Imran Khan’s move, like the Kartarpur Corridor, is bound to have the blessings of the powerful Pakistan Army, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
When a Chinese company won the contract to establish hybrid wind and solar energy projects on three islands off the northern Jaffna peninsula—just 45 km from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu—the security implications extended far beyond economics. Against this backdrop, India’s concerns are entirely justifiable. Sri Lanka faces a pressing question: how will the nation confront the infiltration of Chinese global criminal networks? Since Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure, Chinese presence in Colombo has steadily increased, with Sri Lanka positioned as a partner state in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The growing role of middle powers adds another layer of complexity. Yet the term itself remains imprecise. Not every country outside the United States and China qualifies as a middle power, and many reject the label altogether. India, for example, increasingly sees itself as a leading power pursuing strategic autonomy rather than as a middle power seeking alignment with one bloc or another.
If India and Japan genuinely envision Northeast India as the gateway connecting South Asia with the Bay of Bengal and the Indo-Pacific, then the next chapter of the partnership cannot remain confined to New Delhi and Tokyo. It must also be written in Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Imphal, Agartala, Kohima, Gangtok and Itanagar
In several neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, China has demonstrated an ability to move from agreements to implementation far more rapidly than many competitors. India, despite enjoying unmatched geographic and cultural advantages, has often struggled with delays
Imran Khan’s move, like the Kartarpur Corridor, is bound to have the blessings of the powerful Pakistan Army, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Colombo’s biggest source of China-dependence is to service its external debt; it already owes China over $5 billion in past loans, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Becoming carbon-neutral by 2070 will not only help the world but will also make India a new industrial power, writes Anil K. Rajvanshi for South Aisa Monitor
As Islamabad embraces hardline Islamists, life for minorities in Pakistan is becoming tough, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
From extending aid to Sri Lanka to building mega projects, Bangladesh is transforming its image to emerge as a South Asian miracle, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Kangana Ranaut is just one offshoot of an ecology where fact and truth have been systematically torn away from the national discourse to be replaced by ideologically tailored half-truths and lies, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
A Pakistani film looks at the 1971 war anew and wants Islamabad and Dhaka to bond, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
In India, festivals have an interesting blend of representation through dolls, especially during the agricultural season of autumn, writes Dr. Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai for South Asia Monitor
With Pakistan's built-in political dominance of Afghanistan, the economic control can only get stronger, writes Hamayun Khan for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan and India should work together to revive SAARC to maximize regional interests, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Having adopted hardcore Islam over the years, and using it to enact terrorism as a state policy, the Pakistan government can hardly afford all-out confrontation with the TLP, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Conclusion of bilateral arrangements on sharing common water resources will banish a constant source of misunderstanding and mutual suspicion between India and Bangladesh, writes Amb Sarvajit Chakravarti (retd) for South Asia Monitor
The Rohingya crisis is the result of a long-smoldering problem that may become the catalyst for new sources of conflict in the region, writes Kazi Mohammad Jamshed for South Asia Monitor
Prime Minister Dasho Lotay Tshering has said that if Bhutan’s infrastructure, economy and trade improves, the country will undoubtedly want to be part of BBIN-MVA, writes Rinchen Kinznag for South Asia Monitor
The Roppur nuclear power plant is expected to be a model of clean energy in Bangladesh and provide affordable, reliable and quality electricity in the long run, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor