This year, SouthAsia@LSE has published hundreds of articles which have been read thousands of times. Here are our top ten most popular original posts by views published in 2018. Thanks to everyone for reading, and we look forward to bringing you the best in commentary and research on South Asia in 2019.

Can Sri Lanka capitalise out of its strategic location in the Indian Ocean region?

Today there is growing importance of oceans for trade and commerce. While acknowledging the strategic position of the island in the Indian Ocean Region, small states such as Sri Lanka have to be aware of the geopolitical implications resulting in complications that require foreign policy adjustments, writes Natasha Fernando.

Rahul Gandhi town hall: feature length special

The Congress President Rahul Gandhi was on a short visit to London in August. This feature length special is a report of the town hall event organised by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union, and the LSE South Asia Centre, using a selection of Salil Tripathi’s tweets and observations of the discussion.

How farmers in an Indian village used broadband to save onions, and their livelihood 

In a country with around 300 million smartphones, data usage per smartphone has increased to 9.6GB per month. While Internet penetration in rural areas is still low, those who do have access to Internet are benefiting from it writes Arshad Perwez. 

Assam against itself: a reply to Sanjib Baruah

In response to Professor Sanjib Baruah‘s article ‘Stateless in Assam‘ which discussed a new focus on detention camps for ‘stateless citizens’, Suraj Gogoi, Gorky Chakraborty and Parag Jyoti Saikia reflect on the implications of reducing people to ‘bare life’.

The revised Afghanistan criminal code: an end for Bacha Bazi?

The war in Afghanistan has led to  a resurgence in the practice of bacha bazi, or ‘boy play’ in Afghanistan. Sayed Jalal Shajjan discusses the inefficacy of allied and local forces in stamping out this abusive practice, as well as their complicity in its existence today. 

Why Amartya Sen remains the century’s great critic of capitalism

Every major work on material inequality in the 21st century owes a debt to Sen, writes Tim Rogan.

“I don’t believe that Hindutva is Hinduism” – Dr Shashi Tharoor

Dr Shashi Tharoor was in the UK earlier this year to promote his new book  Why I am a Hindu. With a general election coming up in India, the battle between Tharoor’s Congress Party and the current government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, provides an interesting backdrop for the release of Tharoor’s new book. Anishka Gheewala Lohiya had the opportunity to talk to Dr Tharoor at LSE about the relationship between politics and religion in India.

Examining poverty trends in South Asian countries: where is Sri Lanka among its South Asian counterparts?

South Asia has been accommodating a significantly large share of global income and multidimensional poor compared to other regions, but the Sri Lankan example can be learned from, writes N.R Ravindra Deyshappriya. 

How the rise of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman impacts India  

As the new Saudi Crown Prince gains more control, Pieter-Jan Dockx writes that India has a new balancing act to play between the House of Saud and the Islamic Republic. While counter-terrorism cooperation may increase, other indicators foretell a gloomy future.

The view from Cox’s Bazar: assessing the impact of the Rohingya crisis on Bangladesh

Whilst the people and the government of Bangladesh have set a shining example for the world in terms of offering sanctuary to the Rohingya, David Lewis assesses the potential repercussions on the immediate area and beyond for this act of generosity.