After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit, Can India Rebuild Its Strategic Ties with Bangladesh by Pushing Dhaka Towards the Quad?
Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended India’s golden era of ties with Bangladesh, leaving New Delhi scrambling to counter China’s growing influence. Can Quad engagement offer India a path to rebuild trust and secure the Bay of Bengal?
Colonial Legacies of Bombay and Calcutta
Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.
Pakistan’s Defence Modernization: Between Sovereignty and Strategic Synergy
Pakistan’s defence modernization reflects a shift from dependence on foreign suppliers to indigenous innovation, marked by platforms like the JF-17 Thunder, Al-Khalid tank, and indigenous UAVs. While partnerships with China and Turkey remain vital, the future hinges on balancing sovereignty, economic constraints, and strategic sustainability. The challenge is not only to build power but to wield it wisely.
Trump’s H1B Policy: Consequences for India
A new Trump executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H1B visas marks more than a shift in U.S. immigration policy, it is a geopolitical act with lasting consequences. While American firms may adapt, India faces structural damage.
Framing the Enemy: Modi, Bollywood and the Battle of Narratives
Bollywood has become a powerful weapon in India’s information warfare, reshaping narratives on Pakistan, Kashmir, and Islam through propaganda-driven blockbusters. Under Modi’s BJP, cinema is being used to rewrite history, fuel nationalism, and normalize Islamophobia, raising serious concerns for regional peace and stability.
Pakistan at the SCO Summit: Strategic Messaging and Diplomatic Wins
Pakistan’s active engagement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit reflected a strategic balancing act between security concerns, economic connectivity, and regional diplomacy. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif not only internationalized India’s Indus Waters Treaty move but also secured explicit SCO condemnation of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Coupled with key bilateral meetings with China, Russia, Turkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan, Islamabad emerged from the summit with both narrative and diplomatic gains, reinforcing its role as a pivotal regional actor.
The Indian Muslim:The Unmaking of Secular India
The last few weeks exposed the depth of state-enabled tyranny against India’s Muslims. From the lynching of Suleman Pathan and the desecration of historic Muslim sites to bulldozer demolitions, deportations, and criminalization of dissent, violence has become systemic. With political rhetoric normalizing hate and laws codifying discrimination, India risks eroding its secular fabric and legitimizing religious persecution as governance.
India’s Balancing Act Collapses: US Tariffs Expose Fragile Foreign Policy
India’s long-standing strategy of balancing ties with Washington and Moscow has unraveled. Sweeping US tariffs on Indian exports signal that New Delhi’s ambiguous stance on Russian oil is no longer sustainable, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences that could reshape its foreign policy trajectory.
When the Aggressor Plays the Victim: India’s Misuse of International Law
India’s May 2025 cross-border strike, Operation Sindoor, is framed as legitimate self-defense under international law. In reality, it was an unlawful act of aggression without evidence, setting a perilous precedent that undermines sovereignty and fuels instability in South Asia.
Khalistan Referendum in Washington: A Blow to India’s Transnational Repression
The Khalistan Referendum 2025 in Washington DC drew thousands of Sikhs, showcasing diaspora unity, defying Indian pressure, and reinforcing the right to self-determination under international law.