MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#31: 12 NOVEMBER 2019 Nagaland: Conflict Fragility, Intractability, and Resolution Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract More than four years after it signed the framework agreement with the NSCN-IM in 2015, New Delhi appears distant from signing a final peace deal in the restive state of Nagaland. Conducted under the close of watch of […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#30: 31 OCTOBER 2019 Death of Baghdadi: Specter of Radicalization & Violent Extremism Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract The killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been hailed as a success in dealing a death blow to the Islamic state leadership and organization. Despite such claims of early success of counter terrorism (CT) operations, […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#40: 25 SEPTEMBER 2019 In the Naxal heartland: A ‘turnaround’ in sight? Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract Since 2018 (till August 2019), over 350 cadres of the Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) have been killed in various states of India. Rapid cadre depletion and continuous security force operations have dented the group’s ability to […]
MANTRAYA INTERACTION#02: 02 SEPTEMBER 2019 Expert Speaks on Nepal Interaction with Dr. Thomas A. Marks – (Biplav group agitprop in Liwang (also, Libang), Rolpa, 25 February 2017. Photo Courtesy: Marks collection) Background When did you first visit Nepal? I first visited Nepal during the Vietnam War, so it was perhaps late 1974 or early 1975. […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#29: 23 JULY 2019 Left-wing Extremism in India: Revisiting the ‘new’ Strategy Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in New Delhi, in its second term, is making renewed attempts to end left-wing extremism (LWE). The broad parameters of the new strategy consist of plans to target the extremists […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#38: 10 JULY 2019 ‘Negative Peace’: Conflict Economy of Naga Insurgency Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract How does an insurgency movement engaged in peace talks with the government generate its finances? Should the government attempt to curb its extortion activities that retains not only its structural violence instrumentalities, but also the options of indefinitely […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#28: 24 MAY 2019 Zakir Musa: Death of Kashmir’s loneliest Militant Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract Contrary to media headlines, Zakir Musa was not the ‘most wanted militant’ in Kashmir valley. With an aim to set up a caliphate, Musa led an immensely forgettable militancy, which had no stakeholders. His death, however, is a blow […]
MANTRAYA SPECIAL REPORT#16: 11 APRIL 2019 Patron-Client Relationship: Pakistani Deep State and the Jaish-e-Mohammad Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract In the complex jihadi landscape of South Asia, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) , since its origin in 2000, has served as an instrument of Pakistani military’s policy vis-à-vis India and Afghanistan. The deep state within Pakistan nurtured it in […]
MANTRAYA MONOGRAPH#01: 08 APRIL 2019 Red on Red in Nepal: Maoist Insurgency Redux Thomas A Marks, Ph.D. – Abstract Recent political violence in Nepal by the radical Chand aka Biplav faction should not have come as a surprise. Behind the national self-congratulation concerning termination of the insurgency in November 2006, all Maoist factions have ignored […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#34: 26 FEBRUARY 2019 Pulwama Attack: The ‘game of chicken’ in India-Pakistan relations Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract Kashmir yet again captured media attention with the suicide attack by a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant on the security forces on 14 February that killed 40 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force. On 26 February, New […]