The urgency of ‘Southasia’: The answer to the region’s challenges lies in real federalism

Posted on March 17, 2025 by beenasarwar

“What’s in a name?” – veteran journalist, civic and political rights advocate Kanak Mani Dixit from Kathmandu Valley challenges diaspora scholars and academics to deeply study the issue of ‘Southasia’ in a way that has not yet been attempted 


Nepali journalist and founder of Himal Southasia, Kanak Mani Dixit speaking at the Annual Indu Bhatt Memorial Lecture on What’s in the Name ‘South Asia’? January 2025.jpg. Photo by Pragyan Srivastava.

By Pragyan Srivastava and Beena Sarwar / Sapan News

“Southasia,” declares Kanak Mani Dixit, “is about creating space for empathy and compassion.”

The well-known Nepali journalist, writer, civic and political rights activist based in Kathmandu believes that “to address the reality and challenges of a region containing a quarter of humanity, there must first be an agreed name for it”. 

The term Southasia serves the purpose — a neutral, inclusive term free of the colonial baggage carried by labels like Indian Subcontinent or Hindustan.

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