Biren Singh’s BJP-led Manipur state government has used arrests, intimidation and narrative manipulation as tools to dominate the public and exacerbate decades-old tensions between Meiteis and Kuki-Zomi-Hmars.
India risks permanent damage to its relationship with Bangladesh with a narrative of uncontrolled communal violence after Sheikh Hasina’s fall, ignoring Hasina’s weaponisation of the Hindu minority and how post-revolution violence has been driven more by political reasons
Social media has usurped the traditional media’s influence in Sri Lankan politics, particularly after the Aragalaya – and even any improvement in media freedom under the new NPP government cannot solve the industry’s entrenched problems
The Pashtun Qaumi Jirga marks a new phase of Pashtun nationalism, with a swathe of demands challenging the Pakistan state’s treatment of Pashtuns and growing support from mainstream political parties
Payal Kapadia’s brilliant film, a winner at the Cannes Film Festival, portrays friendship, love and acceptance amid the chauvinism and exploitation rife in India today
The BJP’s reduced seat count after the 2024 election prompted rare public criticism from the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, offering a glimpse into the recurring power struggle between the two organisations
A three-party contest with no certain frontrunner, the 2024 presidential vote is the first since the economic crisis and mass protests of 2022 sparked calls for deep systemic change in Sri Lankan politics
Global isolation of the Taliban has contributed to a proliferation of terror groups endangering Afghanistan, Southasia and the world. Conditional engagement offers a better way forward.
The Modi government must reckon with Bangladeshi anger over its support for Hasina even as the United States, China and Russia all reassess their approaches to Dhaka
Bangladesh’s quota protests have spiralled into national unrest because of long-standing public disaffection with Hasina and her Awami League over the economy, corruption and autocratic behaviour
The best fast bowler India has ever produced, Bumrah also stands out for his sobriety and self-effacement in an Indian men’s team steeped in individualism and hyper-masculinity, as well as in a political era of unabashed bigotry
