Michael Kugelman is Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. He can be reached on Twitter @michaelkugelman and at michael.kugelman@wilsoncenter.org. He is also a Board Member of South Asia Journal.
By Michael Kugelman, the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. 21 October 2021 India’s Democratic Backslide Last Sunday, members of the far-right Hindu-nationalist organization Bajrang Dal confronted four Muslim men at a social event in the central Indian city of Indore. Clashes broke out, and the Bajrang Dal members turned the Muslim men over to the police,
READ MOREExpect a recalibration of the relationship by both sides now the Taliban are in power. By Michael Kugelman, the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. SEPTEMBER 13, 2021, 4:00 AM The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has delivered a strategic victory to Pakistan, establishing a friendly government in Kabul for the first time in nearly 20
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman, the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. JULY 29, 2021 The Afghanistan Factor Shared concern about China is the core driver of the U.S.-India partnership, but in recent months, other priorities have intervened. When Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Washington in May, COVID-19 cooperation was the main focus. Now, it’s Afghanistan.
READ MOREMichael Kugelman June 10th, 2021 Last month, during the height of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made what his government and supporters have described as a successful visit to the United States to advocate for the Palestinian cause. Numerous data points — many high-level meetings, a stirring speech at the UN General Assembly, and a warm
READ MOREThe latest Israeli-Palestinian clashes could pose security risks in the region. By Michael Kugelman, the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. May 20, 2021 The Gaza Conflict’s Ripple Effects As the latest conflict between Israel and Palestine approaches the two-week mark, it’s worth asking what the crisis means for South Asia, which borders
READ MOREAt Delhi’s two-acre ‘Covid graveyard’, space is at a premium A new virus strain and increasing mobility have caused the world’s worst coronavirus spike, with nearly 315,000 new cases recorded on Thursday. by Michael Kugelman 23 April 2021 The highlights this week: India buckles under the weight of the world’s worst coronavirus surge, Pakistan makes
READ MOREAfter the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan, its rivalry with China is likely to define the new administration’s approach to the region. By Michael Kugelman April 15, 2021 Image credit : State Department Photo by Freddie Everett/ Public Domain The highlights this week: The Biden administration’s South Asia policy could shift after its withdrawal from Afghanistan,
READ MOREDespite a border cease-fire with Pakistan, India faces a growing set of challenges in its backyard. BY MICHAEL KUGELMAN APRIL 1, 2021 Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: India’s neighborhood challenges could undermine its influence, COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India and Pakistan, and Washington excludes Islamabad from a global climate summit. If you would like to
READ MOREMichael Kugelman 23 Nov 2020 DAWN The writer is Asia Programme deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. WHEN asked what to expect for Pak-US relations under President-elect Joe Biden, one is tempted to say “more of the same”. Indeed, Biden and Trump don’t agree on
READ MOREEconomic woes are giving the alliance legs, but overturning a military-backed prime minister is a hard proposition. BY MICHAEL KUGELMAN OCTOBER 29, 2020 Supporters of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement carry their parties’ flags during an anti-government rally in Quetta on Oct. 25. BANARAS KHAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Anew unified anti-government movement has emerged in Pakistan amid
READ MOREMichael Kugelman Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 After a series of setbacks, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a multibillion-dollar assortment of infrastructure projects that constitutes the Pakistani component of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, is poised for a resurgence. Or is it? Last month, the Pakistani investigative news site FactFocus published a damning expose about Asim Bajwa, the head
READ MOREBY MICHAEL KUGELMAN AUGUST 21, 2020 Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses the legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, on Aug. 5. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES This past April, a Pakistani columnist named Suhail Warraich boldly predicted that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government could fall in June—less than two years after it took office—if it didn’t
READ MOREMichael Kugelman, The National Interest• June 6, 2020 Click here to read the full original article. For several weeks, India and China have been mired in a border standoff in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Much ink has been spilled about this crisis, but one question that hasn’t often been addressed is what it means
READ MOREby Michael Kugelman 11 April 2020 U.S. President Donald Trump (R) holds a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria – HP1ED6Q1OGX30 President Donald Trump visited India on February 24 and 25. By most measures, the trip
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