Ashok Swain

Uppsala

Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University @UU_Peace My primary Twitter handle is @ashoswai-was hacked for 5 months, still withheld in India

Articles

Rethinking the Pakistan conundrum

2 weeks ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

Why India must speak softly and carry the big stick of global diplomatic consensus instead of rhetorical escalationThe four-day military confrontation with Pakistan in May 2025 laid bare not just the operational limits of India’s conventional military strategy but also the deeper structural shift in South Asia’s security architecture.
A miscalculated strike and a resurrection

3 weeks ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

Once Pakistan’s most reviled army chief, Gen. Asim Munir is now lionised at home and emboldened on the world stage, writes Ashok SwainThe terrorist attack on 22 April at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam which killed 25 tourists and a local triggered a forceful Indian response. India quickly attributed responsibility to Pakistan-based militant groups, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani diplomats and revoked travel visas.
The limits of ‘peace through strength’

3 weeks ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

Can Trump’s ‘peacemaker’ pledge survive the complexities of global conflict? By any measure, Donald Trump’s return to the White House has been dramatic.
Shaking things up in the Middle East

1 month ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

Donald Trump’s moves seem to be reordering the diplomatic map of the Middle East, but there’s still many a slip…, writes Ashok SwainCan Donald Trump, a man who fancies himself in his deal-making suit, actually bring peace to the Middle East? This question now hangs over the region in the wake of his whirlwind four-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Anti-India sentiment is increasing because of these reasons

1 month ago | scroll.in | Ashok Swain

India’s role in the birth of Bangladesh in 1971 was nothing short of monumental. From sheltering nearly 10 million refugees fleeing genocide to engaging in a decisive war that brought Pakistan’s military regime to its knees, India’s contribution was pivotal in the emergence of a sovereign Bangladesh. The legacy of solidarity was once a source of immense pride for both nations.
You can’t just bomb away terrorism

1 month ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

The impulse to crush terror networks with brute force may be emotionally compelling but it has never workedThe horrific attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025, which claimed 26 Indian lives, was an unspeakable act of terror that shocked the nation. The public outcry for decisive action was understandable.
A strategic pursuit of ‘national interest’

1 month ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

In the aftermath of Pahalgam and even during Operation Sindoor, India will do well to avoid an escalatory cycle, writes Ashok SwainThe Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April, which claimed the lives of 25 Indians and one Nepalese citizen, has reignited long-simmering tensions between India and Pakistan.
Assault on academic freedom

2 months ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

The BJP wants to transform universities from forums of free thought into factories of ideological conformity, writes Ashok SwainEarlier this month, Prof. Apoorvanand of Delhi University faced an unusual demand: to submit for prior scrutiny the full text of a speech he was to deliver on the theme ‘The University under a Global Authoritarian Turn’ at The New School in New York. His leave application to travel was escalated to the Union ministry of home affairs.
Why suspending the Indus Waters Treaty is a bad idea

2 months ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

The attempt to weaponise the Treaty is not only impractical, it has dangerous long-term diplomatic and political consequencesIn a dramatic escalation following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, the Indian government has decided to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The move has, for good reason, sparked alarm across the region and beyond reason.
The siege of US universities

2 months ago | nationalheraldindia.com | Ashok Swain

The Trump administration has declared war on dissent, demanding that universities toe the line or face drastic fund cutsThe US higher education system is under siege. Independent thinking in the ‘land of the free…’ has become a rude joke. What began as public criticism of universities over perceived ideological leanings has expanded into a broader effort to influence institutional policies and practices.