Dr. Suparna Banerjee ist assoziierte Forscherin im Programmbereich Innerstaatliche Konflikte am PRIF. Ihr Interesse gilt Identitätspolitik, dem rechten Diskurs in Südasien (insbesondere Indien), Aufständen, politischer Gewalt und Kastenpolitik. // Dr. Suparna Banerjee is an Associate Fellow at PRIF’s Research Department Intrastate Conflict. She is interested in identity politics, rightwing discourse in South Asia (particularly India), insurgency, political violence and caste politics.
On April 22nd, terrorists targeted tourists in Baisaran Valley, Kashmir, India, resulting in the deaths of 26 people. Since the attack, tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have escalated. India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which both countries claim. This article will examine the political ramifications within India, particularly through the lens of right-wing discourse. It will contextualise the multiple dynamics of the terrorist attack on India’s secularism and diversity, as the majoritarian political ecosystem constructed and weaponised narratives for ideological and political advantages.
Maha Kumbh is a major Hindu festival in India, noted as the largest human gathering by UNESCO. Occurring every 144 years, in 2025 it was held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP), with an estimated 600 million attendees worldwide. This article examines the symbols of the festival, their political significance, and the blending of faith and politics under the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The focus of the study is on methodologies for achieving political goals, as opposed to the customary strategy of employing religion within the context of Indian politics; a stratagem that the majority of prominent national political parties have utilised.
In December 2024, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, attacked Pakistani security forces. The Taliban, who have taken refuge in Afghanistan, have been targeting Pakistan from their base in Afghanistan. This incident is part of a series of attacks that have been taking place since 2021, in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Initially, it was expected that the return of the Afghan Taliban would benefit Pakistan's strategic interests. However, the opposite has happened. This article examines why and how the TTP is catalysing a gradual deterioration of the relationship between the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan (Af-Pak).
Presidential elections in the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka in South Asia brought a leftist coalition to power. The elections were held in September 2024. This was followed by parliamentary elections in November 2024. In both contests, the left-leaning candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his political coalition, the National People’s Power, won decisively. This blog will contextualize the economic events that enabled the coalition's victory and analyse the reasons why this electoral result is of historical significance for Sri Lanka.
Violent clashes between students and police in Bangladesh have officially claimed more than 300 lives (unofficial figures are much higher). The students are protesting against a controversial quota system that reserves 56% of governmental jobs, leaving only 44% for general merit-based selection. Although the initial mobilisation of the students was about quota reform, the continuation of the protests indicates deep-rooted anger against the Sheikh Hasina government. Even if the protests are called off, which is not the case at the moment, justice for those who lost their lives in the protests will remain elusive.
