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Friday, April 3, 2026
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National Interest

Pakistan is fighting a two-front war. I saw it coming 15 yrs ago

The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.

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.

On Camera

Asiya Andrabi is no women’s rights advocate. She does not speak for Indian Muslims

International news media calling Asiya Andrabi a defender of women’s rights shows how narratives are constructed and what they choose to omit.

Tanker with 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude shifts course from India to China midway

The shipment earlier bound for Gujarat’s Vadinar has changed course amid payment concerns; could still reach India if issues are resolved, according to Kpler.

India commissions its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine—INS Aridhaman

INS Arihant was first vessel under SSBN project and was quietly commissioned in 2016. The second indigenous SSBN, INS Arighat, was commissioned in August 2024.

Gulf war exposed India’s fragilities. It’s time for navel-gazing, in the national interest

It’s easy to understand why the government can’t speak the hard truth. When this war ends, as all wars do, India’s interests will lie with both the winner and the loser.