MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#44: 28 DECEMBER 2022 Myanmar in 2022: Future of the Opposition’s Armed Uprising BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY ABSTRACT The bloody war of the Myanmar military unleashed on the civilian PDFs and the ethnic armed organisations continues to claim lives daily. The opposition’s violent resistance,centred around restoring democracy, although impressive thus far, needs external support […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#43: 30 NOVEMBER 2022 The Rise of Islamic State’s Khorasan Province BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY ABSTRACT The Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) is on an ascent in Afghanistan. Its violent attacks targeting both the Taliban members and the civilians belonging to the minority communities have continued, despite ‘measures’ taken by the Islamic Emirate. Not […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#61: 26 OCTOBER 2022 Emerging Faultlines within the Taliban: Implications for Afghanistan & Pakistan SHANTHIE MARIET D’SOUZA & BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY ABSTRACT The continuing closure of girls’ schools in Afghanistan, in spite of the promises made by the Taliban, is one of the many issues which have brought deep factionalism among the former insurgents. […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#60: 11 OCTOBER 2022 State of Play: Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY ABSTRACT Terrorist violence in Jammu & Kashmir is decreasing. And yet, terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) continue their attempt to reverse the gains made by the security forces. Backing from the state sponsors in Pakistan, geopolitical changes in Afghanistan and […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#42: 19 SEPTEMBER 2022 The Killing of Ayman al Zawahiri: Impact on al Qaeda-linked Terror Groups in Africa BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY & SHANTHIE MARIET D’SOUZA ABSTRACT Following the killing of al Qaeda (AQ) chief Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul on 2 August 2022, the possible impact of neutralizing a leader on the group […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#59: 06 AUGUST 2022 Myanmar Military’s Annihilation Strategy: The Future of Democracy BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY ABSTRACT Ongoing armed contestations between the military junta in Myanmar and the civilian armed groups demanding restoration of democracy are nearly a year and a half old. The military’s initial assessment of quelling the opposition swiftly has been proved […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#58: 05 MAY 2022 Baloch Insurgency: Pakistan’s Moment of Reckoning Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract Baloch insurgency is on a resurgence and its widened targets include CPEC projects as well as Chinese nationals in Pakistan. The Pakistani security establishment is under pressure from Beijing to respond decisively to the killing of three Chinese nationals on […]
MANTRAYA POLICY BRIEF#38: 08 APRIL 2022 Re-Reviving TAPI: Hardened Obstacles & Challenges for New Delhi Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract The TAPI project is in the news, yet again. There have been fresh attempts at reviving the project by all involved parties. The long-stalled project also seems to have been boosted by a China-led initiative. However, […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#57: 22 JANUARY 2022 Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh: Sweep of Radicalization Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract For nearly one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the long wait for repatriation to Myanmar continues to grow longer. While Bangladesh is in no mood to grant them the right to freedom of movement beyond their camps, the […]
MANTRAYA ANALYSIS#56: 17 NOVEMBER 2021 Manipur: Insurgency Upturn Bibhu Prasad Routray Abstract There is a pattern to the activities of the remnants of insurgency movements in India’s northeast. Violent attacks are interspersed with lengthy hiatus of absence of violence. Insurgents groups may be weak, but remain potent, by periodically drawing their sustenance from state complacency, […]