Sanctioning the Sangh: USCIRF, the RSS, and the Limits of US-India Strategic Partnership
The diplomatic standoff between Washington’s independent monitoring mechanisms, local US political leadership, and New Delhi’s foreign policy apparatus reached an unprecedented threshold as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief (Sarsanghchalak) Mohan Bhagwat commenced his multi-nation tour across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Centred on a 29 August address at New York’s Madison…
The Kashmir case: Why the Instrument of Accession was Kept Secret until 2016
For decades, researchers visiting the National Archives of India in New Delhi could consult the Instruments of Accession signed by the rulers of princely states that joined India after the end of British rule in 1947. The documents were there, available for scholars to examine. There was, however, one conspicuous exception: Jammu and Kashmir.…
The Gulf Slips Away: How the Makkah Pact Ended India’s Decade of Gulf Diplomacy
The formalisation of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026 marks a pivotal structural shift in the security architecture of West Asia and South Asia. Signed in the holy city of Makkah by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the trilateral…
July Revolution: Beyond Hopes and Disappointments
Two years after the student-led people’s uprising dismantled the fifteen-year autocracy of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh finds itself navigating the complex realities of structural recalibration. The euphoric aftermath of August 2024, baptized by its architects as the “July Revolution”, promised an immediate democratic renaissance. Yet as the initial revolutionary dust settles across the streets of…
Indian Arms Exports to Israel : Examining Amnesty International’s Report on India as an essential weapon manufacturing node for genocide in Gaza.
In July 2026, Amnesty International published a comprehensive 42-page investigative report titled “Made in India: The Supply of Weapons and Ammunition to Israel.” The document delivers a detailed, data-driven reconstruction of how India has evolved into an essential manufacturing node in Israel’s weapon supply chain during the genocide in Gaza. Drawing upon shipment-level customs…
The Indian Ocean in the Era of Great-Power Competition: Reassessing the Strategic Impact of Extra-Regional Actors on Regional Stability
The Indian Ocean has emerged as one of the most consequential geopolitical theatres of the twenty-first century. Stretching from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific through the Strait of Malacca, it connects some of the world’s fastest-growing economies while carrying nearly 80 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and a…
Repositioning in the Post-Galwan Era: From Continental Balancing to Global Diplomatic Centrality
The geopolitical landscape of South Asia has undergone a profound structural transformation. While the June 2020 Sino-Indian clash in the Galwan Valley established a new strategic reality along the Himalayan frontier, developments throughout 2026 have fundamentally altered Pakistan’s regional and international position. India’s unilateral constitutional and cartographic changes concerning Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh strengthened…
Water as a Weapon: How India’s Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty Threatens South Asia’s Future
Editorial Note: This article was published in June 2026. On the 31st of August 2026, the Court of Arbitration issued a further Award on the Status of the Indus Waters Treaty, again affirming the treaty remains in force, alongside interim measures on the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant. India has rejected this ruling as well, maintaining…
Bhan Singh’s List: Recording the Sikh genocide of June 1984
The June 1984 Indian military assault on the Sikh religion’s most sacred place of worship, the Golden Temple complex, Sri Harimandar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib, stands as a monumental watershed in modern Sikh and Indian history. This historical event exposed a profound rift between state-mandated narrative and collective trauma. The Indian government classified…
Eid, Faith, Systematic Fear: The Shrinking space for Muslim festivals in India
For millions of Muslims across India, the arrival of Eid ul-Adha should be a season of profound spiritual devotion, communal charity, and familial gathering. The core religious rite involves Qurbani, the ritual sacrifice of livestock to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God, with the meat distributed among family, neighbours, and impoverished communities. Yet, in…
