Who is a terrorist? Who has the power to label an individual or a group "terrorist"? In South Asia today, arguably one of the regions most wracked by terrorism, the term is often seen as synonymous with "Islamism," even with Islam itself. To be sure, in Afghanistan, Pakistan and even in India, most terrorist acts have been perpetrated by the Taliban, jihadists or sectarian Islamist groups, some with connections to Al Qaeda. However, the terrorist terrain in South Asia remains populated by non-Islamist actors as well -like the LTTE movement which the Sri Lankan government recently crushed, and the Maoist guerillas who recently suspended activities in Nepal following elections which brought the Maoists into the new government. Facing a major Maoist insurgency by so-called Naxals, India is about to launch a major paramilitary offensive in response to the group's brazen attacks.  There has also been a resurgence of so-called "saffron" terrorism by militant Hindu groups. Finally, some states --especially Pakistan, but also India at the state and local levels-have played roles in nurturing terrorist groups, challenging the notion that terrorism and the state are always on opposite sides.

Rejecting stereotypes about terrorist movements, Christophe Jaffrelot, co-editor of the new book Armed Militias of South Asia: Fundamentalists, Maoists, and Separatists, discusses the wide range of violent movements in South Asia, their implications for regional security, and policy responses.