Maldives and India flag

Bad news for India from the Maldives: India needs to get neighbourhood act together

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

A New Year by any other name: Diversity marks South Asian cultural identity

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

A security crisis looms in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts: Need for coordinated regional action

It is critical to formulate a comprehensive strategy that involves both Bangladesh and India to counteract the potential threats posed by external actors in the CHT. This strategy should take into account the historical grievances and aspirations of the ethnic communities

The subcontinental dilemma: Should petty politics trump business pragmatism in South Asia?

After all, If India can do more than $100 billion worth of business with China, with which it is now involved in a far more complex border dispute and naval rivalry, then we can at least do business with our next-door neighbours and let consumers have a greater choice.

More on Spotlight

Afghan refugees crisis: Collective international action need of the hour

The Afghan conflict has already turned shelterless a massive number of people, and it will not end until a morally inclined humanitarian intervention takes place, write Azeemah Saleem and MD. Imtiyaz for South Asia Monitor

Lessons from the Taliban: Only a secular democracy can keep India integrated

Implications for India are more worrisome since the Taliban now has overt support of China and Russia apart from its patron Pakistan, writes Brig Deepak Sethi (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Strong policies, asset management skills can raise mutual funds’ popularity in South Asia

Among many commonalities, South Asian nations have a large hi tech-savvy young population, and the asset management companies should tap this section to deepen mutual fund penetration significantly, writes Ram Krishna Sinha for South Asia Monitor 

Transparency, institutional checks and balances must for success of India’s ambitious asset monetization plan

If asset monetization is undertaken with strict oversight, it can be the most effective remedy to dispel the pervading gloom of an ailing economy, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Will Afghanistan provide the strategic depth that Pakistan has long been seeking against India?

Beijing will quickly establish a ruthlessly transactional and pragmatic relationship to exploit Afghanistan’s rich mineral resources as well expand its much-cherished Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from Pakistan, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor

The blind men of Capitol Hill: Kabul bombings are America’s self-inflicted wound

Finally, the US has given the biggest boost to global terrorism - and will eventually have to face the consequences. A coupling between the ISIS and Taliban should not be considered an impossibility, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Biden risks further Afghan entanglement in a who-is-fighting-who in Afghanistan

Biden's speech had an eerie echo of former President George Bush's September 20, 2001, address to Congress when he set the course for what became the 20-year war, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor

Growing Bangladesh-Sri Lanka trade and investment ties have positive implications for the region

If a free trade agreement is signed, then only the sky would be the limit for Bangladesh-Sri Lanka business relations, writes MD Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor

Equitable vaccine distribution a must for South Asia's economic recovery

The Asian Development Bank has stated that in South Asia the new wave of Covid-19  between March and June 2021 has somewhat dampened the economic outlook of the region, writes Partha Pratim Mitra, for South Asia Monitor

The Taliban’s return in Afghanistan will reinforce the Al Qaeda threat

Al Qaeda is leading a scattered existence along the Afghan-Pakistan border and its leadership is undergoing a constant shift, writes Anuttama Banerji for South Asia Monitor

Afghanistan's grim future and its huge regional implications

India won’t let the developments in Afghanistan affect its interests, more so because Pakistan and China are rubbing their hands in glee, waiting to move in to fill the vacuum in Afghanistan left by the United States, writes Mehraj udin Bhat for South Asia Monitor 

The American debacle in Afghanistan: Did US negotiators know early in 2020 that the Taliban could take over easily?

It is hardly surprising that in a mockery of the so-called US intelligence projection that Kabul could fall in 30 to 60 days, the capital caved in within 48 hours, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor

India needs labor-intensive manufacturing employment to stall reverse migration

Indian industry must have a conducive environment to invest and employ more workers from farms, writes  N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Taliban needs to reform ideology, cut terror links for ruling Afghanistan

The Taliban are aware that if they shelter foreign militants with transnational agenda. It could turn neighboring powers like China, Russia, Iran, India, or Pakistan against them, writes Ainur Khan for South Asia Monitor

Monk and the prime minister: Did a Sri Lankan scholar help to ignite interest in Buddhist studies in Israel?

Today many Israeli universities have departments of Buddhist studies and South Asian philosophies as interest among Jewish scholars on Buddhist meditation continues to grow, writes Punsara Amarasinghe for South Asia Monitor