Why distrust-but-verify is a prudent response to Pakistan Gen Bajwa’s call to bury the past
If India thinks it's caught in an awful two-front situation, the picture is more challenging for Pakistan. It can continue fighting India and become a colony of China.
Modi’s India loves global praise, but turns angry Vishwaguru at slightest criticism
The world has expectations from India and complains when those aren’t met. If global praise is acceptable to Modi govt, why the resentment and rejection over criticism?
There’s no stopping Modi govt because Rahul Gandhi is flaunting his muscles as Congress sinks
We can complain about undermining of institutions, misuse of agencies, discriminatory laws, use of sedition, rail-roading of legislations. But, on all key issues, Congress is MIA.
Habeas Porcus — how our judiciary is murdering the principle of ‘bail, not jail’ routinely
Judiciary is responsible for ensuring our liberty, and habeas corpus is the usual route. But magistrates are acting as if the rule is ‘jail, and bail is above my pay grade’.
India’s challenge is to avoid two-front war, but can Modi put politics aside for strategy?
India must break out of strategic triangulation with China & Pakistan. Before that, it must decide if it’ll let domestic electoral interests limit its strategic options.
Economic ideology is the new binary in Indian politics as Modi swerves Right & Rahul Left
Along with farm laws, Modi govt has passed labour reforms & promised to privatise major companies. This has led to an economic Right-Left divide, and that’s a good thing.
Modi govt has lost farm laws battle, now raising Sikh separatist bogey will be a grave error
This crisis requires political sophistication & governance skills, Modi-Shah BJP has neither. It would be nuts to reopen an issue in Punjab that was closed and buried by 1993.
As UP sinks, Yogi Adityanath soars — enough to compete for limelight with Modi
Uttar Pradesh under Yogi has seen little change for the better. But Modi and Shah will now need him if they want to win UP again in 2022 and India in 2024.
7 reasons why Modi govt is in retreat on farm reform laws
Farm reform could’ve been high point of Modi’s second term. But lack of patience, understanding and contempt for history have turned it into a disaster.
Neither ‘udta’ nor ‘padhta’ Punjab. Question is how India’s no. 1 state in 2003 fell to 13
Punjab, once India’s richest state, has slipped and fallen behind. MSP and subsidies should continue, but it needs to rediscover its entrepreneurial impulse.
Modi owns India’s unfolding Covid disaster
India's Covid tragedy was avoidable, and is largely the fault of a boastful, incompetent government. Yet, Modi may suffer few political consequences for his devastating missteps.
India’s ‘casino’ type midcap rally could take a break, large stocks found safer amid Covid
Investors say they are avoiding midcaps based on global economic cues, valuations. While Sensex flirts with technical correction, expensive smaller stocks could have more to lose.
Defence
Rajnath Singh assures support to Indonesian counterpart Subianto in tracing missing submarine
The Indian Navy has already sent a deep submergence rescue vessel to support the Indonesian Navy's effort to trace the submarine that went missing Wednesday around the Bali Strait.
There’s a need to hold up a mirror to Modi govt on Covid management, and this is the picture
Between premature victory mood that allowed Kumbh & elections, and lack of urgency on vaccines, Modi govt has walked into its biggest crisis. The way out needs realism, humility and one ‘Ram baan’ weapon.