Page 9 - Shekhar Gupta

Return of the Muslim

Old secularism hasn't broken out. But from Modi and Bhagwat to Rahul and Shah Rukh, straws in the wind signal change

Leave Pak to Pak

Pakistan desperately needs breathing space and financial generosity, but India should not indulge it

RSS, power & pitfalls

The Sangh is the most powerful it's ever been in its history. At the same time, one could also argue that it has never been so weak. How do we resolve that contradiction?

Strategic space & diffidence

The strategic situation in India's neighbourhood has gone into a stalemate that's too good to last. This is a time to look to the future and fast-forward reforms

How Roys walked the talk

As the Roys have shown, dignity in the newsroom and respect for facts are the best equity in today's news bazaar. It's with this satisfaction that they must walk away, leaving NDTV in new hands

What does Rahul want?

What politicians seek is power, which Rahul Gandhi once described contemptuously as poison. If he has changed his mind, his party doesn't know. If he hasn't, they'll ask why this boondoggle then?

Territory China is after

The issue isn't land. But the pity is that the larger political, strategic and geopolitical debate India needs, its broken democracy isn't ready for

Modi, the mask, ideology

Modi broke the hypocrisy of softening ideology once in power. Does he still need it electorally as his almighty personality cult overshadows it?

Three polls, three parties, three outcomes

In the shadow of their triumphs, the limitations of the Modi magic outside Gujarat, and of Kejriwal beyond Delhi, have been exposed

Gujarat's battle of the losers

In Gujarat, even a Modi win could be sobered if AAP makes a sizeable impact. It's as if there's an overwhelming favourite for the gold medal, the fight is for the silver and bronze

A Gujarat gamble

The cycle of politics is brutal, it doesn't have the concept of a strategic timeout. I'd rather not buy the idea that Rahul's holding his fire until 2024

Modi's G-20(24): A year-long opportunity for India

Heading G-20 will give India a foreign affairs year like it has never had in history. And changes around the world give Narendra Modi a lot of newly-opened strategic space to play with

Idea of war: The battlefields are changing

Military is more an instrument of asserting political will. The ultimate objective of war may not always be about controlling territory or land, as Gen M M Naravane (retd) argues

Imran Khan the demolisher

There has always been a risk-taking edge to Imran Khan. Like him or hate him, it had to be someone like him to finally threaten to demolish the Establishment

Retreating on home turf: Pakistan Army is staring at defeat

When the Pakistani army goes to the media complaining about a politician it fears and talks about being maligned and defamed, you know that its politics has taken a historic turn

Press mute for Indian Muslims

The silence of national parties, leaders on the flogging of Muslim men in Gujarat shows how afraid 'secular' forces have become, allowing radical Muslim voices to fill the vacuum

Victory in the mirror: Has India really found its sweet spot?

India has much to be proud of and celebrate. But there is also much that is wrong, much that looks dangerous, and much that reminds us of the perils of declaring victory too soon

SC verdict on hijab: A lose-lose battle

India's hijab supporters will lose even if they win the Supreme Court battle. Because the real war is fought in politics

Indian National AAP: Kejriwal abhors a vacuum

AAP isn't targeting the BJP but is going after the disillusioned Congress voter. Ideology-free politics is its vulnerability

Chance to reform, redeem India's distorted electoral funding system

With the long-frozen hearing on the challenge to the Modi government's anonymous electoral bonds finally listed by the Supreme Court, India will see one last opportunity to fix the system