N.Q Dias is at extreme right / Photo credit: Author

N.Q. Dias: Sri Lanka’s Clausewitz, a Man With a Strategic Vision for the Island

Dias promoted civil–military cooperation on an unprecedented scale, facilitating the large-scale settlement of Sinhalese populations in the dry zone as a bulwark against Tamil separatism. In some respects, this approach resembled the Jewish settlement policies in the British Mandate of Palestine, which may have influenced Dias’s thinking.

The Iran Conundrum, Trumpian Dilemma and the Shifting Sands of West Asia

Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the CFR believes that the West could have got much better dividends without this war. He says that Araghchi had tabled proposals that called for the suspension of uranium enrichment for several years before allowing it to then resume at low levels. Linda Robinson, CFR’s senior fellow, also feels that there will be mass American casualties if special forces are deployed. Already Arab States are upset with these joint operations with Israel. The consensus among CFR experts is that Trump’s ambitious objectives cannot be achieved merely with joint assaults by air or sea. 

Custodial Killings with no Judicial Remedies: A Sad Tale Across Two Punjabs

Was this the legacy that the great freedom fighters from Punjab – or extend that logic to rest of India and Pakistan where custodial deaths are common – would have wanted their land and its future generations to inherit? As if the breakdown of the country and its gory partition with a divided Punjab were not enough to torment them in their graves, wouldn’t this thought leave them completely shattered and desolate: this divided land is united in its conviction to perpetuate the very colonial mindset they fought. 

Bangladesh's Recent Election was Neither Free nor Fair

The Interim Government arranged extensive state protocol and privileges to the government-sponsored party, National Citizen Party (NCP), parties close to IG like Jamaat e Islami (JI) and their alliances, almost as if they were the government themselves. Similar privileges were given to the BNP and its allies. But no such facility was extended to the JP.

More on Perspective

Is Bangladesh becoming a pawn in a larger geopolitical game?

Those who are welcoming external forces by promoting Yunus should re-examine history. Yunus is being seen by many as a Morsi figure for Bangladesh. When Mohamed Morsi came to power in Egypt following the Arab Spring with Western support, it led to deterioration of law and order, spike in the prices of essential goods, and extreme public suffering. Even after two months of Yunus' interim government, there has been no significant improvement in law and order, market stability or public well-being.

Navigating the new climate reality in Indian cities: Need for greater political will and stakeholder engagement - (Part II of two-part series)

As cities grow and urbanise, they are becoming frontline battlegrounds in the fight against climate change. Incorporating green spaces, sustainable building practices, and raising public awareness are key to mitigating extreme heat. Indian metropolises are recognizing the need for comprehensive strategies, but climate action demands a coordinated, multisectoral approach at all levels of governance.

Tax-funded media and independent journalism: Finding the right model

While tax-funded media can work under specific conditions, India's experience suggests that a model focused on subscriptions and private advertisements is more suitable for maintaining editorial independence, fostering innovation, and creating a more democratic and informed society

Can development be at the cost of the environment?

Governments should recognise the fact that unaddressed environmental concerns will transform into a radical form of action if not into eco-terrorism. The religious terrorism what Middle East nations have been experiencing these days may turn into environmental terrorism down the line due to progressive resource crunch and the steady degradation of natural resources.

Navigating the new climate reality in Indian cities: Heat domes a serious public health challenge - (Part I of two-part series)

Heat domes have severely impacted India, particularly during intense heat waves. In the 2022 North India heat wave, temperatures soared above 45°C across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, with some areas nearing 50°C. A high-pressure system caused stagnant hot air and minimal cloud cover, intensifying the heat.

Bangladesh victim of its faultlines; will the revolution's children make the same mistake?

There is a saying revolution devours its children. Like the ousted regime who were the self-proclaimed legacy bearers of the revolution of 1971, the July revolution of 2024 could create a similar thermidorian reaction in the future if the torchbearers of this revolution play a similar political game of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’

On Gandhi’s birth anniversary, a reminder of the Gandhian values South Asia - and the world - needs

If a true aristocrat is to be defined by courtesy and good manners, then the Mahatma was no less than the most refined princes and maharajas of India. His interactions were marked by legendary grace, respect and courtesy even in times of acrimony and division. He even addressed Mr. Jinnah, a political opponent, as the Quaid-I-Azam, the title given to Mr Jinnah by his supporters.

Volatile Balochistan has a long history of exploitation

Balochistan remains a Pakistani faultline and it must be understood that it is a ‘political problem' even though the Pakistani state has been trying to deal with it all through as 'security problem'. The clear dissatisfaction of the people during accession to Pakistan is yet to be resolved. Forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are now the trademark policy impulses of the oppressive Pakistani regime. 

Agnipath: An ill-conceived scheme that will impact civil-military relations and neighbourhood bonds

The recruitment of Nepali Gorkhas into the Indian Army being stopped after 77 years post-Independence is not only going to be a major loss to the Indian Army but also a serious and avoidable blow to cordial India-Nepal relations.

Is green hydrogen really the panacea for global warming?

While there are uncertainties with regard to the  possibilities and prospects of generating green hydrogen in a cost-effective manner it is surprising that green hydrogen is being hailed as the ultimate solution to overcome the emission issue and prevent climate disaster.

Social media's war on civility and compassion: Feeds on the psychological vulnerability of individuals

Many of us spend hours on social media doom scrolling, which then ceases to be just a source of recreation; it becomes an alternative world where algorithms and trends decode and shape individuals.

Can IMF’s good-governance conditionalities bring Pakistan economic stability?

Peace and progress go hand in hand. To stabilize the economy, Pakistan needs a conducive political environment to focus on investment, education and health care. Whatever the economic challenges, the solutions would have to come from within. External funds, loans, debts are only temporary solutions

Twin nations that chose different trajectories: A Pakistani perspective

The very idea of Pakistan was based on the Two-Nation Theory which emphasized Muslims’ different way of life from that of the Hindus in the subcontinent. However, the mere religious identity of a nation without reconciling Pakistan’s diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups was not enough to hold it together. 

To rebuild Bangladesh interim government needs to reconcile rival ideological camps

Bangladesh is home to people of different religions and cultures, both in the hills and plains. The extreme polarization of thought and ideology between opposing ideological groups is impacting Bangladesh's social fabric. 

Policy reversals and lessons for the Modi government

The BJP is not really taking on the immense political challenge of explaining and then persuading the people to go with the right-wing turns in policies it seeks to implement; it is sneaking it in, and in that it is being met with defeat after defeat.