It is tempting to fall into the trap of making sweeping statements when it comes to South Asia. The appropriation of the concept in allusions to the former conveys the legacies of colonial histories or the penchant to hang on to old, romanticised versions of a pre-Partition undivided sub-continent. It is futile to wish away the existence of borders or the deep-rooted schisms that engulf the region thanks to the Partition; equally, it is prudent to accept that new equations have emerged in different parts of the sub-continent with China, the US, and Russia, and are here to stay.
4 May 2024
