India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka

Pope Francis was everyone's favourite papal figure, a progressive who differed considerably from his two predecessors.

- BY UDITHA DEVAPRIYA

The first Latin American to hold the post, and the first from the Global South, he was the first to break ground on subjects that had polarised the church, including homosexuality, child sexual abuse, and of course Gaza. Reports indicate that until the last he was in touch with church leaders in Palestine. He was more forthright on the issue than Western leaders, who hesitated to invoke words like genocide. Francis did, and in doing so won the love and the respect of the world.

The world since his death has witnessed a considerable escalation of tensions, including in Gaza and between India and Pakistan. The latter continues to cause much worry. Since Wednesday's attacks in Pahalgam, Kashmir, Narendra Modi has said he will go "to the ends of the earth" to find the perpetrators.

Pakistani authorities have spoken of the attack being "orchestrated" and part of Delhi's "disinformation" campaign.

Last week, the two countries exchanged retaliatory measures, including the closure of airspace and India's withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty. Meanwhile, Kashmiri students have been facing attacks from far-right groups in India.

India has always prided itself on its power moves, and its suspension of the Water Treaty shows that, when provoked, it can and will withdraw from resource sharing agreements. This has been so whatever the party in power, but it has become a convenient fait accompli for the BJP government, which thrives today on anti-China and anti-Islamabad sentiment.

While its border dispute with China has, at least on paper, and at least for now, been resolved, its declaration of retaliation against Pakistan indicates that such issues run deep and, for the Indian political establishment, there can be no backing away.