Battleground South Asia English 2026

Battleground South Asia offers a sweeping, eyewitness account of the political storms, wars, and power struggles that have shaped one of the world’s most volatile regions. Drawing on decades of on-ground reporting, Prem Prakash traces the arc of history from the decline of colonial rule to the rise of modern nation-states—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, the Maldives and Afghanistan—each grappling with identity, ideology, and external interference. The narrative revisits decisive moments: India’s constitutional birth, Pakistan’s repeated military takeovers, Bangladesh’s violent liberation, China’s growing footprint as it maps its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, Afghanistan’s tragic descent into geopolitical conflict, the Sri Lankan civil war, and the recent shifts that have redrawn alliances.