Himal Southasian | News, Analysis, Stories from South Asia

The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi bows with folded hands before a large garlanded portrait of Rabindranath Tagore, surrounded by flowers at a commemorative event.

The BJP’s victory in West Bengal belies Bengali exceptionalism and bhadralok liberalism

19 May 2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s unprecedented electoral victory in West Bengal exposes the deep Bengali roots of Hindu nationalism and shatters the myth of secular bhadralok liberalism

A collage of Southasian history and culture featuring monuments, carved pillars, ornate doorways and people around manuscripts and a large quill pen. The image combines architecture, sculpture and people from different periods and traditions.

Audrey Truschke declares her own historiography of the Subcontinent

9 hours ago

A close-up portrait photograph of Arun Shourie, looking slightly upward against a plain dark blue background.

Arun Shourie’s services as prophet of Modi’s India

15 May 2026

Composite image of Narendra Modi, India's constitution with a crack running across it, Indira Gandhi, Geeta Mukherji, Annie Raja, Ambedkar and Vajpayee, juxtaposed with women voting, and the RSS Mohan Bhagwat on the right, all laid over an image of India's parliament.

The BJP and Modi’s quest for a supermajority

13 May 2026

Himal Interviews: Rahul Bhatia on Aadhaar, the RSS and India’s democratic unravelling

Himal Interviews: Rahul Bhatia on Aadhaar, the RSS and India’s democratic unravelling

Shwetha Srikanthan

13 May 2026

Books

A collage of Southasian history and culture featuring monuments, carved pillars, ornate doorways and people around manuscripts and a large quill pen. The image combines architecture, sculpture and people from different periods and traditions.

Audrey Truschke declares her own historiography of the Subcontinent

9 hours ago

14 min read

Music and film are taking over the cultural position once held in Tibet by folktales, where the trickster Uncle Tonpa (centre) is a beloved and enduring figure. But the trickster of tradition has not disappeared – he has put on headphones.

Satire under surveillance in Tibet

05 May 2026

10 min read

A regular among India’s literati, the novelist and commentator Manu Joseph thrives on elite access, simultaneously courting and critiquing the liberal circles whose attention he commands.

The sound and fury of Manu Joseph

22 Apr 2026

24 min read

A schoolboy wearing a face mask and uniform walks past a colourful Sinhala-language mural featuring illustrated students.

The battle for the ideals of free education in Sri Lanka

Dhanuka Bandara

08 Apr 2026

17 min read

Newsletters

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04 Oct 2024

1 min read

Southasia Weekly - 15 May 2026. We cover Southasia like no one else. Support independent Southasian journalism.

BJP’s race to a supermajority – Southasia Weekly #118

Raisa Wickrematunge

16 May 2026

5 min read

Southasia Weekly - 8 May 2026. Your radar on the region and the latest from Himal.

The BNP fails on Bangladesh reforms – Southasia Weekly #117

Raisa Wickrematunge

08 May 2026

4 min read

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