US Assistant Secretary of State S Paul Kapur meeting Sri Lanka President and Chinese officials meeting Sri Lanka party leadership

Colombo to Kathmandu, China Seeks to Counteract US Moves Across South Asia

While Washington and New Delhi seek to strengthen bilateral ties with Colombo, Beijing has strategically engaged with the political forces that control the government. By engaging directly with actors at the core of Sri Lanka’s governance, Beijing appears to be signalling its strategic intent—projecting influence and reinforcing ideological ties. 

A Divided EU Faces Growing Scrutiny Over Taliban Contacts

Some analysts accuse the EU of double-standards arguing  that the EU has been condemning Taliban policies since they assumed power, but were now holding direct discussions with them. Such meetings undermine the EU's credibility as a defender of human rights and democratic values.

Sentenced to Silence? Mahrang Baloch’s Life Imprisonment Raises Uncomfortable Questions for Pakistan

Despite the narrative of the Pakistani state, Mahrang Baloch’s international recognition grew  through 2024.  Time magazine included her in its TIME100 Next list of emerging influential figures, citing her advocacy against enforced disappearances while the BBC named her to its 100 Women list. 

Seychelles' Importance to India: Modi Visit and Quest for Maritime Security and Stable Indian Ocean

Great powers realise the strategic value of small island states - refuelling facilities, logistics hubs, electronic listening posts, maritime surveillance nodes, diplomatic partnerships and access to vast EEZs. Their influence derives more from geographic position and political choice than from demographic size. Seychelles exemplifies this reality.

More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs

Western Australia should renew protagonist role in Australia-India bilateral

A stronger relationship with India is undeniably in Australia’s – and Western Australia’s – interest, writes Andrew Hunter for South Asia Monitor

Bhutan must be rewarded for battling climate change

Bhutan contributes little or zero to the climate crisis. Yet, it has not been justly rewarded for its noble and invaluable sacrifices, writes Rinchen Kinzang for South Asia Monitor

India-Bangladesh ties: A role model for neighbouring countries

India and Bangladesh can show the world how neighbouring countries can become all-weather friends, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor

Indian farm bill repeal: Setback to reforms, betrayal of poor farmers

The repeal of the farm bill stretches the plight of poor farmers and hurts the potential growth of food processing in the country, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor 

Pakistan needs to apologize for the 1971 genocide

The 1971 massacre of innocents in to be Bangladesh by Pakistan was one of the most heinous and barbaric genocides in world history, writes Farabi Bin Zahir for South Asia Monitor 

Bangladesh and Bhutan can build on their PTA to diversify cooperation

Sheikh Hasina and Lotay Tshering have agreed on building the necessary infrastructure to avail the maximum benefits of the PTA signed between Bangladesh and Bhutan, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor 

Glasgow and South Asia: Questions on transition towards net-zero economy

Carbon finance is expected to play a critical role in leveraging private sector finance for flourishing regional power trade between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Don’t trust Pakistan on wheat to Afghanistan; Iran option can be explored

As Pakistan may play dirty with Indian aid to Afghanistan transiting its territory, India could consider the Iran route, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor

The unprecedented rise of the Indian-American CEO in corporate America

There’s no doubt we will see a growing number of Indians leading companies in America and around the world. And we hope that more of these leaders will be women, writes Raj L Gupta for South Asia Monitor

CPEC: A harbinger of utopia or misery for the people of Gwadar?

The success of the CPEC project, which is dubbed as a “game-changer” for the region, will be in question if the concerns of the people of Gwadar are not dealt with practically by the Pakistani establishment, writes Nizam Hassan for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan exploiting Gwadar in the garb of CPEC

Disregarding Gwadar in particular and forsaking Balochistan in general is causing a sense of alienation among the people, writes Mannan Samad for South Asia Monitor

Why Ghani failed Afghanistan: Culture of corruption, mismanagement and disrespect

Many competent and high qualified individuals refused to work in Ghani's administration and quit their jobs in frustration, writes Qudratullah Karimi for South Asia Monitor 

Work-life conflict in Covid era: Is ICT a boon or a curse?

Technological domination by developed nations emerges as a new form of colonization as developing countries are the markets, writes Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor 

Omicron and vaccine inequity: How to fix a broken system

Covid-19 led to disconnected efforts of governments, severely damaging global supply chain linkages, now leading to Omicron strain, writes Akshat Singh for South Asia Monitor

Ending global fishery subsidies: India leads the fight

Overfishing by highly subsidized distant water fishing fleets threaten the low-income countries that depend on fish for food sovereignty, hurting livelihoods of fisherfolk of this region like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor