South Asia security expert Cohen no more

The most renowned US expert on security issues in South Asia, Stephen P Cohen, who mentored a generation of strategic analysts, died on Sunday, bringing to an end a five decade association with the region.

Cohen, who pioneered the study of security in the South Asian context for the western world, was known for his deep insight into India and Pakistan and had been a firm supporter for strong Indo-US ties, even at a time when the Western world frowned at India’s nuclear tests.

Cohen, who authored on the most acclaimed books on the Indian military “The Indian Army: Its Contribution to the Development of a Nation” had famously advocated against sanctions after the nuclear tests before the US Senate.


The analyst is remembered by most academics working on the region for his easy going, helpful nature and help for emerging scholars. “Steve Cohen really was a pioneer for Western academics studying contemporary South Asian security, and also mentored a large number of young scholars from the US, India, Pakistan, and elsewhere. His books on the Indian and Pakistan Armies were among the first major works in their field. And he felt very strongly about educating and mentoring future generations,” Dhruva Jaishankar, Director of the US-India initiative, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) told ET.

Cohen was associated with the Brookings institution and was named as one of America’s 500 most influential people in the field of foreign policy in 2004. He also served as a member of the policy planning staff at the Department of State in the US.