Summit in Kazan

Russia’s Bid for a Larger Asian Role; Will Be Closely Watched by Beijing

Russia wants to use the Far East to diversify away from the West, but it risks becoming excessively dependent on China. That is why Southeast Asia, India, Japan and other Asian partners matter to Moscow as they provide Russia with a wider Asian field and fallback and reduces the risk that Russia’s entire eastern pivot becomes a one-way dependence on Beijing.
 

The Architecture of Disruption: Structural Parallels Between Indira Gandhi and Donald Trump

For democracies under pressure, the lesson is sobering. Institutions do not only collapse when attacked from outside; they can also be hollowed out from within by leaders who master the language of mass appeal better than the language of internal restraint. 

Bangladesh's Bid to Clear a US-Wanted Terror Fugitive Raises Troubling Questions

Although the Yunus administration was replaced by an elected government in February 2026, the influence of Islamist groups, jihadist organizations, and religious extremists has reportedly remained largely unchanged. As a result, several prominent leaders of Islamist organizations and militant groups continue to gain strength.

81 Years After Hiroshima: Don't Normalize the Unthinkable

August 6 is not a day for ceremonies alone. It is a day to remember why restraint was carefully created in the first place  and to  prevent another Hiroshima - Nagasaki. A third devastation, deliberate or accidental will  take less than 43 seconds.

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Case of Goa’s liberation: Is it right to keep blaming Nehru?

There was also a proposal for a plebiscite in Goa; Nehru stood the ground that Goa’s merger with India is non-negotiable, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor 

Working for an 'Oasis of Peace' between India and Pakistan

The upcoming meeting of Indian and Pakistani Rotary Club members and others at Kartarpur this week highlights Rotarian efforts to develop an Indus Peace Park near the Kartarpur entrance writes Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor 

Media and Islamophobia: Need for reconciliation and understanding

International communities should criminalize the intentional propagation of hatred towards a particular faith, write Monira Nazmi Jahan and Nusrat Jahan Nishat for South Asia Monitor

India’s closer engagement with UAE is a win-win situation for both

The CEPA’s larger significance is that it serves as a template for an FTA with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) whose members include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

ICJ should not give legitimacy to the Myanmarese junta in Rohingya genocide case

The junta will likely leverage the hearings to gain substantial de jure recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar within other UN bodies and beyond, writes Parvej Siddique Bhuiyan for South Asia Monitor

Has quest for 'strategic depth' become Pakistan’s tactical disaster?

As of now, Pakistan’s much-sought ‘strategic depth’ with a friendly government in Afghanistan has proved elusive, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

Why Indian money rules world cricket

Millions of Indian cricket fans across the globe are the real foundation of the Indian cricket board's financial power, writes Qaiser Mohammad Ali for South Asia Monitor

In India's hijab row, Muslim girls' education trapped between extremists of both religions

The Hindu rightwing gets its due provocation from Muslim communalism and extremism. Is there any role of Muslim communalists in fueling the hijab row?, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor 

Nepal power: Caught between Chinese capital and Indian market

Nepal will be permitted to export power to Bangladesh via India at a later time in order to fulfill the expanding energy demands of that country, writes Benedict B. George for South Asia Monitor 

After Beijing, its destination Moscow for Pakistan PM Imran Khan: Can Russia take Islamabad at its word?

Russia is well aware of how Pakistan has been facilitating the movement of ISIS cadres from Iraq-Syria into northern Afghanistan at the behest of the US, writes Lt Gen P.C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

An adrift Congress in India is a serious problem for democracy

It takes no great political intelligence to point out that a tumultuous democracy like India desperately needs a credible national counter to Modi’s BJP, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor

Growing presence of women in India’s armed forces: An issue that should not be politicized

One major reason the Indian Army has not allowed women officers in fighting arms and would not like to do so is that it does not want them captured by the enemy, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor

The interplay of caste and politics in India's most populous state

The recent trends in elections have shown undeniable evidence that women no longer remain passive voters, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh has stake in peace and stability in India's Northeast

Connectivity and infrastructural development with Bangladesh will also open up new routes to India's Northeast, Bhutan and Nepal, writes Benedict B. George for South Asia Monitor

India’s intangible heritage: Its composite, living culture carries a multidimensional message in trying times

Such recognition by UNESCO, whether of Durga Puja or Srinagar as a Creative City, helps to underline that India’s culture is a living culture, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor