US Assistant Secretary of State S Paul Kapur meeting Sri Lanka President and Chinese officials meeting Sri Lanka party leadership

Colombo to Kathmandu, China Seeks to Counteract US Moves Across South Asia

While Washington and New Delhi seek to strengthen bilateral ties with Colombo, Beijing has strategically engaged with the political forces that control the government. By engaging directly with actors at the core of Sri Lanka’s governance, Beijing appears to be signalling its strategic intent—projecting influence and reinforcing ideological ties. 

A Divided EU Faces Growing Scrutiny Over Taliban Contacts

Some analysts accuse the EU of double-standards arguing  that the EU has been condemning Taliban policies since they assumed power, but were now holding direct discussions with them. Such meetings undermine the EU's credibility as a defender of human rights and democratic values.

Sentenced to Silence? Mahrang Baloch’s Life Imprisonment Raises Uncomfortable Questions for Pakistan

Despite the narrative of the Pakistani state, Mahrang Baloch’s international recognition grew  through 2024.  Time magazine included her in its TIME100 Next list of emerging influential figures, citing her advocacy against enforced disappearances while the BBC named her to its 100 Women list. 

Seychelles' Importance to India: Modi Visit and Quest for Maritime Security and Stable Indian Ocean

Great powers realise the strategic value of small island states - refuelling facilities, logistics hubs, electronic listening posts, maritime surveillance nodes, diplomatic partnerships and access to vast EEZs. Their influence derives more from geographic position and political choice than from demographic size. Seychelles exemplifies this reality.

More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs

High time India and Australia resume FTA negotiations to seal a conclusive deal

India and Australia have come strategically closer through forums such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), writes Rahul Nath Choudhury for South Asia Monitor

Closer Bangladesh-Myanmar ties have great economic potential - but Rohingya issue must be resolved

Enhanced bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar could contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries,  writes MD Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor

World Bank proposal to integrate Rohingyas into Bangladesh unsustainable for both host nation, refugees

The country expects the world communities to consider all relevant issues including the socio-economic conditions in Bangladesh before making any recommendations to resolve the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis, writes Kazi Mohammad Jamshed for South Asia Monitor

The Terror Guardians: How Pakistan tripped the US in Afghanistan

The ISI’s guardianship of terror groups led to the inevitable Talibanisation of Pakistan at the cost of the secular space in politics, writes M R Narayan Swamy for South Asia Monitor

India should revisit FTA with ASEAN; have new economic partnerships with emerging Asian nations

Notwithstanding India not joining the RCEP, it is likely to become the potential gateway for accelerating China’s backdoor entry into India, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor

The Taliban must develop Afghanistan, protect women’s rights to get world recognition

But getting global recognition could be far from easy for the Taliban because the Western countries have a negative perception about them, with many people in these nations still considering them terrorists, writes MD Ishtiak Hossain for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan needs multidimensional and intersectoral policy approaches for energy-water-food security integration

A key facet of the water-energy-food nexus in Pakistan is the heavy dependence of agriculture on groundwater irrigation, write Haris Mushtaq and Taimoor Akhtar for South Asia Monitor 

Flawed US AfPak policy a boost for Taliban, a boon to China

America’s expectations that Afghanistan would not become a haven for terrorists (which it already was) and that the US will remain sheltered from terrorism emanating from that soil, are both misplaced, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

After PTA, Bangladesh and Bhutan can cooperate to solve regional issues, tackle Covid

Once the PTA comes into force, more people in Bangladesh will get access to good apples and oranges from Bhutan, while the fashion-conscious Bhutanese can choose from more varieties of quality apparel from Bangladesh, writes Md Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor 

A new street battle by Afghan women that Taliban may not be prepared to fight

The sense of losing everything - after a quarter-century of modernization and social progress - seems to have broken the Afghan women's fear of confronting the Taliban, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor 

South Asia's cricket rivalry: Is the Indian pace battery a notch-up on Pakistan's feared pace attack of the last century?

The difficulty level the current Indian pacers had to overcome to achieve consistency and success in top-flight international cricket is substantially higher than what their counterparts from Pakistan had to surmount decades back, writes Sirshendu Panth for South Asia Monitor

Augury of a 'failed' Afghanistan: Global sympathy should be with the Afghan people

So, what the future looks like for Afghanistan? In one word: hopeless, writes Anondeeta Chakraborty for South Asia Monitor

India must shed its diffidence on a full-fledged FTA with UK

If India seeks greater market access, it must also allow the UK to sell more of its goods and services, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

With Europe caught in divisive politics, Afghan refugee women face a bleak future

The existing Afghan population in Europe is already facing a compassion deficit in Europe due to the rise in anti-immigrant parties threatening to fracture the bloc further,  write Dr. Manasi Sinha, Pratyush Bibhakar and Vishal Rajput for South Asia Monitor

Nutrition literacy, greater market infrastructure investments must for ensuring healthy, sustainable diets in South Asia

To design sustainable food systems for healthy diets within the South Asian region, one needs to take local realities and contexts into account and develop a strong collaboration among all stakeholders at the grassroots, national, regional and global level, write George Cheriyan and Simi T.B. for South Asian Monitor