US troops leave Afghanistan(Photo: Twitter)

When the Americans failed Afghanistan: Chronicle of the dramatic collapse of a nation

India, which found itself quite behind the curve like the US in gauging the rapidly changing political dynamics, first shut down its consulates and then its embassy just as the Afghan Republic collapsed on August 15, 2021. But once it realised it would be foolhardy to expect the revival of the Republic, it tacitly started mending fences with the Taliban, sending what it called a "technical team" to Kabul, resumed humanitarian aid, and discontinued diplomatic support to the embassy in New Delhi that was in the hands of representatives of the ousted Ghani government

Iranian president’s Sri Lanka visit is a pointer to Tehran's Indian Ocean ambitions

Before visiting Sri Lanka, Raisi visited Pakistan as part of his South Asian tour, and it is a salient factor that both Pakistan and China are equally important to the BRI as the Chinese have invested millions of dollars in both countries.

Sri Lanka's Aragalaya protests demonstrated nested sovereignty

This nerve centre of protests proved to be a fertile ground for new ideas and creative approaches to digital activism and served as a beacon of hope for many Sri Lankans seeking positive change. 

Developing a South Asian artistic consciousness and solidarity

The sense of being ‘South Asian’ has seeped into the consciousness of artists and designers trained in Lahore. They find common linkages long after they have left when they find themselves co-exhibiting in art fairs, galleries, and museums.

More on Spotlight

Sextortion a growing trend in South Asia; needs to be tackled globally

According to the Bangladesh National Woman Lawyer Association, every year an average of 11 women in the country commit suicide due to cybercrime, writes Monira Nazmi Jahan for South Asia Monitor

Time for India to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Taiwan

The inhibitions of the Indian government to upgrade relations with Taiwan are baffling. It stems from keeping the military out of strategic security formulations, status quo bureaucratic advice and needless fear of China, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Rohingyas pose a grave security threat to Bangladesh: Relocation and repatriation an urgent necessity

The recent deadly clashes between the two Rohingya groups at the camp in Cox's Bazar has posed a major security threat to Bangladesh, writes Aashish Kiphayet for South Asia Monitor

Violence against women: Indian society must internalise the message of Durga Puja

If rape in India is to be meaningfully addressed, the onus lies on society to review and correct deeply ingrained socio-cultural norms and practices that are inherently biased against women and the girl child, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Maryam Nawaz: Will she be on the right side of history?

As Pakistan enters its winter of discontent, yet again, Maryam Nawaz has emerged as a front-ranking leader in a male bastion, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

China-Pakistan naval axis to contain India's dominance in IOR

China is enabling Pakistan to set up a network-enabled warfare capability with satellite feeds to monitor the Indian Ocean Regions (IOR) like the Indian Navy employs Centrix provided by the US Navy, writes Cmde Ranjit B. Rai (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Has BJP’s hubris let it down in Kashmir?

In the BJP’s case, the arrogance bred by two successive general election victories convinced the party that it was now in a position to do more or less whatever it wanted, of which the first and foremost was the implementation of its longstanding desire to abolish Article 370, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

India needs to play a bigger role in resolving Rohingya issue

Shringla also assured Myanmar of India’s support for the safe repatriation of displaced Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh. About 40,000 or more Rohingya live in Indian cities, including Kolkata and Delhi, so India has its own reasons to push for a solution to the Rohingya problem, writes Subir Bhaumik for South Asia Monitor

India's agri reform: Will the new farm bills benefit its farmers?

Given that around 86.2 percent of farmers in India are small or marginal, all the activities require capital that they cannot afford without the middlemen. The bills in no way tries to create alternate credit mechanisms to aid farmers, writes Akshat Singh for South Asia Monitor

Recalling the pain of 1962 Sino-Indian war: Lessons forgotten, truth buried

October 1962 is a sad chapter of Indian history and greater the pity that it remains under wraps, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Indo-US relationship unlikely to sway the Indian American vote

The Indian American community is sophisticated, knows and understands the domestic political compulsions and will not allow themselves to be led around by short term promises, writes Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami for South Asia Monitor

Lessons of COVID-19 for US and India: Need to invest in global public health, promote democratic norms

Both the US and India are remarkable democratic experiments and their ability to champion democratic norms and freedoms - rather than weaken them - will prove critical to global peace and prosperity in the years ahead, write Sohini Chatterjee & Swadesh Chatterjee for South Asia Monitor

South Asian nations need to harness resources to cope with pandemic fallout

South Asian nations need to work together to cope with COVID-19 and unlock new opportunities to build economic resilience, connectivity, and human capital, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

India needs serious rethink of its POK policy

The Pakistan army has never won any war but they are also aware that the political hierarchy in India is apprehensive of waging war on Pakistan with the Chinese presence in POK-Pakistan, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd)  for South Asia Monitor

COVID-19 calls for resetting targets under SDGs: Health and education needs fresh strategies

The pandemic has laid bare some fault lines and vulnerabilities in the domains of education and health, and the lessons need to reflect in the SDGs as fresh strategies, writes Ram Krishna Sinha for South Asia Monitor