Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Bluster Meets Steel

When a so-called nuclear-armed state declares “open war” on social media, it isn’t projecting strength. It is advertising instability. That is precisely what Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif did when he thundered that it was now “open war” between Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The outburst followed renewed border clashes after Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghan…

Read More
Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Robed Realignment

India has never lacked for faith. What it increasingly lacks is accountability from those who monetize it. The latest controversy surrounding Avimukteshwaranand is not an isolated embarrassment—it is part of a recurring pattern. A self-styled spiritual authority lays claim to exalted lineage, courts attention through provocative declarations, faces allegations or scrutiny, and then—almost on cue—discovers…

Read More
Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Why Fear Kerala Story 2

The debate over The Kerala Story 2 is no longer just about a film. It is about who gets to define “freedom of expression” in India — and more importantly, who decides which stories are allowed to be told. When Pinarayi Vijayan calls the film “false propaganda” and “poisonous,” he is entitled to his political…

Read More
Columnist-M.S.Shanker

Paris–Delhi Pivot

In an era defined by geopolitical churn and economic realignments, the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron marks far more than a ceremonial diplomatic exchange. It signals the maturation of one of India’s most stable, trust-based and strategically autonomous partnerships — now elevated to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.” At a…

Read More