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Between Treaty And Truth: Sri Lanka's Conflict-Related Sexual Violence And Limits Of International Law

Sri Lanka's case highlights the central weakness of the ICC’s complementarity principle. The Rome Statute grants jurisdiction only where states are unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution. Sri Lanka maintains functioning judicial institutions, conducts some prosecutions, and has established reparations frameworks, thereby technically satisfying the ability threshold while systematically failing to deliver accountability for conflict-related crimes.

Davos: Noise, Narratives, And The Reality Beneath

If Davos had a clear centre of gravity this year, it was technology—not geopolitics. The tech industry arrived in force, underscored by high-profile appearances from Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The message was unmistakable: this is where attention, ambition, and capital are converging. With extraordinary sums being poured into artificial intelligence, unease among lenders and investors is understandable. Yet many executives were keen to reassure markets that fears of an AI bubble were overstated.

Abandoned U.S. Weapons Empowering Terrorists, Undermining Pakistan’s And Regional Security

Strategically, these developments underscore the importance of regional counterterrorism cooperation and rigorous monitoring of cross-border arms flows. The proliferation of foreign-supplied weapons into Pakistan not only strengthens terrorist organizations but also threatens regional stability. Each attack executed with U.S.-origin rifles or advanced tactical gear reinforces the need for Pakistan’s zero-tolerance policy against militancy while exposing the organized external support networks that continue to embolden groups like the TTP.

A Year of Dissanayake Government: People Keeping Faith Despite Disappointments

It is not easy for a country faced with heavy debt payments to find resources to accelerate domestic growth, exports and infrastructure development. It has to carefully balance infrastructure priorities, social spending, and ongoing economic reforms. Next two years will be crucial for the government  to at least complete the ongoing projects to fulfil major promises while taking up the remaining ones that were temporarily shelved for early implementation.

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India’s devotional politics; and its immunity to criticism

Beginning with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru till Narendra Modi, we have a tendency to associate divine qualities to a political leader, writes Dr. Suparna Banerjee for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh's help to Sri Lanka underlines need for SAARC revival

Covid-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka's crisis are the best examples for all member states to try their level best to revitalize SAARC, writes Dr Shakuntala Bhabani for South Asia Monitor

Religion is another name for love; hate is part of divisive politics

The major political parties in India need to oppose the gross violations of the Constitution, the bulldozer (in)justice and beating of accused in custody, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor

Are Hindus being persecuted in Bangladesh? Facts belie prevailing narratives

Unlike Myanmar and India, Bangladesh has never, particularly since 1991, promoted any discriminatory policy against minorities, writes Samina Akhter for South Asia Monitor

Will warming ties with the US be a lifeline for Pakistan?

A number of factors in Pakistan such as the alarming economic situation, continued grey-listing by the FATF, growing terrorism challenges created the exigency for a reset in its ties with Washington, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor 

Afghanistan: The failure of democracy, the US and the free world

But the democratic world, mainly the US, already lost its battle for democracy in South and Central Asia by allowing the collapse of the the Afghan Republic, writes Fahim Sadat for South Asia Monitor

India’s outreach to the Taliban: An opening with limited expectations

The Taliban, on the other hand, assiduously tried to exert themselves as an independent sovereign authority in Afghanistan, which was also reflected in the series of interviews that the group’s senior leaders gave to Indian media just before Singh’s visit. They also assured, on multiple occasions, that if New Delhi decided to re-open its embassy, they will be provided security, India’s prime concern, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor

Global economic prospects and challenges for South Asia: Cooperation is the key

The policy dilemmas which the economies of South Asia face call for collective thinking, although each country may have to pursue its own strategy, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor 

Saffron bigotry stumps the BJP in the Muslim world: Will the party change tack?

Now the BJP may begin to have second thoughts about aggressive pro-Hindu tactics. Even if it has won over large sections of the communal-minded Hindus at home, it will be wary of an Arab boycott of Indian products abroad, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

Why Bangladesh should be seen as a South Asian economic miracle

Bangladesh is a South Asian miracle. Dislodging India, Bangladesh has quietly made its way to the top spot of the South Asian economic wheel, writes Shuvo Das for South Asia Monitor  

World must not forget the Rohingya refugees of Bangladesh

The Afghan and Ukraine crises have worsened the situation. But the world must remember that Rohingyas are also refugees, writes Parvej Siddique Bhuiyan for South Asia Monitor 

Defining moment for earth: South Asia faces grave environmental concerns

South Asia alone produces around 300 million tonnes of solid waste annually and 70–80 percent of these ends up in water bodies or in oceans, write George Cheriyan and Simi T.B. for South Asia Monitor 

Indian food aid to Sri Lanka; Are there any lessons from 1987?

Sri Lanka should also remember the adage ‘there are no free lunches’ and bilateral relations will depend on a give-and-take policy, writes Suggeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor

Men who fight together must pray together: The hallowed tradition of secularism in India's armed forces

As officers in the armed forces, their religion is that of their soldiers, sailors and airmen and all religious festivals of India are attended and taken part by all officers and families, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

India's pivot to Indo-Pacific is harbinger of geo-economic shifts in trade priorities

The US has now become important for India’s energy security as is the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor