Taking the Clock back .... ::: Pak military ruler Yahya Khan was caught in a trap ... and to be done so by "a Hindu woman in sari" was clearly agonising

 Time to press the refresh button as the world debates Bangladesh in turmoil .... 

In 1971; Gen Yahya Khan had interacted with 'Sunday Times', London:; and this is what was reported: 

"Rage and sweet reasonableness alternated in Yahya's rambling confidence, ever returning to that woman. To a tough man like Yahya, being caught in a relentless trap and waiting helpless for the next turn of the screw is bad enough; to a Muslim general the idea that the screw is being turned by a Hindu in sari is clearly agonising".   

Yahya Khan 

Take note .... just before the war Yahya Khan told a group of western journalists -- "If that woman thinks she is going to cow me down ....  I refuse to take it.

If she wants a war I will fight it". (Nov 27, 1971)  +++ 

**** Indira Gandhi actually caught the imagination of the world that ultimately helped her to emerge as a powerful leader. She went on a world tour and explained New Delhi's stance on massive influx of refugees. She also gave President Nixon an earful.

To her credit; Indira Gandhi displayed courage in crucial moments of her life and career. 

But within next few years; even to her admirers she emerged somewhat of an enigma. If leadership/statesmanship came to the fore during 1971 turbulent days; by 1974-75 -- she was a changed persona. She displayed immense sense of insecurity.

Emergency was imposed .... possibly on the advice of son Sanjay Gandhi. She declined to obey the call of democracy.

Indira said she would not resign after the Allahabad High Court unseated her from Parliament. 

Dates and vital references:  

Dates/ Location: 

The primary meetings between Indira and President Nixon and a state dinner occurred around November 4-5, 1971, in Washington, D.C.

** Indira Gandhi visited the U.S. as part of an international tour to seek a political solution to the East Pakistan crisis and handle the immense refugee influx into India. 

She sought U.S. pressure on Pakistani President Yahya Khan to release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and negotiate a peaceful resolution.

The Nixon administration was strongly pro-Pakistan, viewing India as leaning towards the Soviet Union. 

Nixon and his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, were privately dismissive and used derogatory language towards Indira Gandhi and Indians in declassified White House tapes.

The meetings did not lead to a common understanding or agreement. The US was unwilling to exert the pressure Gandhi requested, and India refused US proposals for troop withdrawals.  

Henry Kissinger

In July 2005, the US Department of State declassified taped conversations between former US President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger shortly before the India-Pakistan war in 1971 war that would lead to the birth of Bangladesh.

In the tapes, the two are heard talking about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shortly after a meeting with her. During the heated conversation, Nixon refers to Mrs Gandhi as an "old witch". 

Kissinger calls her a "b***c" and says the "Indians are bastards anyway". 

The tapes also brought to light Nixon's derogatory remarks against Indian women and his description of Indians as "most sexless" and "pathetic".

Soon after the remarks became public, Kissinger said he regretted his remarks and that he respected Mrs Gandhi.

"[The foul language has] to be seen in the context of a cold war atmosphere 35 years ago, when I had paid a secret visit to China when President Nixon had not yet been there and India had made a kind of an alliance with the Soviet Union," he told NDTV in an interview.   

Why US Backed Pakistan During 1971 War

The Nixon administration was concerned about the spread of Soviet influence in the Indian subcontinent, particularly amid India's growing ties with USSR. To counter this, the US started reaching out to China, which had tensions with India and USSR. This outreach was launched through Pakistan and the US feared that responding to the atrocities in East Pakistan would block this outreach.

ends 

Shah Bano case and Rajiv Gandhi's decision to unlock gates of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya redefined Indian politics ::::: Rajiv gandhi, a young leader with a historic mandate, was seen as a symbol of change

Last 50 years in two parts ::::

* Shah Bano case and Rajiv Gandhi's decision to unlock gates of Babri Masjid redefined Indian politics 

** In last 25 years --- since 2000 .... Election of Modi Govt in May 2014 was another mega-defining moment

 The Bofors scandal was the moment when the Rajiv Gandhi government unravelled.

 Despite the fear of retaliation and the possibility of the magazine being shut down, India Today chose to publish the explosive revelations that directly targeted a sitting Prime Minister.

The episode also examined the Mandal Commission, which Raj Chengappa termed “the biggest social upheaval India has seen,” fracturing politics along caste lines. Simultaneously, militancy reared its ugly head in Kashmir after the alleged rigging of the 1987 election.

“We saw defeated candidates, complete moderates, switch from the ballot to the bullet, with guns provided by Pakistan,” said former editor Inderjit Badhwar.

The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, was branded as a moment of institutional failure. 

Even as the Babri structure was in danger; the PV Narasimha Rao government sat on its hands.

When the mosque was brought down, “dome by dome”, the headline in 'India Today' was ‘Nation’s Shame’ -- reportedly given by Aroon Purie himself.

Blogger 

The Letter from the Editor -- the signed note of Purie said --

"... We in the media got an unsavoury taste of the future if these self proclaimed warriors of Hinduism were ever to rule. .,.. Although they were attempting to rewrite history, they did not want their misdeeds to be recorded for posterity".

The aftermath of Babri were communal riots, the 1993 Mumbai blasts and the arrival of mass-casualty terrorism.

The episode closed with Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and the economic reset under PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. Liberalisation “lifted the shackles” on the economy, unleashing private enterprise and a new middle class.

Zzzzz

Rajiv Gandhi’s first two years in office were the “Camelot years”, said India Today Group Editorial Director (Publishing) Raj Chengappa. But they didn’t last due to defining missteps.

Senior journalist Shekhar Gupta described how the Shah Bano case and the decision to unlock the gates of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya as “blunders that redefined Indian politics,” angering the Congress’s support base and accelerating the rise of the BJP.

Rajiv gandhi, a young leader with a historic mandate, was seen as a symbol of change. But he was a reluctant politician, noting his own words on the uncertainty of power, “When I’m a pilot, when I move a lever I know exactly what will happen. As prime minister, when I move a lever, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

What about Military Diplomacy with Bangladesh ?? 2025 for Indian Foreign Policy remained Focus on Security -- Trade-tariff conflict with US and unusual hassles in neighbourhood amid re-establishing of bonding with Russia and China

The internal dynamics of the countries in India's neighbourhood always impinge on Bharat's security. 

This came to the fore in 2025. With Pakistan; India had armed conflicts for a few days in May while in the east; the engagement with Bangladesh was more on diplomatic tables and often marred by tension, rhetoric and also realising the need to strengthen ties at least informally. 

By December - things dipped a bit beyond comprehension. But optimism is a way forward in life and in foreign policy. Can there be Military Diplomacy at work between Delhi and Dhaka ... ? 

The answer is best kept in the womb of time.

As optics; top military officials from Kolkata and Nagaland visited some border areas including Belonia in Tripura. The message has been direct. 

We ought to realise that India also has its concerns with respect to conventional threats. One of them is - Cyber security matters --- and here the threats are asymmetrical. 

Some years ago - one expert on the subject associated with defence officials - said this cannot be measured technology to technology or man to man -- as was the case in conventional conflicts. Of course; there is a need to appreciate that this is also a field where the concept of 'deterrence' cannot work. This is largely because -- here -- the "source" of threat that emanates cannot be determined.  

We were even told once that unlike China; India's critical information infrastructure is vulnerable because it is developed in very 'inorganic way'. China already had advanced system in place and that gave Beijing the advantage of homogeneity when it comes to cyber security.  

In July this year, Lt Gen Abhijeet S Pendharkar, GoC of Rangapahar-based Spear Corps, observed “Exercise Drone Prahar”—a crucial and high-level military drill.

The exercise was held under 'realistic battlefield conditions' for use of drones for surveillance, intelligence gathering, real-time coordination, and precision targeting.

Of course Drones are being used abundantly to counter potential threats from across the border in east, north and west .... 

the enemy radar systems cannot do much with our tech.

In other words, I was told how the armed forces have "strengthened" the tactical capabilities in critical scenarios. Notably; a few years back, the Netra drones of DRDO were deployed for disaster rescue operations during the North India floods. 

The Searcher MkII Drone had participated in the Republic Day parade once. 

"It has changed the soldiers' Mind... In about a decade time; you will find the forces will be able to retain young and old officers and other ranks more and more," one uniformed personnel working with Drones told me in September this year.

He further added: "Fauzi .... fauz nahi chhorega .... (Soldiers' won't leave the forces so soon). And .... 

Naya pan aa raha hae (Various kinds of new things are coming in)".

On the Pakistan front; 'Operation Sindoor' demonstrated India's military power and a big lesson has been taught to Pakistanis. But they love to live in denial -- so be it. 

However, India's western neighbour has to be dealt suitably. What was true about Pakistan in the 1970s ... is even true today as we ring out the year 2025. Even as there is a civilian establishment called 'government' in Islamabad; it is too weak to rein in the Pakistani military establishment - which thrives on anti-India stance. 

*** 

Additional Info :

In 2021, Foreign Secy Harsh V Shringla raised matters relating to India’s security with Myanmar especially in the light of the some incidents in Churachandpur district in southern Manipur. 

****  

In December this year; Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin courting 'each other' has dealt a major blow to the notion that Russia can be globally isolated.   

Moscow also remains India's top military supplier.  

But Putin has given a critical message to Beijing too.  Nevertheless; the RIC is a reality today. 

But by showing that he has other international partners including India and a leadership like Narendra Modi; Putin hopes to ensure China does not take its relationship with Moscow for granted.

It is a fact that China has enormous economic leverage over Russia, one that India comes nowhere close to matching. Nearly half of Russian oil and gas exports end up in China, which also serves as an essential supplier of industrial equipment and electronics. 

Foreign minister S Jaishankar - 'presumes' he is Modi's Hanuman !!

Finally, the shift in geo-political landscape can be perhaps best be countered by the concept of collective security. One important aspect is the maritime domain and the importance of Indian Ocean Region. 

In other words - Indian Ocean is linked to economic well-being and also to national security. The open geography of the Indian Ocean means that no single power can or is likely to dominate it. 

The Commanders' conference in Kolkata in September saw the release of the “Joint Military Space Doctrine”, marking a milestone in institutionalising space as a key element of India’s national security strategy.

Jointness and integration are key to transforming the Indian armed forces into unified structures, advancing reforms to ensure they are fully "future ready."

  

ends 

Will BJP push N Biren Singh to Upper House ?? ::::: Sharad Pawar's stint in Rajya Sabha ends in April 2026 :::: Terms of Congress chief Kharge, ex PM H D Deve Gowda will also end :::: How will 2026 RS battles for 75 seats reshape Indian politics?

 Will 2026 Rajya Sabha battle for 75 seats reshape India's politics?

From Bihar; newly appointed BJP working presiden Nitin Nabin is likely to be elected to Rajya.

But as there is no state-bar; Nabin may find berth from any other state too.

 

Between April and June, and again in November 2026, the Rajya Sabha will see seven seats from Maharashtra and five from Bihar fall vacant in April.

Vaccanies will also created in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. 

This period marks a concentrated phase of transition in the Upper House, impacting multiple states simultaneously.

Seventy-five Rajya Sabha seats across several states, including key figures from both ruling and opposition parties, will fall vacant throughout 2026, setting the stage for significant changes in India's upper house of Parliament.

The upcoming elections will see vacancies in five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar and ten from Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, seats will fall vacant in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and several northeastern states. This wide geographical spread highlights the national significance of the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections and their potential impact on the future legislative agenda.

As 2025 draws to a close and 2026 approaches, the year will not only see high-voltage Assembly elections in crucial states such as West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam, but also elections to as many as 75 Rajya Sabha seats.

These Upper House seats will fall vacant across April, June and November 2026, potentially reshaping the power balance between the NDA and the INDIA alliance.

Among the senior leaders whose terms will expire in 2026 are Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, 

Digvijaya Singh, Sharad Pawar, and Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, 

B L Verma, Ravneet Singh Bittu, and George Kurian. 

The political fate of these leaders remains uncertain, as it is yet to be seen whether they will return to Parliament or be replaced by new faces.

Ten seats from Uttar Pradesh are also set to be vacated by November. 

The terms of members from Madhya Pradesh, 

Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, 

Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, 

Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh will also conclude within the same period, further contributing to the scale of change.

Currently, the NDA holds 129 seats in the Rajya Sabha, while the opposition controls 78. 

The 2026 elections are therefore poised to be a critical contest that could shift the balance of power in the Upper House, influencing legislative outcomes and party strategies for sometime to come.

In Bihar, five Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant on April 9, with elections expected by March. 

Leaders whose terms are ending include RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Union minister Ramnath Thakur, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha’s Upendra Kushwaha.

Following changes in the Bihar Assembly, the BJP and JD(U) are each capable of securing two seats, with one likely going to the opposition. The competition is intense, and the return of some leaders, such as Upendra Kushwaha, is uncertain.

In Maharashtra, seven Rajya Sabha seats will be contested in April 2026. Notable leaders including Sharad Pawar, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Union minister Ramdas Athawale have their terms ending.

Misdirected Anger ::: Some Quotes ... Nagas need to appreciate and implement in their lives in 2026 and beyond :::: But the same 'words' of wisdom or foolishness do not bother Chief Minister Rio and his politics

Last 50 years in two parts ::::

2000 to 2025 

1975 to 2000 

Nagas are meat eaters. Sausage is very popular too. The word Sausage is derived from the Latin "salsicus", which means “seasoned with salt”. 

It's simple. 

Journalism often can scratch the surface pretty well and especially in this period of the year. 

Having said so; we also realise that 50 years have vanished from our lives. In that last 28 years or to be more specific ... last 25 years has been years of extortion. 

We might have spoken about these and what's new in that?

In between 1975 and 2000 --

* We know the very important episode in Naga life was inking of the Shillong Accord. It was inked on November 11, 1975.

And between 2000 and 2025 --

In 2003 - Nagaland voted out Congress headed by S C Jamir and Neiphiu Rio became the chief minister.

* In 2015 - Aug 3rd; the Framework Agreement was signed

* In 2017 - Nov 17th, the Agreed Position was inked

Of course; there redefined Naga politics. 

But in 2025 -- before Christmas -- The Solution and final Peace pact is still a distant dream.

So; now we come to the quotes and one-liners. 

The phrase "Critics are like brushes of noblemen's clothes". Ask chief minister Rio; he and his party (now Cock-party NPF) would say --- 'what the hell; we are noblemen and our coats are already brushed, dusted and ironed'.

** There may be another 'saying' we can refer to -- It's from the wise Sufis. 

What do you do when you are trapped in a vicious circle?

The answer is -- You can draw a bigger Circle. 

Nagas and the NSCN-IM and the NNPG have so far 'not discovered' the virtues of a larger circle .... on two fronts -- 

-- first among themselves 

and secondly with the Govt of India

 

Hence; the relationship between the Govt of India and NSCN-IM (or even the NNPG) are an'object lesson' on how the opportunities expected from a 'larger circle' have not been utilized to full. 

Chief Minister Rio could have have had a much deeper role -- to find mechanism to defuse the 'tension'. This is something he and his government and even his 58 MLAs (BJP MLA Imchen has expired) have not used.  

If the NSCN-IM is 'testing' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve or Home Minister Amit Shah's "ability" to manage the challenges (or crises) --- they are perhaps doing so with two 'wrong Indians'.

Any leadership should be focused about their priorities. The two cardinal purposes of governance or a healthy and result-oriented politics is security of the nation and the prosperity of the people. Chief Minister Rio, his team and his mentors -- under the sky or under the 'earth' -- should take a closer look by now.

The world today recognises the power of new India.  

The last 11 years has seen tremendous increase in the prestige and influence of India at the global stage. Thus, to presume China will come to the aid of trouble-makers in India will be an erroneous contention. At the global stage, the Russia, India and China -- RIC is today a bloc and hence all three have unity of purpose in more ways than one.

When the Modi Govt speaks about 'defending' India -- it means what it says -- it does not believe in 'offence'. But that does not mean .... 

The 'Operation Sindoor' in military field and handling US at the diplomatic tables have been clear instances of it assertiveness. But the same policy is guided by positive approach.

Those who travel around in flights or even charted flights should take a closer look at the new airport in Guwahati.

Such mega projects can come in Nagaland provided - the politicians do what is expected of them.

Rio can take a road drive to rural areas .... and play the music 'Country Road... take me to Himanta's home'.   

Rio has other well wishers and friends too. But to call any one of them a hero wil be a mistake .... 

...  simply because people have 'suffered' and once upon a time many people have died due to certain policies and diktats.

Lastly; as we are already into a festive season of Prayers and Forgiveness; we must note that the past continues to reverberate in the modern-day policies and approaches to life. 

From New Delhi's perspective - Justice, equality and peaceful resolution of disputes and differences have always been part of Indian ethos. The need to understand the perspectives of both sides (or all stakeholders) has never been greater.

Finally, how will a rising India interact with the rest of the world in the decades to come will also depend on how communities such as Nagas, Kukis and others have to tell about the politics and governance of New Delhi. 

ends 

SIR in Bengal :::: "Logical Discrepancies" ... leading to obvious -- "Trinamool leaders are irked" :::: BJP says more deletion on cards

The Election Commission has marked “logical discrepancies” for over-one-crore voters in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal. It is arguably stated that the BJP has pushed hard for SIR in the state, primarily to cleanse the voters list of "Bangladeshi infiltrators".

For obvious reasons; the Trinamool leaders are irked over this. According to the draft electoral roll released by the poll panel; over 58 lakh names have been deleted.  

Of course, the Lotus party had used the 'infiltration' issue successfully in neighbouring Bihar where the NDA recorded a landslide victory. In his virtual address to BJP supporters at Ranaghat on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raked up the issue of infiltrators.

“The Trinamool says ‘Go Back Modi.’ They do not say go back to these infiltrators. These infiltrators want to capture Bengal and Trinamool protects them. That is why they opposed the SIR,” he said.

**** 

In terms of geography; South Bengal has been a strong TMC bastion and in 2021 polls - it was this region that ensured Mamata Banerjee survive another term in office. The Congress and the communists lost ground in both North Bengal and also in the southern region.

The BJP penetration was exemplary in North Bengal. The saffron party has done well there in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and in 2021, out of 77 assembly seats, the BJP had won in total -- as many as 23 of them came from North Bengal.

But take a closer look at the draft roll and one finds - in 10 of these 23 seats, the BJP’s victory margin is lower than the voters deleted.

In the industrial belt of Burdwan in South Bengal, the deletions in Asansol South and Kulti assembly seats -- both held by the BJP, are over 13,000. 

The victory margin in favour of BJP candidates in Kutli was 679 

and in Asansol South the margin was 4,487 votes. 

It is estimated more names would be deleted. The draft roll exercise has been described as just a "beginning" by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. 

The interpretation by analysts is --

Names deleted include are dead, missing and shifted voters. 

The BJP says -- these are the voters that the Trinamool Congress used in the local body polls and in the other elections. 

On the face value; the Trinamool Congress is already at a disadvantage. 

Political analyst Subhamay Maitra sums up the paradox quite well: 

“The BJP is not in power in Bengal. They are not in a position to dictate the process of voting. The ruling party is always at an advantage in using dead and missing voters.

 In the seats that BJP won they could because Trinamool’s manipulation of the electoral rolls did not work."  

The Bihar mandate was crystal clear in favour of the BJP. 

Hence, the talk is that Modi's party may yet again use the SIR exercise and try to influence poll outcomes in various states across India.

"The carpet underneath the feet of various opposition parties has been shaken. 

So far, they have been getting Muslim votes even as there are many foreign Bangladeshi Muslims. The SIR has exposed them as now only genuine Indian voters will be able to vote," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has said. 

Of course Opposition parties including Congress and Trinamool Congress have alleged that many of those removed names in Bihar and other states were Muslims or belonged to social groups and communities that do not form the 

vote bank of the Hindutva forces led by the BJP.

Notably, in Bihar, a state with 130 million people, more than 6.5 million people were removed from the voter list.

But there were no formal complaints even as there have been severe allegations by political leaders

repeatedly. 

In fact, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has discovered a phrase "vote-chori(theft)" and used it to make a blistering attack on the Prime Minister, the Election Commission and of course the BJP.

Congress party organised a rally in Delhi on the same issue recently. However,

National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, which won the polls in the violence-hit province, said it is not party to such campaigns led by Rahul Gandhi. 

In South Bengal districts where the BJP performance in 2021 was fairly good --- were

--

Hooghly, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, 

Bankura, Purulia, Nadia and North 24 Parganas. 

In these areas too there have been substantial deletion already in the draft roll and more such deletions expected by the saffron party. 

After SIR was launched earlier this month, a large number of Bangladeshis, who have allegedly "lived in India as illegal immigrants for years" had to leave India and cross over to Bangladesh.

Both the countries - since August 2024 - do not share good relations. 

But it ought to be understood that politics in West Bengal vis-a-vis Muslim population is much complex. 

Mere polarisation may not actually help the BJP.

The electoral demography in West Bengal is tilted in favour of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress. This is unlike Uttar Pradesh; where Muslim population is spread in such a way that diverse poll strategies can split Muslim votes and ensure wins for the BJP.

But in West Bengal ... splitting Muslim votes is not simple or easy. This is BJP's biggest worry.

West Bengal’s demography explains that 150 of the state’s 294 Assembly seats have substantial or decisive Muslim populations. 

In constituencies like Sujapur in Malda Dakshin, 

Muslims form an astonishing 89.3% of voters. 

In districts such as Murshidabad (66%), Malda (51%), 

Uttar Dinajpur (49%), and South 24 Parganas (35%), voting patterns operate in blocs, not fragments.

ends 

Monsters, if nurtured, do not remain loyal to creators !! :::: My take in 'The Raisina Hills' ::::: Shooting the Messenger: Bangladesh Media and Its Forgotten Sins ::::: Importantly; why why India must read the warning signs

Attacks on 'The Daily Star' and 'Prothom Alo' expose how radical politics devours its own enablers—and why India must read the warning signs.  

Once celebrated as a relatively liberal, plural space—then called East Pakistan—Bangladesh is today staring at the consequences of a long moral and editorial drift. 

The recent attacks on The Daily Star and Prothom Alo are not isolated outbreaks of mob fury; they are symptoms of a deeper disease that the country’s political class and influential media chose to ignore, excuse, or normalise.

'Prothom Alo' newspaper office torched on Dec 18 late night violence 

The Raisina Hills Link

Today, some of these outlets speak the language of victimhood. 

That would be more convincing had they spent the last decade seriously interrogating the steady radicalisation of the street, the routine India-bashing, and the shrinking space for dissent that did not fit an approved ideological line. 

Monsters, when nurtured, rarely remain loyal to their creators.

The violence directed at Bangladesh’s most widely read newspapers follows a grimly familiar pattern. 

As Agartala-based Bangladesh watcher Manas Pal explains, any radical Islamist surge begins by intimidating or neutralising influential media institutions—“nipping in the bud” voices that may one day resist. 

Chaos, or tawahush, is not accidental; it is tactical. ISIS theorised this explicitly in its Dabiq publication a decade ago, with Bangladesh identified as fertile ground.

Sheikh Hasina in 1990s 

That is why the shock expressed by 'The Daily Star' rings hollow. 

The question that was rarely asked—when it mattered—was why so-called “student protests” in 2024 turned violently communal, or whether Sheikh Hasina’s gravest sin was simply her proximity to India and the legacy of the Liberation War. 

Editorial courage is not demonstrated after mobs arrive at the newsroom gate.

The paper’s own lament—calling the attacks “a dark day for independent journalism”—reads more like belated wisdom than principled resistance. 

Yes, attacks on the press are indefensible. But so is years of selective outrage, moral posturing, and strategic silence on radical Islam while amplifying narratives that weakened the state itself.

Bangladesh today is sliding into chaos. The Yunus-led dispensation looks exposed, immature, and incapable of governance or security management. February elections appear increasingly remote—perhaps by design. 

India-bashing and the targeting of Hindus seem to have been seen as convenient pressure valves, but such tactics rarely remain contained.

Bangladesh watcher : Manas Pal  

For India, the implications are grave—arguably more destabilising than past crises. 

For West Bengal and the Northeast, this is also a cautionary tale: hatred of the “other” eventually turns inward. 

Anti-India rhetoric, casual demonisation of communities, and fashionable ideological hostility have consequences.

The Bhagavad Gita’s warning is starkly relevant: as you sow, so shall you reap. Bangladesh’s media and political elite are now tasting a bitter harvest. 

The region would do well to watch closely—and learn.

Blogger in Dhaka : file snap 

ends 

BJP fixing Congress’ mistakes in Assam: PM Modi in Guwahati ::::: In six decades after Independence, only three bridges were built over Brahmaputra, but four new bridges came up since 2014

**

PM Narendra Modi accused Trinamool Congress of blocking West Bengal's development. In a virtual address for a rally in Ranaghat as he could notland there due to fog;  PM urged for a BJP double-engine government in the state. 

He inaugurated projects worth Rs 3200 crore via video conference.

“Today the country wants rapid development. Bihar once again gave the NDA government a massive mandate for development. Bihar has rejected the rule of ‘jungle raj’ with one resounding voice,” Modi said.

*** 

Addressing a rally after inaugurating a new terminal of the Guwahati airport, Modi alleged that the development of Assam and the Northeast was “never a part” of the Congress agenda. 

"The Congress gave protection to infiltrators who grabbed forests and land, threatening the security and identity of Assam... The BJP government has been correcting mistakes the Congress kept making for decades in the northeast," the PM asserted.

Modi said the Election Commission started the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to ensure infiltrators are kept out of the poll process, "but 'deshdrohis' (traitors) were trying to protect them".

"My attachment to the land of Assam inspires me, gives me strength for development of region. Assam and the entire Northeast is becoming the gateway to India's development. Every state, each region of the country has an important role to play in the mission of a developed India," Modi said. 

The Prime Minister also pointed out that in the six decades following Independence, only three bridges were built over the Brahmaputra, whereas four new bridges have been constructed in the last decade alone. 

This enhanced connectivity, he said, “has emerged as a major catalyst for economic growth, mobility and regional integration in Assam”. 

After the address, the Prime Minister began a massive roadshow from outside Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai on National Highway 27. Cultural troupes of nearly all communities of the state performed along the route as thousands gathered along the 3.8-km route to have a glimpse of the PM Modi.

On first Assam BJP HQ visit, PM Modi blends in with party workers, talks polls There was no formality; he interacted just like a party member. 

PM Modi opens Guwahati T2, pitches Assam as gateway to Viksit Bharat by 2047