On Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
C.M. Naim’s, A Professor Emiretus had shared this some months ago: “What an extraordinary man he was. Iftikhar Alam Sahib has been publishing books…
The enigma that is Pakistan (book review)
Anatol Lieven’s new book is not just a contemporary account of Pakistan, it also attempts to present an alternative narrative of what is often…
Raza Rumi recalls fond memories of Mushir-ul-Hasan
Raza Rumi pays tribute to Mushir-ul-Hasan, one of the most prolific historians of our times. Author to many books, Hasan had extensively researched Indian…
Majoritarian politics in South Asia
Majoritarian Politics in South Asia is a riveting issue, and in 2018, a particularly topical one. The South Asian Studies Council was pleased to…
The rich history of South Asia is the history of Pakistan too
History of South Asia – South Asia includes the contemporary political entities of the Indian subcontinent and associated islands. Therefore, its history includes the…
Free Speech in Free Countries The Indian Subcontinent Live with Raza Rumi
Raza Rumi’s analysis on the shared histoy of India and Pakistan. In this video he emphasises on similarities between India and Pakistan. Rumi says…
Book Review: South Asia 2060: Envisioning Regional Futures
Book review for The Friday Times South Asia 2060: Envisioning Regional Futures is a comprehensive volume of essays edited by Adil Najam and Moeed…
How the Future of South Asia Can Change!
Since Pakistan’s inception, its relationship with India has been mired by insecurity, hostility, suspicion and mistrust. Independence in 1947 was followed by conflict over…
Book Review – Nobody Can Love You More: Life in Delhi’s Red Light District
There is usually too much romance, tragedy or judgment in books about South Asia’s sex workers Writing about the lives of “fallen women” is…
River Indus: Flow of life – Part I
Along its 1,800-mile course, the Indus joins cultures from the steppes of Central Asia to the arid plains of the South Asian subcontinent. It…
Delhi and Lahore – globalised fads and trends
This piece of mine appeared in the Hindustan Times yesterday. An accidental piece it was, written on the request of a friend during my…
Capitulating Rajas: why Taliban might not be resisted
My new piece for The Friday Times South Asian history is a tale of capitulation of local elites before external invaders. Be it the…
We shall overcome the trap of violence
As clouds of war hover in the skies of Lahore, I am missing Delhi and lamenting the relatively difficult venture to visit the city.…
Ode to Benaras – Ghalib’s grand vision
The cancer of communalism and bigotry in South Asia continues to haunt us. These days, the Muslims are once again a subject of intense,…
Kabir, Bulleh and Lalon – Petals of a mystic lotus
The subcontinent during the 15th century witnessed the coming of age of a process that started brewing with the arrival of Central Asian Sufis,…
Amrita Pritam: 1919-2005
Amrita Pritam never woke up on the afternoon of October 31, 2005 and the world is emptier without her musings. She embodied the fullness…