Forthright
In an age where politics is often reduced to noise, name-calling, and carefully choreographed outrage, gestures of quiet dignity stand out like a lighthouse in a storm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to an ailing Sonia Gandhi—widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi—was one such moment. She has since been discharged, but the symbolism…
One month into what increasingly looks like a pilot episode of World War III, the West Asian theatre has achieved what decades of diplomacy could not—it has shattered illusions. Not just geopolitical ones, but the kind that think tanks, media studios, and Twitter warriors had carefully manufactured for years. Let’s begin with the obvious embarrassment….
At a time when Donald Trump is openly flaunting a dangerously transactional worldview—boasting of expanding American strategic footprints and even hinting at places like Cuba as potential future targets—the global order appears to be slipping into an era reminiscent of old-style power projection. This is no longer about alliances or stability; it increasingly resembles a…
In any functioning democracy, the right to assemble is not a favour granted by the state—it is a constitutional guarantee. When that right is selectively denied, especially in the heat of an election season, it ceases to be a law-and-order issue and becomes a direct assault on the integrity of the electoral process. The controversy…
The latest push by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to nudge companies into bringing call centre jobs back to the United States—and to mandate “American Standard English” proficiency—has been packaged as a consumer-first reform. It fits neatly into the political grammar popularised by Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” doctrine. But beneath the rhetoric…
When two former occupants of India’s highest offices casually redefine terrorism, it is not merely a difference of opinion—it is an indictment of a political culture that blurred the line between dissent and destruction for far too long. A recent video featuring Kapil Sibal and Hamid Ansari has reignited a deeply uncomfortable debate. Both men,…
In a landmark ruling that cuts through decades of ambiguity, the Supreme Court of India has delivered a verdict that goes to the very heart of India’s reservation framework—and its integrity. A bench comprising Justice PK Mishra and Justice NV Anjaria has categorically ruled that a person who converts from Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism to…
As the West Asia conflict intensifies with Iran at its core and coordinated strikes involving Israel and the United States, a familiar chorus has emerged—loud, indignant, and conveniently selective. The usual critics have lined up to denounce Washington, and more specifically Donald Trump, accusing him of warmongering and recklessness. Here’s the uncomfortable question many avoid:…
What began as a show of brute force has now spiralled into a textbook case of geopolitical miscalculation—and at the center of it stands Donald Trump, a leader increasingly isolated, both abroad and at home. Barely three weeks into the conflict with Iran, Trump’s rhetoric has shifted from chest-thumping bravado to visible frustration. His recent…
The arrest of American national Matthew VanDyke by India’s premier counter-terror agency has triggered an unusually sharp diplomatic undercurrent—one that goes far beyond a routine consular issue. At its core lies a fundamental question: should India yield to external pressure or uphold its sovereign laws when national security is at stake? VanDyke, along with six…
