Scholar

Ashok Swain

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Ashok Swain is a Swedish academic and public intellectual. He is a professor of peace and conflict research at the… more

Ashok Swain
H-index: 21
Political science 53%
Sociology 30%
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Despite years of hounding by the Modi regime, I am happy that the Indian media still regards me as a famous alumnus of my alma mater, the SIS, JNU, New Delhi —alongside Modi's finance and foreign ministers — which is celebrating its 70th anniversary today. www.tribuneindia.com/news/aravall...
A nursery of global talent, JNU’s School of International Studies turns 70 - The Tribune
It was on this day in 1955 that the Indian School of International Studies - a precursor to the globally renowned School of International Studies (SIS) at Jawaharlal Nehru University - was registered.
www.tribuneindia.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Hamas has reacted positively to the US peace plan. After 2 years of genocide in Gaza, even flawed diplomacy is better than endless war. But unless it ends Israel’s occupation-by-proxy, peace will remain just another cover for destruction. #MyPiece nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/gaza...
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Is India next? Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal — three regimes toppled in three years. Not an “Arab Spring,” but a South Asian warning: protests can oust leaders, not build orders. Renewal, fragility, chaos — the region now lives between all three. #MyPiece scroll.in/article/1087...
South Asia’s ‘Arab Spring’ comparison is misleading but there is a lesson for India here
It is less about a shared regional revolution than about the impatience of citizens, especially young citizens, and the challenge of what comes after.
scroll.in
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Reposted by: Ashok Swain

scroll.in
Arab Spring was driven by a common aspiration for democratic transformation across borders, whereas the South Asian protests are rooted in distinct national contexts.

scroll.in/article/1087...

To view them as part of one sweeping tide risks flattening their differences.

✍️ @ashoswai.bsky.social.
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Link: www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/the-...
The charade of ‘recognition’ for Palestine
What is recognising the State of Palestine worth if countries like UK, France, Germany… can’t back it with sanctions to really deter Israel?
www.nationalheraldindia.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Europe’s recognition of Palestine is symbolism without substance. Trade, arms, and complicity with Israel remain untouched. Until Europe matches words with real pressure, Palestinians gain nothing but empty gestures. #MyPiece National Herald, 28 September 2025.
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Borders, bombs and cricket aren’t the only flashpoints between India & Pakistan—water is. With the Indus Water Treaty suspended for the first time in 65 yrs, rivers are becoming weapons. I discuss the risks with The International Risk Podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/4ckr...
Episode 268: Implications of the Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty
open.spotify.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Indians from Model Diaspora to Unwanted Diaspora

1. The US asks $100,000 for a H1B Visa
2. Canada cancels 80% of Indian student visa
3. Indian worker applications to the UK fall 18%, care visas down 93%
4. New Zealand rejects 32.5% of visas for Indians & Australia rejects 29.3%
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by Ashok Swain — Reposted by: Stacy D. VanDeveer

ashoswai.bsky.social
EU’s trade bans on Israel may send a message — but they’re largely symbolic, not structural. Real leverage will require accountability, sustained pressure & bridging the gap between public outcry and political action. www.tehrantimes.com/news/518048/...
Exclusive: EU bans on Israel remain symbolic, says Swedish university scholar
TEHRAN - As tensions in Gaza and the West Bank escalate, the European Union has taken an unprecedented step by proposing the suspension of trade concessions with Israel, signaling growing internationa...
www.tehrantimes.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Link: www.nationalheraldindia.com/internationa...
The Gaza genocide: Not 65,000 but 680,000! So what?
A new report by two Australian academics argues that the real number of deaths in Gaza, as of 25 April, is closer to 680,000
www.nationalheraldindia.com

by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Gaza’s genocide is no longer hidden: A new report says nearly 680,000 dead, half of them children. Arab “solidarity” is a charade. Netanyahu declares global impunity. Diplomacy has failed; silence is complicity.
#MyPiece National Herald, 21 September 2015.
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Link: www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/when...
Words just fail!
The genocide of Gaza makes one wonder if the world has ever seen such extremes of impunity and apathy at the same time, writes Ashok Swain
www.nationalheraldindia.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Gaza’s children plan their funerals while global leaders issue empty communiqués. This isn’t failed diplomacy—it’s its moral bankruptcy. My latest op-ed in National Herald, 14 September 2025. #MyPiece
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Reposted by: Ashok Swain

scroll.in
#Nepal | Whether the generals decide to rule directly or from behind the curtain, result is the same: the military is now the pivotal actor, the kingmaker if not the king.
scroll.in/article/1086...

For a betrayed generation this may feel like justice, but it's not a path to democracy.

✍️Ashok Swain
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Nepal’s Gen Z revolt toppled corrupt leaders, but now the army and monarchy loom as “saviors.” Burning down a rotten system risks reviving the very powers that once strangled democracy. #NepalCrisis #GenZRevolt #MyPiece Here is my latest piece scroll.in/article/1086...
Nepal’s Gen Z revolt risks swapping rot for rule by army and king
The remedy is broader participation, cleaner rules, and independent oversight, not a return to the monarchy or martial rule.
scroll.in
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
I tell Anadolu Agency how Modi's gamble of investing heavily in his personal chemistry with Trump has backfired, exposing India's fragility and forcing its foreign policy to seek balance. www.ain.az/az/article/2...
Ekspertlər : Münasibətlərdəki qeyri-müəyyənliyə baxmayaraq, ABŞ və Hindistan Çinin “şübhəsindən” uzaqlaşa bilmirlər,
Ekspertlər hesab edirlər ki, Yeni Dehli və Vaşinqton, xüsusən də Çinə qarşı “şübhə”lərinə görə bir-birindən imtina edə bilməz.Mü
www.ain.az

by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Spoke to LBC Radio today - Why Israeli attack on Doha is like India's attack on Pakistan - Illegal and counter productive.
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Modi went to Tianjin under Trump's pressure, hugged Xi & Putin for photo-ops, and came back weaker. No gains on territory, trade, or Pakistan. A show of “strategic autonomy” that exposed India’s desperation. #MyPiece
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Caught in a crossfire

by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Xi parades his nuclear weapons partners in Beijing - Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan!
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
How climate change interacts with transboundary waters to reshape the risks of conflict and cooperation - Policy paper I have written for TRENDS Research and Advisory (Abu Dhabi). trendsresearch.org/insight/tran...
Transboundary Water Security in a Warming World: Conflict Risks, Cooperation Pathways, and Policy Imperatives
TRENDS Research & Advisory strives to present an insightful and informed view of global issues and challenges from a strategic perspective. Established in 2014 as an independent research center, TREND...
trendsresearch.org
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Reposted by: Ashok Swain

uupeace.bsky.social
Today, Professor @ashoswai.bsky.social spoke on transboundary #water #geopolitics at a conference in Abu Dhabi. The conference on #sustainable water #security is hosted by TRENDS Research & Advisory.
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
India's desperate search for new friends: Instead of yielding any strategic benefits, Modi's Tianjin visit may leave India more isolated - caught between Washington's wrath and Beijing's distrust. #MyPiece #NationalHerald, 31 August 2025.
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Reposted by: Ashok Swain

scroll.in
What began as tentative outreach late in 2024 has, in less than a year, developed into a serious political, economic, & now military partnership. scroll.in/article/1085...

If sustained, this rapprochement could create enduring vulnerabilities for India’s national security.

✍️ @ashoswai.bsky.social
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Modi has not only made India friendless and outmaneuvered in the world, but also in its own backyard. The rapid revival of Bangladesh-Pakistan ties threatens India's security and political stability in India's Northeast. #MyPiece scroll.in/article/1085...
What the revival of Bangladesh-Pakistan ties means for India
It dilutes New Delhi’s influence in South Asia and weakens its ability to project stability in the Bay of Bengal and the North East.
scroll.in
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Both the US and China are toying with Modi - "Me Only" foreign and domestic policies of Modi have made India, outmaneuvered and friendless in the world. #MyPiece www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/indi...
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
Europe insists on "strategic autonomy" but still behaves like a security protectorate of the United States. My OpEd for the @euronews www.euronews.com/2025/08/22/e...
Europe kneels before Trump in Washington
Europe did not come to Washington to negotiate with America as a partner; it came to plead with Trump not to make a unilateral deal on Ukraine with Putin, writes Ashok Swain.
www.euronews.com
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Reposted by: Ashok Swain

euronews.com
Europe did not come to Washington to negotiate with America as a partner; it came to plead with Trump not to make a unilateral deal on Ukraine with Putin, writes Ashok Swain.
Europe kneels before Trump in Washington
Europe did not come to Washington to negotiate with America as a partner; it came to plead with Trump not to make a unilateral deal on Ukraine with Putin, writes Ashok Swain.
l.euronews.com
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by Ashok Swain

ashoswai.bsky.social
“America can’t stop Israel” is a myth - It can but chooses not to.
I explain why in National Herald, 17 August 2025.
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by Ashok Swain — Reposted by: Stacy D. VanDeveer

ashoswai.bsky.social
It’s been a pleasure spending the past 2 months at UMass Boston’s Dept. of Conflict Resolution, Human Security & Global Governance. Many thanks to Prof. @stacydvandeveer.bsky.social for being a wonderful host, and for the chance to meet many friends & collaborators in Boston. @uupeace.bsky.social
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