Modi gesticulating while speaking at Shri Ram College of Commerce

Is India's Return to Regional Hegemony in South Asia a Strategic Necessity?

For China to achieve its hegemonic ambitions in Asia, weakening democracies is essential. India, therefore, stands as an iron wall against illiberal encroachments, positioning itself as both a regional hegemon and a defender of democratic order.

The Mecca Pact: A Mirage of Islamic Unity, A Pact on Paper?

The Mecca Pact, barely a month old, has already been discredited. Its authenticity is in question, its efficacy doubtful. The very notion of an “Islamic Nato” has been exposed as a mirage. Collective defence requires not just declarations but capabilities, coordination and political will. None of these are evident in the pact’s functioning.

Diplomacy Cannot Wait: The Case for an Immediate Bangladesh–India Bilateral Visit

A more sensible and balanced engagement with India might help Bangladesh maintain its national interests while boosting its competitiveness in the region as it moves into the post-LDC transition period. A bilateral visit should happen soon to address Bangladesh's food, fertiliser and fuel shortages.

India Through a Different Lens: Post BRICS Summit, a Nuanced Change in Outlook Towards India in Chinese Media and Policy Circles

The real change, then, is not merely that Chinese media sounded friendlier towards India. It is that they assigned India a different place in the story. New Delhi appeared as a complex but consequential partner, whose strategic autonomy and cooperation matter to China's imagining of a changing world order. 

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Bangladesh-Myanmar trade holds promise for the region

Enhanced ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor 

India’s indigenous people: Repository of India's traditional knowledge and cultural heritage

The international community needs to appreciate that against all odds and the trauma of partition, India’s culture is composite and represents her civilizational heritage, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Putting India-Sri Lanka relations back on track

After Basil Rajapaksa's current visit, Modi is likely to fly from New Delhi to Jaffna to mark the reopening of Palaly Airport for commercial operations, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor

The future of Indian politics is a test for the Opposition

One of the major lessons of the assembly election results is that a fragmented opposition cannot take on the mighty electoral might of BJP-RSS, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor 

Bangladesh should enhance economic engagement with Saudi Arabia

Because of Dhaka’s economic success, Saudi Arabia now perceives Bangladesh as a lucrative investment destination, writes Hussain Shazzad for South Asia Monitor

Punjab election shows good governance does gets votes in India

It is a no-brainer that Arvind Kejriwal’s victory speech was sharply focused on issues of governance, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor

Only international pressure can help restore democracy in Myanmar

Tatmadaw, the Myanmarese junta, must be pressured to allow the Rohingya in Bangladesh to return to their homes with full dignity and civil rights, writes Kyaw Min for South Asia Monitor

Mystics and music: The forgotten legacy of love in South Asia

The mystical traditions of South Asia transcend apparently rigid religious boundaries, write Priyanka Singh and Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor

Modi's hold over India's national politics unlikely to diminish soon; Kejriwal emerges as a prospective national opposition leader

In the wake of the result in Uttar Pradesh, it is clear that 2024 is for Modi to lose since there does not appear to be any comparable singular figure who can defeat him, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor

India's bellwether election: A new challenger to BJP’s continued dominance?

It is now almost a certainty that the AAP will replace the Congress as the BJP’s main challenger in Gujarat later this year, marking its emergence as a major alternative to the BJP at the national level, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

The Russia-Ukraine war is unlikely to diminish Afghanistan's importance

The US and its allies will never lose sight of Afghanistan's strategic importance in a vital region, writes Saed Mansoor Sadat for South Asia Monitor 

Crime and punishment: Is the Indian justice system impartial?

Criminal justice has its own logic at present and its discrepancies are not matching with the democratic ethos of India's secular constitution, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor 

Pakistan’s 'Aurat March': Breaking biases against women

Aurat March in Pakistan has proved to be a phenomenal success, forcing society to acknowledge women’s efforts, writes Nadra Huma Quraishi for South Asia Monitor

Danger of rapid escalation of Ukraine war: India must speak out

The ‘unforeseen’ would become a frightening reality, recalling what the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had whispered piteously: "The living will envy the dead", writes Cmde C. Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh needs to strike a fine diplomatic balance between major powers

Bangladesh can neither ignore the US and India nor China in the light of the changing global geopolitical situation, writes Emilia Fernandez for South Asia Monitor