The film lives to its own dialogue that showing wrong is as dangerous as hiding the truth; it totally hides the murders and exodus of Muslims, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Cultural Diplomacy and Reviving Bangladesh–India Ties Beyond Political Divisions
At the iftar gathering, attended by civil society members, ministers, bureaucrats and other distinguished guests, High Commissioner Verma emphasised the shared aspirations of Bangladesh and India. He stated that both nations stand at the threshold of a promising future as two vibrant and forward-looking societies. The event served as a platform to strengthen people-to-people connections and diplomatic goodwill between the two neighbours. By bringing together influential members of Bangladeshi society, the gathering reflected a clear intention to foster deeper engagement
Raw Courage Amid Patriarchal Terror: Where Girls Have to Disguise as Boys to Survive in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
The system under the Taliban regime treats girls as disposable items. They take away childhood experiences and destroy personal identities, creating permanent emotional scars. Yet these girls are not victims without agency. They are survivors carrying entire families on their small shoulders. Omid, Parvana, and every unnamed bacha posh are proof of Afghan, and Pashtun, resilience. The world must see them. The Taliban must hear us that no amount of disguises will hide the truth that women and girls are not lesser.
Khamenei's Assassination and a Fractured Iran: Regional and Global Ramifications of a War of Attrition
Khamenei’s assassination terminates an epoch of ideological confrontation, yet inaugurates profound uncertainty. Legally and normatively, it imperils protections for sovereign leaders; strategically and politically, it probes Iran’s institutional fortitude; religiously and narratively, it unveils unifying and divisive societal forces. Diplomatic containment—through intermediaries such as Oman or Qatar—must prioritise the transition's fragility without incitement. Absent such prudence, this strike risks catalysing a wider regional conflagration, where initial tactical triumphs yield enduring strategic costs.
Reimagining a Cooperative South Asia: A Next-Gen Agenda to Revive SAARC
The revival of SAARC will not come from dramatic diplomatic breakthroughs. Instead, it will emerge through incremental cooperation in education, digital infrastructure, disaster response and trade facilitation. Crucially, the future of South Asian regionalism may depend on a generation that increasingly experiences the region not through borders but through shared digital, economic and cultural networks.
More on Spotlight
The new polarizing instrument of Hindi cinema
The film has soured Hindu-Muslim relations to an extent in Kashmir - and also in the rest of the country - that the Pandits will be unable to settle down as before in close proximity with their Muslim neighbours, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh-Pakistan ties: Closing the gap, increasing the gains
The younger generation of both countries is keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim-majority countries in the region, writes Mehjabin Bhanu for South Asia Monitor
A missile misfire that could have gone horribly wrong
Fortunately, Pakistan never went ballistic and their reaction has averted what could have potentially led to a disastrous escalation, writes Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan’s cricket future looks promising, despite political challenges back home
Afghanistan owes a measure of its progress to the India cricket board and its generosity in providing to the embattled Afghan cricketers the use of ‘home’ grounds in India, writes Qaiser Mohammed Ali for South Asia Monitor
Japanese PM Kishida's Delhi visit: The missing buzz about Japanese investments in India
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation listed India as the most attractive investment destination, yet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Delhi failed to generate that investment buzz, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
India cannot be dictated by US, UK on who to trade with
With its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, India has a vital role in America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh-Myanmar trade holds promise for the region
Enhanced ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor
India’s indigenous people: Repository of India's traditional knowledge and cultural heritage
The international community needs to appreciate that against all odds and the trauma of partition, India’s culture is composite and represents her civilizational heritage, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Putting India-Sri Lanka relations back on track
After Basil Rajapaksa's current visit, Modi is likely to fly from New Delhi to Jaffna to mark the reopening of Palaly Airport for commercial operations, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor
The future of Indian politics is a test for the Opposition
One of the major lessons of the assembly election results is that a fragmented opposition cannot take on the mighty electoral might of BJP-RSS, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh should enhance economic engagement with Saudi Arabia
Because of Dhaka’s economic success, Saudi Arabia now perceives Bangladesh as a lucrative investment destination, writes Hussain Shazzad for South Asia Monitor
Punjab election shows good governance does gets votes in India
It is a no-brainer that Arvind Kejriwal’s victory speech was sharply focused on issues of governance, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor
Only international pressure can help restore democracy in Myanmar
Tatmadaw, the Myanmarese junta, must be pressured to allow the Rohingya in Bangladesh to return to their homes with full dignity and civil rights, writes Kyaw Min for South Asia Monitor
Mystics and music: The forgotten legacy of love in South Asia
The mystical traditions of South Asia transcend apparently rigid religious boundaries, write Priyanka Singh and Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor
