The CJP’s journey, however, is no longer confined to the politics of examination failures and youth precarity. Its School Thik Karo campaign has extended the movement’s work towards accountability for basic public-school infrastructure, while its latest mobilisation has turned to electoral accountability.
Whether or not “Himalayasia” ever catches on as a name, the underlying question it poses is a serious one for a region that houses a quarter of the world’s population, spends tens of billions of dollars a year arming itself against its own neighbors, and still trades more easily with the far side of the globe than across its own borders
South Asia often discusses youth mobility after a student has already decided to leave the region. A stronger regional system would give students another option before that point: international experience that is close enough to be practical, but different enough to change what they learn.
If dummy admissions, prolonged school absenteeism, and an unregulated coaching culture continue unchecked, we may end up producing students who have spent enormous amounts of time and money on education without actually receiving the education they need.
The loss of 403 young lives is a stark wake-up call for Bangladesh. Schools and colleges are meant to nurture dreams, not silently witness the suffering of students. A collaborative effort involving the government, educational institutions, and families is urgently needed. With empathy, awareness, and institutional support, many of these young lives can still be saved.
India’s diversification strategy, often cited as a mitigating factor, provides only partial relief. The country now sources crude from over 40 countries, and in recent years has increased imports from Russia, the United States, and West Africa. In fact, about 70% of crude imports are now routed outside Hormuz, reflecting a conscious shift in sourcing strategy.
What is unfolding across South Asia’s cities is not just an urban crisis, it is a reflection of deeper tensions within development itself. Growth is happening, but it is not translating into stability. Opportunities exist, but they are unevenly distributed. Systems are expanding, but not fast enough to keep up with demand. Cities, which have long been seen as places where people come to improve their lives, are increasingly becoming spaces where people struggle to sustain them.
In modern South Asia, Shakti has been reborn in a different way through social reforms, feminist movement and gender equality policies. Rather than being rooted mainly in the kinship systems, feminine power now becomes more manifest in legal rights, schooling, political involvement and social movements. South Asian feminist movements have been inspired by world notions about gender justice and local cultural practices. In most situations, activists rebrand the concept of Shakti to mean the power of women, their independence and their struggle against patriarchy.
India’s experience shows that strategic autonomy, strong institutions, and long-term thinking remain the most effective tools for safeguarding national interest in an unequal global system, where power is concentrated in the hands of a few states and pressure on independent countries is a constant reality.
Social scientists argue that witch-hunting is a complex social phenomenon rooted not merely in superstition but in structural inequalities. Scholars studying rural India, including Surinder Jodhka, note that accusations of witchcraft often intersect with caste conflict, gender discrimination, and disputes over property or land. Elderly women, widows, and socially marginalized individuals frequently become easy targets because they lack protection within local power structures.
The valour of Gorkha regiments in the Indian Army is often used by the community as the ultimate proof of their Indianness. Since 1947, Gorkha soldiers have participated in every major conflict, be it Indo- Pakistan wars of 1947,1971,1999 or the Indo-China war of 1962. However, this valor is frequently undermined by the very state they defend, as civil and administrative bodies often treat them as "foreigners" even as they receive gallantry awards.
Greenland’s geopolitical prominence illustrates how a distant region can reflect deeper shifts in global power, economics, and security. For countries like India, Greenland is not about territorial ambition; it is a reminder that structural shifts in global power dynamics transcend geography. In a realist world, engagement is not optional; it is necessary for safeguarding long-term interests in a system where power continually redistributes itself.
Reservation in education has achieved moral legitimacy and expanded access, but it has also created new inequalities and stagnation. Its future lies not in expansion or abolition, but in redefinition. Affirmative action must evolve from symbolic arithmetic to structural reform, grounded in data and fairness.
In this exclusive conversation, Mehran Shah sits down with Ashok Sawhny Sahil, a renowned businessman and celebrated poet.
Jagaiyo Na Mujhe Yaan̈
Bohot Andhera Hai
Let’s Think Again Impatience they say,
now holds sway Impatience will bring forth gains,
What good is imprecation?
Why would you harm invoke?
Eyes Never look at me and lie,
Cos eyes are windows to the soul,
How much different would the world appear Seen through the eyes of the blind?
