Three days of dialogue, debate, and engagement in Dhaka reinforced a sobering reality: despite ongoing discussions about multipolarity, middle powers, and strategic autonomy, great powers continue to shape the choices available to smaller states.
It would be simplistic to assume that every retired general appointed as an ambassador is an instrument of Asim Munir's influence. It would be equally complacent to dismiss the wider institutional implications of placing so many former military officers in diplomatic positions across several regions.
Arunachal Pradesh presents a particularly important dimension of the problem. China claims the northeast Indian state, refers to it as Zangnan, or South Tibet, and periodically challenges India's sovereignty through statements and the assignment of Chinese names to places within the state.
India and Japan should conduct regular stress tests involving scenarios such as disruption to an energy route, a cyberattack on logistics infrastructure, loss of an undersea cable or the unavailability of a specialized defense component.
Experience over the past 75 years has shown that despite the fraught and tense relationship, the common people of South Asia and in the diaspora easily establish friendships and bonds with each other whenever they get an opportunity, comments Dr Mubayi. The longstanding linguistic and cultural bonds between India and Pakistan still bind peoples together.
KNF's suspected ties with Jamatul Sharqia and providing training to Islamist militants have added a new dimension to the country's violent extremism.
It is imperative to understand counter-terror responses for India must come from an effective processing of intelligence alerts, quick mobilization of first responders, and a unified collaboration in carrying out the required operations under a single command control.
The phobia of Muslim demographic dominance remains the basis of Hindu right-wing politics. It is a potent weapon to create apprehension and polarize voters
The indications are that Prime Minister Deuba will return to power in the general elections but this time the Chinese stakes in these elections are higher than before. With his third-term presidency, Xi Jinping is more than eager to realize China’s illegal territorial claims in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Gota Go Gama became a new political and cultural metaphor with numerous dimensions. It was a turning point for Sri Lanka that contributed to creating a new space for diversity.
Improved military ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can aid in the smoothing of ties and the resolution of long-standing issues such as the Rohingya crisis, maritime disputes, and trans-border crimes.
Saudi Arabia has been reorienting its foreign policy, and while maintaining its individual relationships with India and Pakistan, it could possibly play a role as an intermediary between both countries.
Khan, the government, and the military establishment seem to have taken extreme positions, leaving no room for rapprochement for now, plunging Pakistan into political chaos.
The tragedy of our times is that the South Asian region has the cultural resources to live with diversity. This has, in fact, been its millennial tradition. Despite these cultural resources, the region is mired in majority-minority conflicts that can be debilitating.
Transcending narrow geographical borders, handicrafts often make their own presence felt as a representation of humanity, connecting communities. One such important handicraft item is the dry grass mats of the region of South Asia
Indian policymakers should be ready for the next phase of synchronized China-Pakistan actions to undermine India.
The situation however has been somewhat different in certain countries of South Asia which have raised resources through external borrowings despite having current account deficits - Afghanistan, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Caution needs to be exercised by them in resorting to such borrowings.
The salvation for Pakistan’s body politic, wherein democracy is aspired by those who are not democrats themselves, may remain unfortunately with the men in uniform.
There is no light at the end of the repatriation tunnel; one must look at other more viable and pragmatic scenarios rather than transporting almost a million people at gunpoint to Rakhine
