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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
None of Pakistan’s PMs has lasted 5 years. That the current PM has given Asim Munir 5 years shows that of all military dictatorships history has seen, Pakistan’s is most creative.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
The problem, dear Ralph Lauren, is not your use of the jhumka, but your dismissal of its history. The list of stolen items is too vast to fight, but we haven't given up on acknowledgement.
In a first during his tenure as High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah addressed JOCAP consisting of tri-forces officers, as New Delhi & Dhaka step up normalisation efforts.
Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America’s friends rudely and publicly. He knows none of them can afford to fight back.
Would like to see how the “theocratic gang” is going to “spin” this….come on Mr. Sheshadri Chari, Mr. R Jaganathan and others…..would like to see your “deep thoughts” on this well thought out report by Mr. Shekhar Gupta….
Dilemma of India when the ruling elite is pushing the country to be a US vassal. It is still fresh in our memory when such journalists were putting pressure on PM Vajpayee to make India a vassal of USA during US imposed Iraq war. Vajpayee refused and that is why he is considered a great PM of India.
Gupta ji is tilting at the windmills. We Indians no longer believe in humility. We have completely decolonized our mind wherein there is no space such useless notions.
A serious government takes a serious opposition into confidence. It is the responsibility of the LOP and the other scattered opposition to show that they are serious.
We have the LOP opposing everything that the government does – even when such opposition to the government shows a fragmented India to its enemies.
When the LOP stops taking more holidays than workdays, the intelligent voters will take them seriously. Incidentally, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Mark Carney describe Modi’s working style to an Aussie interviewer in the most favourable terms. Work what you can out of it!!
It’s good that the Word H was reminded to Mr. M . Because none other than Late Mr Pranab Mukherjee could dare advise Mr M about it. But to project Trump as dumb , brainless is favourite game of US media, specially that closer to The Estaiblishament. If Indians can remember the Pannun case in USA, and Najjar in Canada was hotly pursueded by The USA, Canada, Australia, UK, even New Zealand. Only The victory of Mr Trump in 2024 put a lid on it because Trump sent George Sorros and his supporters in hiding. Let’s not get carried away by analysing psychology of Trump but look for what he does.
India has picked a side in the Middle East. There is a compelling, contrarian case for not doing so. West Asia is important for the Indian economy. The damage caused by the US – Israeli strikes is visible on the stock market. Strait of Hormuz closed. Looming in the background, continued safety and employment opportunities for ten million guest workers. 2. India studiously distanced itself from regional rivalries. Shia Iran versus Sunni rest. Israel – Palestinian cause, to which he paid token acknowledgement. Now a divide between Saudi Arabia and UAE. I think I2U2 was a misstep. 3. May the earlier balance and harmony be restored.
Blinded by it’s own so called image, government never saw opposition as ally for international standing. It always believed only BJP represents India whereas truth in any democratic state is otherwise. It is both government, opposition and civil society in total which make an image of a nation.
You can’t jail Sonam Wangchuk in name of national security and then expect people see you as Vishwaguru.
In both this case and Iranian Ship fiasco, India has egg on face. And it is the government which is to be blamed.
Well opposition is vermin and LOP is a clown. That’s being too kind as well. I for sure don’t want to live under the care of Jai Jagaat gang!
If opposition and its clown of a leader stopped being pesky, maybe bjp will take them into confidence. But the clown did second trump on dead economy jibe, has been consistently questioning own armed forces on Sindoor. It’s hard to understand who is the enemy – trump or the left in the garb of the clown.
Would like to see how the “theocratic gang” is going to “spin” this….come on Mr. Sheshadri Chari, Mr. R Jaganathan and others…..would like to see your “deep thoughts” on this well thought out report by Mr. Shekhar Gupta….
Completely Agree with the Article
Dilemma of India when the ruling elite is pushing the country to be a US vassal. It is still fresh in our memory when such journalists were putting pressure on PM Vajpayee to make India a vassal of USA during US imposed Iraq war. Vajpayee refused and that is why he is considered a great PM of India.
Gupta ji is tilting at the windmills. We Indians no longer believe in humility. We have completely decolonized our mind wherein there is no space such useless notions.
A serious government takes a serious opposition into confidence. It is the responsibility of the LOP and the other scattered opposition to show that they are serious.
We have the LOP opposing everything that the government does – even when such opposition to the government shows a fragmented India to its enemies.
When the LOP stops taking more holidays than workdays, the intelligent voters will take them seriously. Incidentally, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Mark Carney describe Modi’s working style to an Aussie interviewer in the most favourable terms. Work what you can out of it!!
It’s good that the Word H was reminded to Mr. M . Because none other than Late Mr Pranab Mukherjee could dare advise Mr M about it. But to project Trump as dumb , brainless is favourite game of US media, specially that closer to The Estaiblishament. If Indians can remember the Pannun case in USA, and Najjar in Canada was hotly pursueded by The USA, Canada, Australia, UK, even New Zealand. Only The victory of Mr Trump in 2024 put a lid on it because Trump sent George Sorros and his supporters in hiding. Let’s not get carried away by analysing psychology of Trump but look for what he does.
India has picked a side in the Middle East. There is a compelling, contrarian case for not doing so. West Asia is important for the Indian economy. The damage caused by the US – Israeli strikes is visible on the stock market. Strait of Hormuz closed. Looming in the background, continued safety and employment opportunities for ten million guest workers. 2. India studiously distanced itself from regional rivalries. Shia Iran versus Sunni rest. Israel – Palestinian cause, to which he paid token acknowledgement. Now a divide between Saudi Arabia and UAE. I think I2U2 was a misstep. 3. May the earlier balance and harmony be restored.
Blinded by it’s own so called image, government never saw opposition as ally for international standing. It always believed only BJP represents India whereas truth in any democratic state is otherwise. It is both government, opposition and civil society in total which make an image of a nation.
You can’t jail Sonam Wangchuk in name of national security and then expect people see you as Vishwaguru.
In both this case and Iranian Ship fiasco, India has egg on face. And it is the government which is to be blamed.
Well opposition is vermin and LOP is a clown. That’s being too kind as well. I for sure don’t want to live under the care of Jai Jagaat gang!
If opposition and its clown of a leader stopped being pesky, maybe bjp will take them into confidence. But the clown did second trump on dead economy jibe, has been consistently questioning own armed forces on Sindoor. It’s hard to understand who is the enemy – trump or the left in the garb of the clown.