The paradox of Indian liberal thought on Kashmir – Southasia Weekly #56

This week in Himal

This week, Burhan Majid writes that India’s left liberal elite have worked to obscure Kashmir’s assertion of political rights and autonomy through a focus on ‘peace’ and ‘development’, mirroring the Bharatiya Janata Party’s justification for abrogating Article 370. 

We also launched an investigative series on Southasian manufacturing and exports this week titled ‘Pills, Perils, Profits.’ Check out the first article on deadly Indian cough syrups and disparities in drug regulation by Vidya Krishnan and Arshu John!

For the next episode of the Southasia Review of Books podcast, host Shwetha Srikanthan speaks with Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil about The Gulf Migrant Archives in Kerala: Reading Borders and Belonging, a book which studies Gulf migrant archives in Malayalam through photographs, films and literature. 

There’s just one month to submit your speculative fiction for Fiction Fest 2025! More details here. 

This week in Southasia

Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions heighten after crossfire at Torkham border crossing

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan rose again this week as security forces from both countries traded fire at the Torkham crossing, a vital transit point that has been closed since 21 February after the Taliban began constructing a border post. At least one person was killed and several members of security personnel on both sides were injured in the clash, leaving thousands of residents fleeing. The week-long closure of the border has caused billions of rupees worth of losses and has disrupted crossborder trade and other activities. 

The Torkham border crossing has become a flashpoint signifying rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan - in 2024, the border was closed after Islamabad announced that Afghan drivers would need visas to cross the border, while the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing was closed earlier for the same reason. Islamabad has accused the Taliban of allowing cross-border militancy to continue unchecked. In addition to visa restrictions, Pakistan has been deporting Afghan refugees since November 2023. This week, US President Donald Trump thanked Pakistan for helping to apprehend a commander linked to the Islamic State-Khorasan, said to be linked to a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport in 2021 - signalling that despite lukewarm political relations, collaboration on counterterrorism efforts between the two countries remains strong.