MANTRAYA SPECIAL REPORT#20: 12 MAY 2020 Islamic State’s Khorasan Province: A Melting Pot for South Asian Jihadists Bibhu Prasad Routray – Abstract The arrest of Aslam Farooqi, chief of the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (IS-KP) in the first week of April and the former chief of the group, Zia-ul Haq in May 2020, by the Afghan intelligence […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#34: 20 APRIL 2020 TRF and TMI: Lashkar-e-Toiba’s new tools in Kashmir Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract In Kashmir, since the abrogation of Article 370, two new militant outfits have emerged to lay claim to a number of violent incidents. Both the TRF and the TMI also claim to represent the local Kashmiris. But […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#44: 17 MARCH 2020 Afghanistan’s Fragile Political Transition: The Rocky Road to Peace Shanthie Mariet D’Souza – Abstract In a dramatic turn of events following the conduct of presidential elections in September 2019 and signing of the US-Taliban peace deal on February 29, Afghanistan witnessed two presidential inauguration ceremonies on 9 March. While President […]
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#39: 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 Peace Making in Afghanistan: Future Pathways Shanthie Mariet D’Souza – Abstract The much-awaited peace deal with the Taliban by the U.S. collapsed before its final approval by President Trump. This was hardly surprising given the roadblocks that existed to such deal making. This calls for the rationale behind the now-derailed peace […]
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 SPECIAL REPORT#19: 27 AUGUST 2019 Afghan Drug Trail & the Indian Drug Syndicates Bibhu Prasad Routray & Shanthie Mariet D’Souza – Abstract Recurrent arrests of Indian drug smugglers and Afghan nationals have brought renewed focus on the increase in smuggling of heroin from Afghanistan into India. The nefarious trade has not only grown in […]
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 […]