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Wednesday, March 25, 2026
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National Interest

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.

Dear Narendrabhai, Bangladesh polls give India space to hit reset button

By next weekend, Bangladesh will have an elected government. This is India’s moment to reboot broken ties by moderating the ‘ghuspethiya’ rhetoric in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam.

Swiss report should now close Op Sindoor debate. Knowing when to stop the fight is key too

The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.

Non-alignment is coming back in a new avatar: Trump-peedit alliance

No nation other than China can negotiate one-on-one with Trump on an equal footing. That’s why the middle powers who so far formed the core of multilateral bodies now feel orphaned.

Pakistan se azaadi. Grow up India, stop giving it prime real estate in your psyche

Pakistan not only has zero chance of catching up with India in most areas, but will inevitably see the gap rising. Its leaders will offer its people the same snake oil in different bottles.

Thank you Donald Trump, again. India now has reason to shed fear of trade deals and risky reform

UK, EFTA already in the bag and EU on the way, many members of RCEP except China signed up, and even restrictions on China being lifted, India has changed its mind on trade.

A year-end Mea Culpa in National Interest—The Army-Islam combo doesn’t kill democracy

Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.

Dhurandhar shows hard cinema is soft power and Pakistan is unapologetically the target

If Pathaan gave both conservatives and liberals room to hide, Dhurandhar extends no such courtesy. Aditya Dhar ripped open that tent of hypocrisy and turned the knife.

India’s top airline just handed sarkar the keys. That’s IndiGo’s real ‘crime’

Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.

On Camera

Why Arjun Rampal saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ should worry Bollywood audiences

Production houses and big studios are already fast-tracking projects pitched by pro-Hindutva players. Choking those who choose to remain outside these charmed circles is not a big deal.

Two Indian LPG tankers exit Hormuz choke point, 20 vessels remain stuck

With 20 vessels still stranded near Hormuz, govt fast-tracks PNG connections and focuses on raising LPG output

India-Japan to finalise deal to co-develop & co-produce UNICORN mast ‘soon’, says Japanese envoy

The countries signed a memorandum for co-development of UNICORN masts in November 2024. India has been second Asian nation to have such an agreement with Tokyo, after Philippines.

The Vishwaguru delusion, mine vs yours, is ruining our view of the world

One side thinks India is punching way above its weight. The other thinks Modi has undermined India and it punches below its strength. Both are wrong.