After the British Raj: The Continuum of Terrorism in Postcolonial South Asia

• In Event: Terrorism Targets and Trends Across the Globe

Abstract

Terrorism, or its postcolonial form in South Asia, like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, is one of the main problems with historical background. This problem has been a matter of ethnic and religious composition and political and territorial issues in these countries. The British colonial period is the aspect of the geo-political scene of South Asian countries, which has continued to result in conflicts and divisions among different factions. Today, South Asian nations face the risk of fighting terrorism while addressing its underlying reasons, which include poverty, political disenfranchisement, and social inequality. The rise of nationalist and populist governments within the region has also brought new dynamics into the fight in opposition to terrorism, occasionally aggravating communal and sectarian divisions. The present study sheds light on the traits of in-state insurgency, the rise of political violence, and Islamist extremism in three different South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. It also explores how the colonial era can be traced back to analyze the reasons for these insurgencies and extremism, by drawing on secondary data sources such as books, historical documents, government reports, and online databases.

Author

• Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan, University of North Texas