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
Iranian Ship's Sinking Near Sri Lanka: India’s Moral Dilemma
India’s aspiration to be a leading maritime power rests not only on naval capability but on the trust of smaller regional states—from Sri Lanka to Maldives and Indonesia. These states increasingly look to New Delhi as a stabilizing presence in the Indian Ocean. If India appears unwilling to defend diplomatic norms in its own maritime neighborhood, it risks weakening the normative foundation of that leadership.
Is National Sovereignty in the 21st Century Conditional - Mediated by Hierarchy?
The strikes on Iran are not just another flashpoint in the Middle East. They are a reminder that the rules of the system are applied through hierarchy. Law speaks the language of equality; power writes the terms of enforcement. For smaller states, this is not a philosophical dilemma — it is a strategic one. Their sovereignty is rarely absolute. It must be guarded, bargained, and constantly recalibrated in response to forces beyond their control.
Needed An Independent and Sovereign Foreign Policy for Bangladesh Centred on National Interests
In shaping foreign policy toward India, the people of Bangladesh expect a relationship based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and fairness. Public opinion often emphasises resolving border-related tensions, preventing cross-border push-in incidents, and ensuring humane management of migration and security issues. There is also a domestic expectation for constructive dialogue regarding political matters, including discussions surrounding the status or repatriation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, if relevant under legal and diplomatic frameworks.
Defining the End Game: Challenges of Power, Pacts and Faith in the West Asia Conundrum
History offers a consistent lesson: the difficulty is rarely in beginning a conflict; it lies in defining its limits. Sovereignty can be defended. Regimes can be challenged. Alliances can be activated. Yet none of these guarantee clarity about the end state. Without a defined objective and a disciplined exit, events gather their own momentum.
More on Spotlight
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
Bangladesh, India need to combat air pollution without compromising economic growth
Both the governments of Bangladesh and India can come out with policies that promote renewable energy sources, which will help to improve air quality and human health, writes Safen Roy for South Asia Monitor
Will Bangladesh be able to lure more Japanese investment?
Attracting Japanese companies shifting out of China thus is consistent with Bangladesh’s Look East policy. To facilitate this a Special Economic Zone is being built, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Biden’s declaration ‘America is back’ must also apply to Afghanistan
The US-Taliban peace deal also needs to be rejected, as it is a disaster in the making for Afghanistan, the region as well as for America since it would turn Af-Pak into a terror cauldron and a springboard to launch terror attacks on the US and its allies, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor
High stakes at coming India-EU summit: Opportunities and roadblocks
Can the EU hope for forward-looking language on at least a limited trade deal between India and the EU?, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
In India, dissenters are having it rough
The Supreme Court of India has categorically held that criticism of the government, however harsh, does not amount to sedition unless violence is incited, writes Rahul Machaiah for South Asia Monitor
Need for reinventing India’s aeronautical industry
Fifty years of bitter experience should prompt the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to initiate a major paradigm-shift in India's defence-industrial programmes, writes Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India needs a more assertive policy on Tibet to counter China
India must seek a larger role for the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration in the international arena, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Jithin Sabu for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh should keep up pressure on Rohingya repatriation
Bangladesh should keep raising the Rohingya issue in all international forums. It should continue its efforts in various diplomatic arenas to exert more international pressure on Myanmar for a quick Rohingya repatriation, write MD Sakib Hossain & Kawsar Uddin Mahmud for South Asia Monitor
South Asia: Energy imperatives of the Paris Agreement
Asia has significant scope for regional cooperation and collaboration among its energy-deficient and energy-sufficient regions to enhance its overall energy security, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Ayodhya: A new dawn of communal harmony in India?
Communal or sectarian violence poses a serious threat not only to India’s secular and democratic spirit but also wreaks serious havoc on its economy, writes Asif Rameez Daudi for South Asia Monitor
