China has been supporting, training and arming northeast terrorists for the past several decades. The ongoing political experiment of ethnic cleansing and polarization in Manipur would naturally be exploited by China.
Post-uprising Bangladesh grapples with power, inclusion, and hope; rethink of ties with India
The aspirations of Gen-Z are on the walls, calling for a more tolerant and pluralistic society, with a sense of justice. "All political parties have heard that and understand that the newer generation are the most important voting bank at this moment. They don’t believe in the binary we have lived in for such a long time."
The changing state of Pakistani politics, for better or for worse
Today in Pakistan universities have proliferated and where in 2000 there were about 1 million post secondary students, in 2020 there were nearly 5 million and they have expectations, and they are also more political. But it is also the 30 and 40 year olds, generations of Pakistanis who are frustrated with the lifestyle of the rich and corrupt, and of a military they increasingly see in a similar light.
Pollution blows with the wind: South Asia's public health challenge needs harmonized regional action
In the larger South Asia context, air pollution does not follow national boundaries and therefore the solutions for all the airsheds cannot come from any one city or a country. The countries in South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan - that share a common airshed are impacted by the transboundary pollution. More than half of the air pollution across major cities in South Asia is not local but transboundary in nature.
South Asia's climate crisis needs a regional response
Regional bodies like the SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, have the potential to foster cooperation on climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and trans-border pollution control. However, geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, hinder progress.
More on Spotlight
Shedding the misconceptions: Bangladesh's ties with China should not be a concern for India
The Sino–Bangladeshi partnership has not grown at the expense of the Indo–Bangladeshi partnership. Bangladesh does not constitute a part of the traditional Chinese sphere of influence.
Empowering Bangladesh: The promise of solar-wind hybrid renewable energy systems
Bangladesh's energy woes demand innovative solutions, and the integration of solar and wind energies in a hybrid system represents a groundbreaking approach to meeting the nation's power needs.
‘India’ or ‘Bharat’ debate reflects postcolonial insecurities, not in tune with modern nationhood
India holds together not by ignoring diversity but by granting constitutional and ideational recognition to different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. The word ‘India’ evokes and symbolizes a “we feeling” in the people's collective consciousness, derived from long-held traditions and pluralist imaginations.
Child marriages in South Asia: Gross violation of girl rights that needs urgent regional attention
The persistence of child marriage in South Asia indicates the widespread failure of governments to address one of the most critical human rights issues. Effective legal remedies and ensuring accountability for those complicit in such crimes can be the panacea for such social ills.
G-20: India can seize the moment to give a new direction to multilateralism
India's leadership has already committed itself to exploiting the linkages between economic growth, gender equality, peace, and security and the use of technological innovations for universal benefit. India has championed the cause of low-income nations in the past — and it could now do so again.
How RAW and SIS had worked together to prevent the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka
Contrary to the bizarre story spun by Maulana in the Channel 4 documentary, Indian intelligence agencies, mainly RAW, played a pivotal role in monitoring IS movements in Sri Lanka.
‘India’ or’Bharat’: Constituent Assembly debates showed reasonableness amid opinion divergence
The incongruity of “India, that is Bharat”, as given by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who drafted the Constitution, was pointed out by some members of the Constituent Assembly just as an independent India was taking shape.
Growing Indo-Bangla defence ties will have a significant bearing on South Asian security and stability
India and Bangladesh have welcomed initiatives to strengthen their maritime security partnership. A MoU for the establishment of a coastal surveillance radar system in Bangladesh’s Chittagong and Mongla ports has been inked.
South Asian youth raise a collective voice for climate justice across borders
The event platformed youth environmental activists and entrepreneurs from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who have been working to educate, mobilise and organise people to combat climate change, obtain climate justice and move relevant policy regimes to these ends.
Will China have its way in Bhutan?
The question is whether Bhutan can ward off the Chinese pressure, given the dynamics of South Asia, chances of which don’t appear bright.
Trouble in paradise: Bhutan's little talked about political prisoners and minority discrimination
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, said, “The long-term imprisonment and mistreatment of political prisoners remains a blight on Bhutan’s human rights record. Bhutanese authorities should release these prisoners and embark on reforms to end torture in custody, unfair trials and poor prison conditions.”
India and Bangladesh transit agreement holds promise for both countries and the region
Bangladeshi products like clothing, cement, and food can be sold directly in Nepal and Bhutan via India. In the future, Bangladesh will also find it simpler to ship goods to Myanmar.
Taliban's war on women: International community must not remain a mute spectator
In a brazen on-camera interview, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s acting interior minister, said in response to a question on how Afghan women feel unsafe to leave homes under the Taliban rule, “We keep naughty women at home.”
China poses no threat to the multi-faceted India-Bangladesh partnership
The accompanying data and graphs indicate that random charges about Bangladesh tilting toward China are just hype and with no basis in facts. Unlike Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh has conducted prudent macroeconomic management in order to avoid overdependence on China.
