Introduction
The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs has organised this roundtable to draw together academics and highly experienced analysts from South Asia to comment on the deep-seated structural problems across South Asian states. In each country, there are profound societal and institutional failings, rising populist nationalism and authoritarian government tendencies, widening inequalities and protest movements. Some commentators have pointed out that the situation on the ground has not been universally and uniformly grim. When viewed in the longer term, over the past 10 years India and Bangladesh have experienced remarkable growth rates, lifting hundreds of thousands out of poverty. India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have all held national and regional elections in 2024, with some surprising results which proved deeply unsettling for existing ruling elites, whilst the outcome of elections in Bangladesh culminated in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina following months of mass demonstrations and violent response by the state security forces.Footnote1 In each case, the country faces profound challenges from environmental and youth protest, potential or actual terrorism, increasing hostility towards religious minorities, and legacies of corruption and mismanagement.
These deep-seated problems have been underlined in the recent election campaigns and associated socio-political tensions in all four countries. In India, the recent national election left Prime Minister Narendra Modi needing to govern with two coalition partners – but still in power.Footnote2 Despite this, the Prime Minister is continuing to pursue his authoritarian project initiated in 2014, which has centralised party political and executive power in his own hands. There has been persistent criticism of Modi’s handling of human rights and democratic values. Analysts point out that security agencies and legislation have been used to weaken political opponents and their party organisation, with the arbitrary arrest of government critics, punitive raids on NGO offices and media organisations; freedom of speech and the media have been constrained, with the threat of arrest or detention of journalists, and a mounting assault on the rights of India’s religious minorities (140 million Muslims and 30 million Christians).
Others argue that under Modi, while India is now less liberal, it is better governed.Footnote3 Certainly, revived opposition parties are likely to pose a growing challenge to Modi’s majoritarian agenda – especially if the BJP does not perform well in forthcoming state elections. In Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, there is a need to achieve something that is excruciatingly difficult: to construct a new political order that is capable of governing, and which has a degree of legitimacy. In each case, this challenge may not be achievable. On top of their political dilemmas, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also face severe ongoing economic crises. It is difficult to see how these structural and governance crises across South Asia can be overcome.
The Round Table: Vol 114, No 1
This collection of essays and reflections is directed at assessing structural issues and challenges afflicting India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It draws together a group of scholars to comment on traditional and recent debates, historiography and new scholarship, methodologies and understandings. This roundtable is not intended to be a definitive summary of current pressing issues in this complex and highly diverse sub-continent, but to raise awareness of continuing major challenges and poorly recognised developments which have enormous implications for future regional stability and growth. Each of the contributors was invited to give their perception of the most significant challenges, and to consider local, national or international dynamics which are further exacerbating problems of governance, and international stability. In all four countries, hopes of signs of greater democratisation and social inclusion seem to be premature.
Syed Badrul Ahsan is the Deputy Editor of the Round Table journal and Sue Onslow is the Editor of the Round Table Journal.
Related articles:
The de-institutionalisation of Bangladesh: pathways to an absolutist state
Bangladesh: the challenge of breaking away from past undemocratic practices
Structural crisis: the wounding of Bangladesh’s constitutional process
Pakistan: a perennial quest for democracy and political stability
‘Elite capture’: how international actors reinforce non-democracy in Pakistan
Pakistan’s crisis in human development
