At South Asian Voices, we pride ourselves on publishing diverse perspectives from across the subcontinent on the pressing issues related to the politics, security, and economics of South Asia. Below are the SAV editorial team’s top picks of 2024:
Akriti (Vasudeva) Kalyankar
Submarines are Key to India’s Evolving Force Posture in the Indian Ocean
Bashir Ali Abbas, May 2024
Bashir Ali Abbas traces the drivers of India’s growing submarine capability, situating it in the context of regional competition. While analysis of India-China-Pakistan trilateral dynamics often has a continental focus, Abbas helpfully compares their naval capabilities, revealing a complex interplay of deterrence and collaboration in the Indian Ocean. He also highlights the challenges India faces in keeping its capabilities credible and effective against adversaries. This data-rich piece is a must-read for those looking to understand how South Asian competition is playing out at sea.
India and Pakistan’s Development of Drones: Implications for Strategic Stability
Zohaib Altaf and Nimrah Javed, October 2024
Since SAV’s inception in 2013, we have published a lot of thoughtful and rigorous analyses on South Asian strategic stability. However, the focus has largely been on traditional weapons and platforms and how they impact deterrence dynamics in the region. But Zohaib Altaf and Nimrah Javed bring in a novel element of analysis by examining how the development of new and emerging technologies, such as drones, could intensify strategic competition in South Asia. Their piece provides an in-depth look at scenarios in which drones could impact escalation pathways and threaten strategic stability in the region. They also offer suggestions on confidence-building measures that New Delhi and Islamabad could adopt to manage the risks that arise from the proliferation of drones and could enhance shared understandings of these technologies.
Sahar Khan
What’s In A Name? The Etymology of South Asia’s Missiles
Qamar Shahzad, February 2024
Shahzab’s piece is unique in SAV’s catalog, as it dissects the political role of language. Not only is this a creative piece, but it also makes us pause to think about how names really matter—and how they are connected to projecting power and nationalism.
Integrating Climate Diplomacy and Water Management in South Asia
Ambika Vishwanath and Sanya Saroha, April 2024
Beyond dialogue, this piece is constructive about an important issue to South Asia: water management. Fundamentally, South Asia is not a water-scarce region but a region with poor water—and climate—management. As climate change increases in importance, practical pieces like this one will become essential for our audience.
Elizabeth Zazycki
A New Era in Sri Lanka?: Implications of Dissanayake’s Presidency
Rajni Gamage and Harindra Dassanayake, September 2024
Following Sri Lanka’s shocking political realignment, Rajni Gamage and Harindra Dassanayake trace the rise of alternative politics in Sri Lanka. Especially following November’s National People’s Power majority win in parliament, this piece highlights the simultaneous hope and uncertainty in the moment of the of the transition from dynastic politics to a leftist, reform-minded party that will have to balance campaign promises with economic and geopolitical realities.
The Manipur Conflict: Internal Discontent, Policy Gaps, and Regional Implications
Anuradha Oinam and Stanzin Lhaskyabs, July 2024
In a year of escalating ethnic conflict in Manipur between Meiteis and Kukis, Anuradha Oinam and Stanzin Lhaskyabs skillfully trace the roots of conflict: the politics of dominance and hegemony driven by conditions of land and resources. Oinam and Lhaskyabs further analyze the strategic importance of Manipur as it is a crucial centerpiece for India’s Act East policy and state bordering Myanmar, which is immersed in its own conflict. Ultimately, Oinam and Lhaskyabs argue that New Delhi needs to mediate with direct and indirect stakeholders actively, provide financial support for trust-building measures, and engage local youth experiencing high levels of post-traumatic stress due to ongoing conflict.
Mohamed Zeeshan
From Ambition to Action: India’s Quest for Global Diplomatic Influence
Nayan Chandra Mishra, July 2024
Nayan Chandra Mishra highlights the growing gap between the capabilities of India’s diplomatic corps and the ambitions of its foreign policy. Analyzing comparative data between India and other major global powers, Mishra compellingly argues that the Indian Foreign Service does not have sufficient diplomatic presence or personnel to meet India’s growing needs and interests around the world. He points out that despite having the largest number of expatriates in the world, India does not have any diplomatic posts in as many as 53 countries. Mishra further analyzes the economic, strategic, and diplomatic costs of this limited presence and explores potential ideas for reform of the Indian Foreign Service.
India and Pakistan Must Collaborate to Combat Winter Smog
Abu Hurrairah Abbasi, Saher Liaqat, November 2024
Discourse on India-Pakistan relations is typically dominated by border security, terrorism, and geopolitics. In an important break from those areas of focus, Abu Hurrairah Abbasi and Saher Liaqat highlight the growing concern of air pollution in the two countries and make a compelling case for why they should collaborate to resolve the crisis. Abbasi and Liaqat explore why smog is a recurring seasonal problem in India and Pakistan and how it impacts the long-term public health environment in the two countries. They further explore how collaboration between the two countries may be able to alleviate the problem. Lamenting that climate and environmental issues have often borne the brunt of political tensions between India and Pakistan, Abbasi and Liaqat hope that a joint effort against winter smog may engender goodwill between the two countries.
Emily Tallo
What Will a Breakdown in the Global Moratorium on Nuclear Testing Mean for South Asia?
Bashir Ali Abbas and Usama Nizamani, October 2024
This article explores the implications of eroding nuclear arms control agreements, especially the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), in the context of South Asia. It notes that geopolitical tensions, such as those stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war, have undermined global nonproliferation norms. This deterioration could reignite the debate about nuclear testing in India and, consequently, Pakistan. The article calls on great powers to contain adverse nuclear rhetoric and resist the temptation to resume testing amidst increasing great power competition, which is a crucial first step.
How Would India Respond in a Taiwan Contingency?
Jagannath Panda, March 2024
This piece discusses the growing strategic relationship between India and Taiwan amidst China’s increasing regional assertiveness. Cooperation between India and Taiwan is aimed at addressing labor shortages in Taiwan and providing employment opportunities for Indian workers concerns Beijing. China views such cooperation as provocative, employing coercive tactics to undermine it, including disinformation campaigns. India has historically adhered to the “One China” policy but has gradually shifted its stance, particularly after border tensions with China and increased alignment with democratic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Panda argues that while India is unlikely to engage militarily in a Taiwan contingency, it could support diplomatic and economic measures alongside Quad allies. Strengthening ties with Taiwan aligns with India’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy to counterbalance China’s influence in the region.
Ari Tolany
India’s Quest for Global Leadership Must Begin with Protecting its Women
Aparna Divya, December 2024
Too often, domestic and foreign affairs are siloed rather than understood as inextricably intertwined aspects of state policy. Divya’s piece ably examines how a “persistent and entrenched” rape culture impacts India’s global image and, thus, its attempts to take on greater leadership roles in international institutions. The author does not mince words, showing how “sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and low conviction rates of perpetrators” undermine India’s economic growth, security leadership, and global aspirations. In the context of the ongoing global backslide of women’s access to healthcare and economic inclusion, other analysts in Europe and the Americas should learn from Divya’s example to analyze how their respective states’ internal policies intersect with and impact those states’ abilities to project power and wield influence on an international stage.
Resolving Balochistan’s Multidimensional Crisis: Reconciliation and Reforms
Kameesh Karim, April 2024
Karim’s piece uses Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s march as a jumping-off point to show the failures of a “security first” state approach to Balochistan and offer a path forward for reconciliation and accountability for the gross violations of human rights in the province, including disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and other gross violations of human rights. The article shows how the Chinese-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development has heightened existing tensions in the region while demonstrating that reconciliation and socio-economic reform are the only pathways to stability in Balochistan. Karim proposes greater provincial autonomy under the 18th Constitutional Amendment and transparency and prosecution around past harms committed by the military and intelligence agencies to bolster the Baloch people’s trust in institutions. He further advocates for opening a more diverse set back-channel dialogues between the state and armed actors to look for conflict off-ramps and identify interlocutors with some degree of credibility with both Baloch nationalists and the Pakistani state, as well as committing increased funding to education and healthcare. Karim’s suite of policy proposals contain elements — truth, reconciliation, and increased local sovereignty paired with more equitable development, that have accompanied peace processes from Ireland to the Balkans to South Africa. Policymakers would do well to adopt them.
Mahika Khosla
Rare Earths, Rare Opportunity: India’s Potential in Easing China’s Chokehold
Nayan Seth, October 2024
Nayan Seth offers a compelling analysis of India’s potential role in diversifying the global rare earths supply chain. He skillfully contextualizes India’s reserves within the larger geopolitical landscape, addressing not only their strategic importance but also the technical, environmental, and policy challenges that hinder progress. By balancing his strategic and technical analysis with insights on reforms and international collaboration, the piece stands out for its solution-oriented approach.
India and Bangladesh Must Address Climate Migration Together
Soraya Kishtwari, March 2024
Soraya Kishtwari’s exploration of climate migration between India and Bangladesh carefully weaves together data-driven analysis with human-centered narratives. With a focus on the Sundarbans region, the piece emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address cross-border displacement caused by climate change. Kishtwari sheds light on both the policy gaps and opportunities for collaboration between India and Bangladesh, which can be useful in thinking about climate migration not only in South Asia but also in the global context.
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Image 1: CIAT/NeilPalmer via Flickr