Ashraf Rehman

Researcher | Columnist | Policy | Poetry

[The Observer Post @TheObserverPost]

In the discourse of civil unrest and political instability, the metrics of loss are frequently catalogued in infrastructure destroyed, blockades imposed, and geopolitical boundaries reinforced. Yet, the most profound and enduring costs of conflict are borne not by the factions on the front lines, but by those whose voices are systematically excluded from the tables of power.

The ongoing conflict in Manipur has led to an immeasurable toll on the most vulnerable section of society: women and children. Beyond the immediate narratives of community identity, an urgent, universal humanitarian crisis has emerged—one that demands an immediate transition from confrontation to sustainable peace building.

The Shared Inheritance of Displaced Lives

The global human rights framework, including United Nations declarations and independent human rights assessments, reveals time and again that modern-day internal conflicts particularly affect the basics of family life and child rearing.

In the case of Manipur, thousands of families have experienced the disconcerting reality of displacement across geographic and social borders. In crowded relief camps and makeshift shelters, the individuality of community stories fades compared to the commonality of struggle. Mothers battle the constant, exhausting task of providing necessities of food, clean drinking water, and sanitation in extremely limited conditions. Displacement for women often does not imply mere change in location but also the disruption of economic self-sufficiency and personal security.

Read the full piece by Ashraf Rehman on https://t.co/sxATfrm14G

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My latest commentary article titled “India’s Anti-Poverty Framework: Deconstructing Structural Progress vs. Statistical Illusion” in South Asia Journal (A Policy Magazine)
https://t.co/pKPYFJq9fm

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

The grand achievement of USA was unfreezing Iranian assets and paying Iran 300 billion USD in compensation for the Strait of Hormuz... which was already open before the war. Brilliant strategy by DONALD TRUMP.

So humiliating defeat of US was its prize?

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My latest opinion article in @policy_circle
Link: https://t.co/wGU98UYBGy

[Policy Circle @policy_circle]

India’s financial inclusion metrics miss a basic constraint: distance to the bank. In hilly regions like Nagaland, branch access still shapes whether small firms get institutional credit. #FinancialInclusion #NorthEastIndia
https://t.co/xNkuzZA6q6

[The Observer Post @TheObserverPost]

With 40 percent of the population below the age of 18, the humanitarian crises and the mass killings of the children in the Gaza Strip continues; various reports from entities such as Amnesty International and media coverage from Al Jazeera document the situation in which children face extreme violence, widespread displacement, and significant pain and suffering. The expression “screams in blood and debris” encapsulates the experiences of a young generation traversing a profoundly affected environment.

Various human rights groups and column articles have repeatedly emphasized the sufferings and killings of innocent children by the aggression of the Israeli Defence Force; the extent of both physical damage and the psychological trauma aftermath to the children in Gaza is unmatched in contemporary history.

Based on the statistical reports gathered on ground reporting by outlets such as Al-Jazeera and various human rights organizations, over 17,400 children have been reported dead; some organisations estimate it is more than that, with countless more still unaccounted for, and likely buried beneath the rubble of collapsed structures. In personal escalations, the cost increases dramatically. Amnesty International emphasized a specific day when airstrikes resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, which included 174 children.

The tangible truth of the struggle is a terrain of shattered concrete; rescue teams work with limited tools and poor facilities, frequently resulting in children being stuck under debris for hours or even days.

One such heartbreaking story is of five-year-old Hind Rajab, whose desperate final moments were shared globally as she cried for help while stuck in a vehicle with deceased relatives, and she was killed by the IDF with 355 bullets; she represents the many killed in the conflict and the stories which are buried beneath the rubble and files.

Read the full piece by Ashraf Rehman on https://t.co/sxATfrm14G

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

History will remember Iran for bringing two nuclear states on their knees and avenging the mass murder and rape of children in the Epstein Island.

History will also equally remember the cowardly behaviour of Arab Princes & Kings; hiding behind the curtains of USA
Victory 🇮🇷 🇵🇸

[The Observer Post @TheObserverPost]

Walk through the lively commercial centres of Dimapur or the community markets of Kohima, and you will encounter a dynamic network of micro-enterprises, spinning units, farm stalls, and tiny retail shops primarily run by women. Throughout the developing nations, microcredit has been widely promoted as the key equalizer for these foundational economic drivers.

From its origins with Professor Muhammad Yunus’s Grameen Bank in the 1980s, the practice of providing small, low-barrier loans promised to turn “job seekers into job creators” by transitioning informal enterprises into the formal economy.

However, a persistent contradiction remains in India’s North-Eastern Region (NER). In theory, the central government has launched a strong range of women-focused financial initiatives: the Mahila Udyam Nidhi program for equity support, the Annapurna program for food catering businesses, and the Udyogini program for subsidized loans.

Even with these structural protections, women entrepreneurs in the field remain ensnared in a continual credit blockage.

Although the national microfinance policy envisions a uniform environment where credit is readily available with the announcement of schemes, the actual situation in Nagaland illustrates that institutional gender bias and a significant deficiency in foundational financial literacy are subtly excluding women from the market.

Read the full piece by Ashraf Rehman on https://t.co/sxATfrm14G

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

USA bombed Hiroshima & Nagasaki, invaded Vietnam & Afghanistan & got a tight slap, bombed Iraq; killed millions in the name of mass destruction weapons which were never found, illegally attacked Iran with precise bombs to kill 200+ girls in Iranian School. Still they are “GOOD”?

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

The “Missing” Link in Energy Poverty in India’s North Eastern Region | MorungExpress | https://t.co/sRyEbIN1ox https://t.co/dRMYMtHyu1

My opinion article @morungexpress05

[Policy Circle @policy_circle]

Energy poverty is shaped by access, tariffs, DISCOM finances, and uneven state capacity. #DISCOM

https://t.co/lzJL6H7glr

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My opinion piece

[Policy Circle @policy_circle]

West Asia crisis is now India’s energy security test. The shock can travel through fuel, fertilisers, food inflation and the rupee. India needs storage, diversification and contingency planning. #PolicyCircle #iranwar
https://t.co/YBHwCoTxfv

[Policy Circle @policy_circle]

West Asia crisis is now India’s energy security test. The shock can travel through fuel, fertilisers, food inflation and the rupee. India needs storage, diversification and contingency planning. #PolicyCircle #iranwar
https://t.co/YBHwCoTxfv

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

Pleased to share that my paper “Who Gets the Credit and Why? Information Asymmetry, Borrower Behaviour and Lending to Microfinance Institutions in India” is published in Small Enterprises, Development, Management & Extension Journal by @SagePubIndia https://t.co/6w3rtzHeij

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My opinion piece “Energy security: India must be prepared for oil supply disruptions” in @policy_circle
Link: https://t.co/W1tg11mcQy

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

“Informal economy: Why shadow work defies regulation” An opinion article by me in @policy_circle
Link: https://t.co/EpCUTO6TxT

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My recent commentary; India’s Energy Transition Is Constrained by How Capital Works - The Policy Edge https://t.co/pIsgkyxllP

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

My commentary piece titled “India’s Energy Transition Is Constrained by How Capital Works” in @ThePolicyEdge_
@theGreenHQ
Article Link: https://t.co/pIsgkyxllP

[Asian Confluence @AsianConfluence]

In this ASCON Commentary, Ashraf Rehman examines India’s transition from coal to clean energy, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in balancing economic growth with decarbonisation and sustainability ⚡🌱

🔗Click to read: https://t.co/3DKpnvpnRo

#EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy #Decarbonisation #India #Sustainability

@therehmanashraf

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

Pleased to share that my article titled “Energy poverty challenge in the net-zero transition” https://t.co/0j2di443jn got published @policy_circle @theGreenHQ

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

Thank you so much, Brother! For the constant support & motivation.

[Ashraf Rehman @therehmanashraf]

I am pleased to share that my work “From Coal to Clean: India’s Role to a Sustainable Energy Future” which was published @AsianConfluence got featured @theGreenHQ #greenfellow #greenfellowship2025 https://t.co/E13UVH1G9i