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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
Tajrobawai Girls School in Herat Shows the Way
By Lee Keath
Teachers' union officials met with local Taliban officials and Herat's governor to press their demands.
A Snapshot of India’s Population
By Sudha Ramachandran
NFHS-5, the latest survey of India’s people, shows that population growth has stabilized but misogyny remains strong.
Why Is Beijing Going Nuts for Afghan Pine Nuts?
By Ajmal Waziri and Raffaello Pantucci
The trade offers concrete and immediate benefits to both the Chinese government and the Taliban.
Taliban’s Reign of Terror Belies Promise of Amnesty
By Lee Keath
Despite the promised amnesty, Taliban commanders are executing and forcibly "disappearing" soldiers, policemen, and intelligence officials of the previous regime, says Human Rights Watch.
Equality or Fraternity? Challenges of India’s New Constituency Delimitation
By Krzysztof Iwanek
India’s constituency delimitation process will be torn between the ideals of equal representation and protecting minority groups.
A Thorn in Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations
By Asif Muztaba Hassan
Fifty years after the Bangladesh liberation war, Pakistan remains reluctant to apologize for the horrific violence it unleashed on millions of Bangladeshis.
Interfaith Love a Risk Under Modi’s Rule
By Sheikh Saaliq
Hindutva outfits unleash violence on Muslim men who marry Hindu women, alleging that they are feigning love to convert them to Islam.
Sri Lanka Bows to Chinese Pressure Again
By Sudha Ramachandran
Colombo has agreed to pay millions of dollars to a Chinese company that has reportedly supplied it with contaminated organic fertilizer.
Could the Taliban Get India and Pakistan to Cooperate?
By Umair Jamal
Pakistan’s opening of the overland trade route to Indian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan came on the Taliban’s nudging.
Child Sexual Abuse is Still a ‘Less Serious’ Offense in India
By Kavita Chowdhury
There is a need for sensitization of judges to child rights and child abuse. Courts need to ensure that victims are not re-traumatized.
India Arrests Prominent Kashmiri Rights Activist Under Anti-Terror Law
By Associated Press
Khurram Parvez has highlighted the culture of impunity and widespread rights abuses by Indian troops in the region.
India’s Farmers Signal Lack of Trust in Modi Government
By Tarushi Aswani
Having reaped success in getting the government to roll back the farm laws, the protesting farmers are pushing for more.