In this Security Nexus Perspective, “Ghosts at the Border: Unfinished Conflicts in South Asia,” Shyam Tekwani, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, examines a region where the past persists. From the bloodied hills of Balochistan to the curfewed valleys of Kashmir, South Asia’s unfinished wars simmer beneath the surface, flaring up when least expected.

Tekwani challenges official narratives of peace and progress to expose a harsher reality: silence is not stability, and development cannot erase memory. Across diasporas and front lines, rebellions once thought defeated are mutating, crossing borders, and complicating diplomacy. With a journalist’s insight and a sharp memory for unresolved truths, the essay warns that the ghosts of state violence do not vanish—they organize, vote, agitate, and, when ignored, return with force.

As the Indo-Pacific strategy advances through trusted partnerships and regional deterrence, it underscores the importance of internal stability and inclusive governance in building a durable peace and security architecture. Understanding these pressures does not require intrusion, but informed awareness remains essential to fostering trust, anticipating risks, and strengthening deterrence in a complex regional landscape.

Read the Security Nexus Paper: https://dkiapcss.edu/nexus_articles/ghosts-at-the-border-south-asias-unfinished-wars/

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