As Sri Lanka descends deeper into economic chaos, the popularity of the President and his government have declined to levels never seen before for any political regime reaching midterm, writes Indika Hettiarachchi for South Asia Monitor
Cultural Diplomacy and Reviving Bangladesh–India Ties Beyond Political Divisions
At the iftar gathering, attended by civil society members, ministers, bureaucrats and other distinguished guests, High Commissioner Verma emphasised the shared aspirations of Bangladesh and India. He stated that both nations stand at the threshold of a promising future as two vibrant and forward-looking societies. The event served as a platform to strengthen people-to-people connections and diplomatic goodwill between the two neighbours. By bringing together influential members of Bangladeshi society, the gathering reflected a clear intention to foster deeper engagement
Raw Courage Amid Patriarchal Terror: Where Girls Have to Disguise as Boys to Survive in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
The system under the Taliban regime treats girls as disposable items. They take away childhood experiences and destroy personal identities, creating permanent emotional scars. Yet these girls are not victims without agency. They are survivors carrying entire families on their small shoulders. Omid, Parvana, and every unnamed bacha posh are proof of Afghan, and Pashtun, resilience. The world must see them. The Taliban must hear us that no amount of disguises will hide the truth that women and girls are not lesser.
Khamenei's Assassination and a Fractured Iran: Regional and Global Ramifications of a War of Attrition
Khamenei’s assassination terminates an epoch of ideological confrontation, yet inaugurates profound uncertainty. Legally and normatively, it imperils protections for sovereign leaders; strategically and politically, it probes Iran’s institutional fortitude; religiously and narratively, it unveils unifying and divisive societal forces. Diplomatic containment—through intermediaries such as Oman or Qatar—must prioritise the transition's fragility without incitement. Absent such prudence, this strike risks catalysing a wider regional conflagration, where initial tactical triumphs yield enduring strategic costs.
Reimagining a Cooperative South Asia: A Next-Gen Agenda to Revive SAARC
The revival of SAARC will not come from dramatic diplomatic breakthroughs. Instead, it will emerge through incremental cooperation in education, digital infrastructure, disaster response and trade facilitation. Crucially, the future of South Asian regionalism may depend on a generation that increasingly experiences the region not through borders but through shared digital, economic and cultural networks.
More on Spotlight
In the intricate web of the Islamist terror network, growing calls for jihad against China
In the face of jihadi threats against it, it remains to be seen how China responds; or will it continue to fund and support nations like Pakistan that are the terror factories of many jihadist designs? writes Aparna Rawal for South Asia Monitor
India urged to act to help Tamils live in dignity in Sri Lanka: Can Modi pressure the Rajapaksas?
It is open to speculation what and how much India can do for the minority Tamils vis-à-vis Colombo, which is slowly again extending a hand of friendship to New Delhi after trying to prop up China as a counter, writes M R Narayan Swamy for South Asia Monitor
Maldives needs to be wary of the Chinese debt trap
Beijing will try its level best to lure Maldives more into its debt trap and wean it away from India, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Political alignment and networked economy boosts India’s conglomerate capitalism
Scarcely a day passes without news of a big-ticket acquisition or investment by Reliance or Adani biting into every lucrative business venture in India and South Asia, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
2022 holds little promise for Afghanistan; India must maintain informal contacts with Kabul
Chances are that the churn in Afghanistan may end up singeing those who take an intrusive interest in its affairs, writes Amb Rajiv Dogra (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India: A nation in disharmony with its philosophical and constitutional values
The values that are glorified today ironically are those that were always held anathema by classical Hindu society - majoritarianism, intolerance, hatred, and revanchism, writes Tarun Basu for South Asia Monitor
A success story turns sour: Rise and fall of a Sri Lankan strongman
Amid shortages of even essential goods and runaway inflation, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s image has taken a solid beating, writes P. Jayaram for South Asia Monitor
Now Bangladesh to aid Kabul beat hunger and disease
Bangladesh – which has in recent times extended loans to Sri Lanka and the Maldives – is also home to about 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, writes Samina Akhter for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan's problems require a collective regional solution; India must play a leading role
If Afghanistan does not witness a modicum of internal stability, adherence to human values and shuns terrorism of all hues, not only the region but beyond too will be impacted adversely, writes Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh and Maldives: Bridging geographical distances through common political commitments, religious values
Hasina's visit to the Maldives is in keeping with Bangladesh's larger aspirations, writes Ozair Islam for South Asia Monitor
Need to discover alternative equitable solutions for climate change action
Fairness, sustainability and dialogue must be cornerstones of any climate change policy, not a dialogue bogged down by Westernized notions, write Nishtha Gupta and Aditya Matolli for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh’s balancing politics in the strategic Bay of Bengal
Whether Bangladesh is involved in the Indo-Pacific Strategy or Belt and Road, it must maintain peace and rule of law to reap maximum economic benefits from the Bay of Bengal, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Iran-China 25-year cooperation has major regional and global implications
The China-Iran partnership scenario is not a product of coincidental political and trade decisions over the years, but rather a part of a carefully crafted policy, writes Ivaylo Valchev for South Asia Monitor
Will Pashtun nationalism become Pakistan's Achilles' heel?
Support to the Pakistan Taliban and Afghan Taliban is rebounding on Islamabad as both Talibans don’t recognize Durand Line and want Pakistan to be Sharia-ruled, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
