Tilak Devasher is the author of three widely acclaimed books on Pakistan: ‘Pakistan: Courting the Abyss’ (December 2016) that was termed ‘easily the best book on Pakistan’ by a noted Pakistani commentator – Khaled Ahmed; ‘Pakistan: At the Helm’ (July 2018), that a Pakistani reviewer in Dawn termed as ‘a book that any future leader of Pakistan ought to have by their bedside, simply because it is the sum of all that has gone before’; and ‘Pakistan: The Balochistan Conundrum’ (July 2019) that a Pakistani reviewer in Dawn held was ‘far better than the books written on the subject by our own academics and writers.’

Tilak retired as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Government of India in October 2014. He is currently a member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and also a Consultant with the Vivekananda International Foundation.

During his professional career Tilak served in J&K, Delhi and abroad. He specialized in security issues, especially pertaining to India’s neighbourhood. Post retirement, he has continued to take a keen interest in such issues with special focus on Pakistan.

Tilak has taken to writing after superannuation. Apart from his books, he has written articles for a host of newspapers, magazines and think tank journals. He is a regular contributor to the Indian Express, Tribune and occasionally to India Today. He also appears frequently on TV talk shows.

Contributions 
Pervez Musharraf : The 1999 coup With the death of Gen Pervez Musharraf in Dubai on 05 February 2023 an era has ended in Pakistan. While his complex legacy will be debated and discussed over the next few months and even years, it is useful to look back on the manner in which he oust...

The Pashtuns - A contested history In this episode, Aakriti Vinayak, Research Associate, VIF discusses with Mr Tilak Devasher, Member National Security Advisory Board his new book, The Pashtuns- A contested history. The discussion explores questions like who are the pashtuns? What is ...

Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) Protests in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) a politico-religious party is resorting to unprecedented rampage across the country. The protests escalated to unmanageable levels post the imposition of a ban on the party and arrest of its Emir (leader), Saad Hussain Rizvi....

Pakistan's Internal Developments The past few weeks saw some interesting developments in Pakistan. Join Mr Tilak Devasher and Aakriti Vinayak as they discuss the internal developments in Pakistan in the background of the recent senate elections and the Financial Action Task Force (F...

Pakistan: The Relentless Killings of the Hazaras1 The cold-blooded killing of 11 Shia Hazara miners in Geshtari area of Machh, Balochistan on 03 January 2021 by the Islamic State (IS) refocused attention on the brutal persecution of minorities in Pakistan in recent decades. However, even among the m...

VIF Papers 
Missing Factors in India’s Policy towards Pakistan Many in India often wonder why don’t we have better relations with Pakistan and how long will we keep on bickering and fighting. Many also point to the perils of a miscalculation given that the two countries are nuclear weapons states. The most fam...

Book Published / Book Reviews 
Pakistan Insights 2023 Pakistan Insights 2023 is the fourth in the ‘Pakistan Insights’ series brought out by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) to deepen understanding of Pakistan. Ideas for the various chapters are based on monthly discussions held in the ...

PAKISTAN INSIGHTS 2021-22: A Granular Look At Key Issues in Pakistan PAKISTAN INSIGHTS 2021-22 is the third in the ‘Pakistan Insights’ series brought out by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) to deepen the understanding of Pakistan. Ideas for the various chapters are based on the discussions held in th...

Pakistan Insights 2020 Following the success Pakistan Insights 2019 that was based on discussions held in the Pakistan Study Group (PSG) of the Vivekananda International Foundation, it was decided to continue with the Insight series, making it an annual feature. Despite th...

Pakistan Insights 2019 In February 2018, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) set up the Pakistan Study Group (PSG) to discuss and debate issues relating to Pakistan in a holistic manner. Meeting almost every fortnight since its inception, the discussions have be...

Outreach 
The day paradise was lost Published in The Tribune on 21 October 2019....

Lacklustre century Published in The Indian Express on 6th December 2018....

Hardliners on the ballot Published in The Indian Express on 6 July 2018....

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