Atma Jayaram (1915-1990)

Atma Jayaram: India’s Gentleman Spymaster who loved Sri Lanka

Recently declassified documents from the National Archives in Colombo have shed light on Jayaram's involvement in assisting Sri Lanka during the leftist guerrilla insurrection that engulfed the island nation.  Acting on Jayaram's advice, 150 Indian Gurkha soldiers were reportedly deployed to protect Colombo International Airport.

Managing India--Border Tensions - and the 'New Normal'

It is an  elegantly worded statement and impossible to disprove. It turns a dispute about differing LAC perceptions,  acknowledged since 1993,  into a story of Chinese compliance and Indian deviation.  This is the new China that India must manage, not the old one.  

India's BRICS Legacy: Did 2026 Produce Something More Durable?

India achieved this in a group that has changed a great deal. BRICS now has 11 members and 10 partner countries, with very different political systems and, at times, sharply different views. In May 2026, a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi ended without a joint statement because of differences among members over the conflict in West Asia.

Is India-Pakistan Peace Possible? Need to Erase Religious Differences, Embrace Common Humanity

We must approach peace in the same way: One school screening, one honest history lesson, one interfaith friendship, one community conversation, and one courageous act at a time. We cannot change the past, but we can decide what we pass on to the next generation

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

The Taliban, and Pakistan, have caught Trump in a duplicitous bind

What constituency Pakistan has in Capitol Hill is not known, but in putting up this deal, Pakistan has played its double game to the hilt, capitalizing on Trump’s pre-election promise of ‘bringing the boys home’, writes Lt Gen P C Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

US-Taliban deal will only boost Trump’s electoral prospects and Pakistani influence

The requirement of a seven-day ‘reduction in violence’ for signing the deal was a joke that demonstrated abject surrender to the Taliban, writes Lt Gen PC Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

For Trump facing re-election India was the 51st US state!

If the adulation of Trump and the rally made it seem like India was the 51st state in Trump's re-election campaign, it may be because Modi bets on the re-election of a tough, right-wing hardliner with whom he shares some characteristics, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor

To ‘Act East’ effectively requires India to ‘Learn East’

In order to effectively “Act East” we must first try to “Learn East” once again to rediscover the opportunities for prosperity that lie therein, writes By Amb Sarva Chakravarti (retd) for South Asia Monitor

A Bollywood film that got Trump's attention and sends out a social message

The LGBT issue is far from gaining social acceptability in a diverse and conservative society that India and much of South Asia is. But things are changing, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor 

The Indus Waters Treaty: Enduring agreement provides security in strained India-Pakistan ties

Today’s dispute (between India and Pakistan) is now less about Kashmir and Kashmiris and more about a river system with its headwaters in Kashmir writes Anuttama Banerji for South Asia Monitor

US-Taliban talks: Peace is still elusive

The present peace accord is fragile as there are several forces which are against the peace, and they may try to disrupt the agreement, writes Jai Kumar Verma for South Asia Monitor

Delhi riots have dented Modi’s image

For, what happened in the capital during the two days of the Trump visit, especially on the last day, was no less damaging to the Prime Minister’s reputation than the electoral setback, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

Popular dissent in India threatens the government's idea of domination

The women of Shaheen Bagh at Delhi and their sisters at innumerable other locations all over India have changed the narrative of dissent... causing utter confusion of thought as well as action at the level of the Indian government, writes Dr Udai Vir Singh for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh has a tradition of religious harmony: American senator’s remarks cause outrage

There is no incident in Bangladesh that can prove that any Bangladeshi has been persecuted by the government for his or her religious beliefs, writes Swadesh Roy for South Asia Monitor

Modi and Trump are different, but together they can make a difference

The second largest and the fourth largest emitter of the green house gases are standing in the cusp of the most critical decade of the 21st century when they meet on 24-25 Februrary 2020 when the world is on the cusp of   environmental havoc due to climate change, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor

Is Pakistan headed for Lal Masjid 2.0? Maulana’s return may trigger another crisis

When Nawaz Sharif was Prime Minister, Aziz had hailed and justified the terror attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, where scores of students and teachers were killed, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

US-Taliban deal: Pakistan emerges triumphant

Ending the long war in Afghanistan and getting the boys back would help President Trump’s bid for a second presidential term but he may be creating a bigger Frankenstein in the combined Af-Pak region that would come to haunt America in the future, writes Lt Gen PC Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor

Why education was a game-changer in the Delhi elections

For years Delhi government schools were known for their indifferent pedagogy, rundown buildings, large dropout percentages and were synonymous with all that was wrong with the country's public-sector education system, writes Tarun Basu for South Asia Monitor

Trump visit: US can help India shore up its naval power

Just before the American  president  sets  course for India, a senior US official noted  that  the US wants an India that is strong with a capable military that supports peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

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