This volume examines the state of democracy in South Asia after the first two decades of the millennium. It shows how the inroads made by democracy that surged through South Asia at the turn of the century stands at the crossroads after two decades. The Taliban regaining strength in Afghanistan, tricky civil-military relations in Pakistan, the political stand-off in Nepal, as well as the undermining of civil rights in other countries point to the deepening challenges to democracy in the region. At the same time the region presents many positives to be taken forward and opportunities to be carried forward. The essays in the volume map the gains made and challenges faced by every South Asian country especially since 2000. Going beyond the usual regional powers like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the volume includes detailed analysis of the state of the polity and future trajectories of Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives as well.
The volume will be of great interest to scholars, researchers and students of politics and international relations and South Asian studies.
1. Introduction
Aijaz Ashraf Wani & Arshid Iqbal Dar
2. Democracy Denied: The False Promise of Afghanistan’s Constitutions
Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili
3. The Making of an Autocratic Regime: Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh
Ali Riaz
4. Removals of Elected and Appointed Public Officials in Bhutan: Democratic recession or consolidation?
Sonam Kinga
5. Democracy in India: Continuities, Realignments and Promises
Anup Shekhar Chakraborty
6. Democracy in Maldives: Unpacking the ‘Democratization-Backsliding’ Rollercoaster
Arshid Iqbal Dar & Aijaz Ashraf Wani
7. Nepal’s Tryst with Democracy: Internal Dynamics, External Influences
Abijit Sharma
8. Democratization in Pakistan and its Challenges
Mariam Mufti and Kazma Chaudhry
9. Constitutional Amendments (2001-2022) and Democracy in Sri Lanka
Nadarajah Pushparajah & Malini Balamayuran
Biography
Aijaz Ashraf Wani is Associate Professor at Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir.
Arshid Iqbal Dar is an Assistant Professor in the Centre for International Relations, Islamic University of Science, and Technology (IUST).
