Just twenty years ago, India's neighboring countries, apart from Pakistan, were solely dependent on India. But now all the small countries except Bhutan are trying to identify themselves as neutral countries in the India-China rivalry.

Even so, Bhansali’s project has evoked considerable interest in Pakistan since the word went out that he was once considering casting Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, two of the top stars who have acted in Bollywood films. “Then, politics entered,” one of them rued.

Despite the myriad challenges faced by Western journalists in covering South Asia, maintaining journalistic integrity is non-negotiable. This entails a rigorous commitment to fact-checking, corroborating information from diverse sources, and challenging ingrained biases.

India and China represent the future, America (West) the present, and Europe the past; Islam has a long way to go. 

The growing camaraderie between Pakistan’s military and the ISK  poses a threat to the entire South Asian region.

The encampments in Cox's Bazar have metamorphosed into hotbeds of militant activities, underpinned by the infusion of funds from the Middle East, Pakistan, and other nations, which are cynically utilized to perpetrate a nexus of militancy within these precincts.

The revival of trade relations with old friend Russia is  the turning point in India’s oil dependency on the Arab world. This has strengthened India’s resilience to oil shock to a considerable extent.

All in all, the issues on the agenda are very different from the issues that the BJP thought would be on the agenda. The finals could go down to the wire and there will be many lessons learned once the votes are counted and the results are declared.

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

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.

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. 

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.

Most importantly, does the rise, arming, and free hand given to Arambai Tenggol signal the arrival of private political armies in India?

As it stands today, Maldives is going to be drawn deeper into China’s strategic sphere. Chinese presence in Maldives is set to increase.

Designating it as a ‘Hindu’ New Year appears to be part of an ongoing attempt to homogenise our diversity and multiple, multicultural identities.