Commentary

Disillusioned with the Taliban, Pakistan reverses its four-decade Afghan policy

As Kabul refuses to act against the TTP and Baloch militant groups, Pakistan is ending the support it has extended to the Taliban since 1994 and its welcome to refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s

| Nov 27, 2023

Misguided mega-projects threaten to devastate the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The NITI Aayog, an Indian government think tank, is spearheading “development” projects that would strip indigenous people of their land and rights, and destroy precious forests and sea turtle breeding grounds

| Nov 10, 2023

An internet star’s political dreams meet the brutal realities of Bangladeshi elections

A sharp turn in Hero Alom’s fledgling political career shows what analysts say are the ruling Awami League’s efforts to “manage” Bangladesh’s upcoming election

| Nov 06, 2023

Bangladesh’s murky games to get Saima Wazed to the WHO

Sheikh Hasina’s push to make her daughter the regional director of the WHO South-East Asia Region bodes ill for Southasia

| Oct 27, 2023

Can the Sharifs woo back battleground Punjab?

With Nawaz Sharif’s return, the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz is looking to strengthen a shaky grip over Punjab, and testing again its tricky relationship with the military establishment

| Oct 20, 2023

Manipur’s conflict has harsh lessons for all of India’s Northeast

Rampant ethnic chauvinism of the kind that has shattered Manipur’s civil society is ingrained in communities across the Northeast

| Sep 25, 2023

‘Jawan’ treads with caution in an India on edge

Shah Rukh Khan and the director Atlee’s tedious blockbuster has a veneer of being political even as it bends to prevailing winds – and its gender bias does not help

| Sep 12, 2023

‘Joyland’ crosses the barbed wire between India and Pakistan

Indian audiences are connecting with director Saim Sadiq’s acclaimed, queer-affirming Pakistani film, briefly banned in its home country

| Jul 14, 2023

Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka defies state repression

Post-war memorialisation events serve as resilient expressions of Tamil nationalism despite crackdowns by the Sri Lankan state

| Jul 07, 2023

Queer literature for children is changing minds in India

Indian parents and community libraries are turning to queer literature for children to help them be sensitive to varied sexual and gender identities

| Jun 06, 2023

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Latest Articles

Disillusioned with the Taliban, Pakistan reverses its four-decade Afghan policy

As Kabul refuses to act against the TTP and Baloch militant groups, Pakistan is ending the support it has extended to the Taliban since 1994 and its welcome to refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s

The limited genius of Geoffrey Bawa

‘Geoffrey Bawa: Drawing from the Archives’ allows an exploration of the rift between the celebrated architect’s vision for nation-building in Sri Lanka and the country’s present reality

Interview: The precarity of Afghan migrants in Pakistan

Political scientist and author Sanaa Alimia speaks of the long history of racial profiling, harassment and deportation of Afghan migrants, in the context of Pakistan’s recent crackdown

Bhutan took a step towards queer rights, but its LGBTIQ+ people want a giant leap

Bhutan celebrated the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2021 but LGBTIQ+ activists are pushing for the legal recognition of all gender identities and marriage equality