Nuclear Strike or Negotiating Theatre? The Question the World Is Asking :::: Indian Embassy in Tehran advises nationals to stay indoors for next 48 hours, avoid sensitive areas

Indian Embassy in Tehran advises nationals to stay indoors for next 48 hours, avoid sensitive areas

Pathway 1 — Deal: Iran agrees to become “a normal country” — ending funding of terrorism and rejoining the global system of commerce and trade.

Pathway 2 — No Deal: If Iran refuses to come to the table, “the economic situation in Iran will continue to be very, very bad.”

On Iran’s attempts to disrupt global energy markets, US Vice President J D Vance said Tehran is trying to “exact as much economic pain on the world as possible” — but warned the US has the capacity to inflict “much greater pain.”

Nuclear Strike or Negotiating Theatre? The Question the World Is Asking

Trump -- 'extremely sick person' 

Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, has called Donald Trump an “extremely sick person” in response to the president’s recent post on Truth Social – in which he said “a whole civilization will tonight” if Iran fails to meet his 8pm ET deadline to reopen the strait of Hormuz.

“Each Republican who refuses to join us in voting against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence of whatever the hell this is,” Schumer added.

Other Democrats have slammed Trump’s most recent comments, hours before he promises to follow through on his threat to target civilian infrastructure and power plants in Iran.

Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator who sits on the foreign relations committee, said that Trump’s plan is to “murder thousands of innocent Iranians and hope for a civil war that somehow ends up with the strait of Hormuz reopening”. Murphy also highlightedd the global energy crisis that has spiralled since the war began and oil prices spiked.

Trump’s language — “a whole civilization will die” — has triggered uncomfortable questions globally: 

Is the world’s most powerful leader signalling a nuclear or catastrophic military strike, or is this the same high-octane psychological pressure tactic he has deployed from Pyongyang to Beijing to Moscow?  

The answer matters enormously. When a sitting US President uses the language of civilizational extinction, even if intended as leverage, the geopolitical, financial and humanitarian stakes are immediate and global.

Markets are watching. Allies are watching. And Tehran is watching.

A Lesson From History: Military Force Alone Does Not Win Wars

Sound military strategy is never purely about firepower. Non-military factors — timing, terrain, diplomacy, domestic politics, and economic realities — shape outcomes just as decisively as troop strength.

History offers a sharp lesson. In 1971, India’s Bangladesh Liberation War could have ended very differently had India rushed into East Pakistan in April or May. The monsoon flooding of June would have paralysed the Indian Army’s advance. 

It was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw who had the strategic wisdom — and the professional courage — to say no to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she pushed for an early offensive. 

And crucially, Indira Gandhi had the rare political wisdom to listen.  

The result: a swift, decisive victory in December 1971 — one of the most celebrated military campaigns in modern history.

Fast forward to May 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a similar call, choosing not to extend Operation Sindoor beyond its defined objectives. Restraint, at the right moment, is not weakness — it is strategic mastery.

The question tonight is whether Washington — and Tehran — have leaders capable of the same wisdom. 

ZZZ

United States President Donald Trump issued a stark, civilization-level warning to Iran late Tuesday, posting on Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran.”  The post immediately triggered global alarm — with analysts, diplomats and world leaders scrambling to decode whether Trump was signalling a catastrophic military escalation, a nuclear threat, or deploying his signature pressure-negotiation playbook against Tehran.

Trump’s warning carries a specific condition: Iran must reach a deal — one “acceptable to me” — that guarantees free passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically critical waterways through which roughly 20% of global oil supply passes.

The US has set a hard deadline of 20:00 EDT (00:00 GMT / 01:00 BST Wednesday) for Iran to respond.  

US Strikes Kharg Island — Iran’s Key Oil Export Terminal

Even as diplomatic channels remain open, the US has already acted militarily. American forces carried out fresh strikes on military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s most critical oil export hub.

US Vice President JD Vance confirmed the strikes, stating he was aware of intentions to “strike some military targets” on the island and believes the US has “done so.”

Vance stressed the strikes do not represent a change in overall strategy, reiterating Trump’s earlier threat of “complete demolition” of Iranian infrastructure if Tehran fails to meet tonight’s deadline.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reports two people were killed in a strike on a bridge in Kashan — hours after Israel had separately warned Iranian civilians not to travel by train “for the sake of your security.”
Vance Outlines Two Pathways — Deal or Economic Collapse
Speaking to reporters, Vance said the US has “fundamentally” completed its military objectives in Iran, and that how the conflict ends now rests with Tehran. 

Iran Rejects Ceasefire — Trump May Be Forced to Extend Deadline for Fourth Time  

As the midnight GMT deadline approaches, there is little indication that Tehran is prepared to accept Trump’s ultimatum.

Iran has rejected a temporary ceasefire and responded instead with its own set of demands — which a senior US official bluntly described as “maximalist.”

The standoff places Trump in an increasingly uncomfortable position. If no agreement materialises before the deadline, the US President faces an outcome he has repeatedly sought to avoid: extending the deadline yet again.

This would mark the fourth extension in three weeks — a pattern that risks undermining the credibility of Washington’s threats and emboldening Tehran to hold its ground further. No hint of a move toward peace. No breakthrough. No back-channel signal of surrender.

ends 

A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again -- Trump ::: Does he plan Nuke assault ...? Or the same old stuff ... when most powerful Prez sounds a sick mind ? ::::: No hint of move towards Peace. Trump may extend deadline for 4th time

Donald Trump warns "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless Iran reaches a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," he posted on Truth Social.

 

But the US president also adds that "something revolutionarily wonderful can happen".

To avoid this fate, according to Trump, Iran has to make a deal "that's acceptable to me". A component of the agreement should include "free traffic of oil" through the Strait of Hormuz. 

As the final hours tick down, there has been little indication that Iran is ready to agree to Trump's ultimatum. They've rejected a temporary ceasefire and issued their own list of demands, which a US official described as "maximalist".

This places the US president in a delicate position. If there is no agreement, Trump could extend his deadline – for the fourth time in the past three weeks.

The US has carried out new strikes on military targets on Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export terminal.

Iranian state media reports two people have been killed after a strike on a bridge in Kashan, hours after Israel warned Iranians not to take trains "for the sake of your security"

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. 

I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?

"We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran" wrote Trump. 

US Vice President J D Vance says he was aware of intentions to "strike some military targets" on the island and he believes the US has "done so".

He adds that strikes do not represent a change in strategy for Donald Trump, who has warned of "complete demolition" of Iranian infrastructure if the country does not respond to tonight's deadline to make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance says that Iran is trying to "exact as much economic pain on the world as possible," but that the US has the ability to exact "much greater pain".

He adds that he is confident the US will receive a response from the Iranians by 20:00 EDT tonight (00:00 GMT / 01:00 BST Wednesday): "I hope they make the right response."  

Taking questions from reporters, Vance responded to a question on whether he had 'any new information' that suggests a deal can be reached between the US and Iran.

In response, Vance says the US has "fundamentally" completed its military objectives in Iran. 

The nature of the war's conclusion is up to the Iranians, he goes on, adding that there are "two pathways" for the war to end.

One is where "Iranians decide they're going to be a normal country, they're not going to fund terrorism anymore, they're going to be part of the world system of commerce and exchange".

The other option, Vance says, is "if the Iranians don't come to the table... then the economic situation in Iran will continue to be very very bad".

A good military planning is not done just because you have a stronger force. Many non-military factors too work behind the scenes, and the commanders cannot wish them away.  

Take 1971, the story of India's Bangladesh war would have been different, had India planned and gone ahead with the idea of entering Bangladesh by April-May. The East Pakistan would have flooded in June and the Indian army could have cut a sorry figure. 

Thanks to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw; he knew when to say 'No' to the Prime Minister; and credit ought to be given to Indira Gandhi for listening to the counseling of the technical experts on the field. 

In May 2025; PM Narendra Modi did the same thing; and thank God; the Operation Sindoor was not extended.  

Repeated 'backing away' after such detailed threats and unprecdented "laguage" punctuated with dire warnings, will certainly undercut Trump's and the American credibility. 

ends 

Electoral rolls for phase-one polling on April 23 - FROZEN :::::: West Bengal's "Bangladeshi appeasement" theatrics stand exposed :::: SIR deletes about 91 lakh voters, maximum in Muslim-majority Murshidabad ::: Logical discrepancies also hit Muslims

Electoral rolls for phase-one of polling on April 23 now frozen.

The Election Commission had earlier deleted 58.25 lakh voters 

marked as dead, 

absent, shifted or duplicate from the draft rolls that were published in December last year.

This brings down the total number of electors in West Bengal to 7.04 crore from 7.66 crore. An additional five lakh voters were deleted from the final rolls published on February 28.

That brings the total deletion of voters from Bengal’s electoral rolls at slightly below 91 lakh.

 A district-wise list of eligible and ineligible voters stated that of the 60.06 lakh voters marked under adjudication, 27,16,393 voters were found ineligible

\

EC sources say the district-wise data has now been placed in the public domain to ensure complete accountability. 

Once the pending procedural formalities, including e-signatures, are completed, there may be marginal changes in both deletion and inclusion figures.

Of the 294 seats in the Bengal Assembly, 152 seats will go to the polls on April 23 in the first phase. 

The second phase of voting is on April 29th.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain the Bengal government’s plea to direct the 19 appellate tribunals to pass interim orders allowing at least certain categories of excluded voters to vote, saying “we do not want to rush it”.

The BJP leaders in Delhi asserted that the revision exercise has been carried out in a phased and transparent manner in West Bengal like all other states. 

Welcome to West Bengal’s poll season 2026. 

To start with it looks like a big Pandora’s Box. At one point as many as 11 Trinamool Congress candidates were "unsure" whether their names are still in the electoral rolls for the Bengal Assembly polls. 

Nine out of these nominees are from the minority community. 

They include state industries minister Shashi Panja, state environment minister Md Ghulam Rabbani, three-terms MLA Swati Khandoker and the Birbhum strongman Kajal Sheikh alias Faizul Haque.

Three of the candidates were from Muslim-stronghold Murshidabad district where over 11 lakh-plus voters were marked under adjudication in the final rolls which were published on February 28.

“Selective deletion has taken place. In one booth under Suti Assembly constituency, 400 out of the 500 voters have been deleted. In a Basirhat booth, out of roughly 600 electors, around 400 have been deleted. Who has done this? People will definitely ask for answers,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters. 

Aappa and her support base 

The Trinamool Congress has meanwhile stunned many by naming a local former BJP leader Pavitra Kar from Nandigram, which remains one of the most high-profile constituencies.  

BJP's giant killer Suvendu Adhikari, who trounced powerful Mamata Banerjee in this segment in 2021, is contesting again. Hence the TMC decision reportedly taken at the personal initiative of Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata’s nephew. remains a puzzle. 

"If BJP has to win only one seat in 2026 assembly polls, TMC and Abhishek Banerjee has announced that seat would be Nandigram," remarked analyst Ramakanto Shanyal.

Blogger with young students - Sitai (not far from Bangladesh border) 

The highest number of deletions have happened in the Muslim-majority district of Murshidabad -- bordering Bangladesh.

In this district out of the 11,01,145 voters marked under adjudication, 4,55,137 that is Four Lakh 55,000 plus) voters were found ineligible.  

The remaining 142 seats of the Assembly will vote in the second phase on April 29. The rolls for the second round will be frozen Thursday, April 9.  

The lowest deletions were in Jhargram – 1,240 voters.

In Kolkata North 39,164 voters were deleted 

and in Kolkata South, the district which includes the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is taking on Suvendu Adhikari, as many as 28,468 voters have been deleted.  

The DIR hit in West Bengal has been the worst in places like Malda and Murshidabad. 

Besides being close to Bangladesh borders; these zones also grapple with river erosion and displacement.

Sickularism always has its argument 

Politics Full Swing

Supporters of the SIR say cleansing the voter rolls is critical to electoral integrity. 

Critics argue that the burden of proof unfairly impacts the poor, 

the migrating workers and the undocumented and hence alters the electorate. In some quarters - the tacit sympathy for Bangladeshi Muslims is well reflected.

Lovely cane works of North Bengal 

TMC supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who once claimed she would not allow SIR in he state said --

“I will have to see how many have been included and how many deleted. They have targeted Muslims, Matuas, Rajbongshis".  

Analysts point out that in Bihar, around 65 lakh voters were deleted in the draft rolls from the 7.89 crore electors. 

Bihar finally had 7.42 crore electors. Of course, in NDA-ruled Bihar the SIR process was concluded before the poll dates were announced.

Manipur again among headlines ::: CRPF had to open fire to prevent arson of their camp :::: Internet shutdown in 5 districts - Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur

 The Manipur government suspended mobile internet for three days across five districts after two children were killed and their mother injured in a likely rocket attack. The incident set off fresh protests and violence in the restive state.

CRPF had to open fire to prevent arson of their camp

The internet shutdown applies to Imphal East, 

Imphal West, Thoubal, 

Kakching and Bishnupur districts.

Video Link 1

A curfew was also clamped in Bishnupur, where the attack took place just after midnight on Tuesday.

The Manipur-based Ukhrul Times reports that -- "At least three people were killed and several others injured after CRPF personnel opened fire during a protest at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district on Monday.

The incident occurred at Tronglaobi Maning in the Gelmon area, where a large number of people had gathered outside a CRPF camp, protesting the recent attack that killed two minor siblings by suspected Kuki militants and left their mother critically injured."  

A 5-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl were killed in their sleep and their mother was injured when suspected militants lobbed an explosive at their home in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai village in Moirang, a hotbed of unrest between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

The incident sparked protests, with locals torching two oil tankers and a truck near a petrol pump, burning tyres outside a police station and damaging a makeshift police outpost. Security forces were deployed to restore order.

A large mob later stormed a Central Reserve Police Force camp near the foothills of P Gelmol, close to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border.  

Reports received in Delhi from multiple sources and some informal and still unconfirmed say 

one CRPF camp at Tronglaobi burned down by mob.

- Large sections of the CRPF camp have been set ablaze by the advancing mob. 

Visuals indicate extensive damage to residential quarters and administrative structures within the perimeter.

Facing a direct threat to the weapon armories, which house sophisticated small arms and explosives, security personnel were forced to take defensive measures.

"To prevent the looting of lethal weaponry—which would catastrophic for regional security—personnel deployed controlled firing to push back the mob and secure the remaining tactical assets," a source said. 

Video Link 2

Separate reports also claimed -- Bomb squad safely defuses an unexploded mortar shell recovered from Tronglaobi, Moirang, following the deadly attack that killed two children and injured their mother.  

Meanwhile in Nagaland capital Kohima, DG Assam Rifiles, Lt Ge Vikas Lakhera, called on the Governor  Nand Kishor Yadav. 

During their meeting at Lok Bhavan, Kohima; they discussed matters relating to security and development in the state. 

The Governor appreciated the vital role of Assam Rifles in maintaining peace and stability in the region, sources said. 

Women's Reservation Bill : Nation should remember communist veteran Geeta Mukherjee, who declined I K Gujral's offer to join the ministry in order to pilot that Bill as chairperson of the panel

"Anek mantri toh dekhlam .... mantri hoeye ki korbo; tai neelam na (I have seen enough numbers of ministers in this life. What will I do becoming one; so I declined I K Gujral's request)," the veteran CPI leader Geeta Mukherjee told me around 1999.

I was about one-year-old in Delhi journalism having shifted from Nagaland in 1998 to join Press Trust of India (PTI).  

I had met her in Constitution Club as she had come to attend one seminar on rural development. Her remarks were interesting and I sought her permission to quote her.

Madam Geeta Di declined.

Born 1924 - she was older to my father by years. She laughed  when I said "Madam Geeta Di" ... almost by mistake.

I said: "It is difficult to call you Didi because my father is younger than you". But I added - "My father has been an admirer of you".

Veteran Geeta Di 

   

I was not telling her a lie.

My father used to appreciate Late Geeta Mukherjee's way of speaking in Parliament though he did not get enough video clipping or live telecast of debates by Geeta Mukherjee. 

During our interaction, as soon as she came to know I had come to Delhi having studied and serving in Nagaland for a few years; she recounted the 1996 letter sent to her as chairperson of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament on the Women’s Reservation Bill. 

The letter was from the apex Naga Students' Federation (NSF) and the purpose was to oppose the Bill tooth and nail. In fact, a few weeks before the Nagaland assembly had passed a unanimous resolution opposing the draft law. The pretext was such a legislation was against the tenets of Naga tradition and culture.

In Nagaland assembly, the unanimous resolution was piloted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Z Lohe and the state chief minister was the illustrious S C Jamir.

"Are they (Nagas) really opposed to the Bill ... what are Naga women doing?," remarked Geeta Mukherjee.

I did not answer anything specific as by 1998-99; even Naga women were not so assertive or determined to push for the law giving them quota. In fact, Nagaland got its first woman legislator elected to the state assembly only in 2023. 

Credit for this has to go the BJP more (especially the high command) though both women legislators elected in 2023 were NDPP nominees. One of them Salhoutuonuo Kruse is now Minister for Women Resource Development and Horticulture. 

First Naga woman Minister Salhoutuonuo Kruse

In 1998-99, while answering my question, Geeta Di had said - "I am serious about this Bill and my women colleagues from different parts of India and all parties practically was determined to see the Bill reach its logical conclusion". 

Of course in 2026 -- as things stand today -- the Modi government under Narendra Modi is showing that determination and probably by April 18th, the Bill will be passed. 

Geeta Mukherjee was unhappy because consensus never seemed 'reachable' on the subject with parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the RJD were strongly opposed to it.

The Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav too backed those who opposed the Bill and had made his famous remark that such a law would only help "par-kati Mahilaen (women with hair cut or whose wings cannot be slipped)".

But Geeta Mukherjee and others including the likes of Mamata Banerjee (in Congress till 1997) and Sushma Swaraj (BJP) and also the likes of Najma Heptullah and Margaret Alva of Congress were banking on the Left, Congress and BJP to build a majority.

But Mukherjee said it was quite disappointing as these parties also backtracked "using the lack of consensus" as a palatable excuse. 

In 1997 when I K Gujral took over succeeding H D Deve Gowda, Geeta Mukherjee was offered a ministerial berth. But she declined.

In 1997 yet again during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Geeta Di said in Parliament, “Sir, I would like to inform the House that the hon. Speaker had given us a word of honour that on the 29th July 1997, the `Women’s Reservation Bill’ would be there in the List of Business.” 

On 14 August, 1997, the last day of the Monsoon Session, she had an opportunity to occupy the Chair, being on the panel of presiding officers.

All of a sudden, and practically as soon as she had occupied the chair, Geeta Di declared that the Women’s Reservation Bill would be taken up for discussion. 

Some 'male members' were unhappy apparently.

Technically, a smart move was already done by those who wanted no debate on it. The Women quota Bill had been placed as 'item number 24' in the List, meaning that it would not be taken up at all on that day. 

She was also reminded by Ram Naik (BJP) that proceedings of the House would have to be conducted according to rules. 

Those were the days: Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Lalu Prasad 

The Nitish Kumar angle

After Geeta Mukherjee it was Nitish Kumar’s turn to be on the Chair. Now, as a member Geeta Mukherjee demanded discussion on the Women’s Bill. 

Nitish Kumar could only assure her that an opportunity would be given to her after business under Rule 377 was over. 

But after that it was time for the Private Members’ Bills and generally a text book man, Nitish Kumar said he could not do anything. 

This had left Geeta Mukherjee annoyed and she quickly appealed to women members irrespective of party affiliation to stage a walkout in protest.

She first walked out of the House with five other Left and Congress women MPs. 

Incidentally, Sushma Swaraj of BJP chose not to join them but slipped out later almost quietly.

There was another interesting facet as 'bhadralok' neta; Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi,  then MP from Howrah also left the House in support of his women colleagues. 

On one occasion speaking to journalists after facing 'defeat' in Parliament, Geeta Di was almost in moist eyes and had said, 

“Even when my husband died, I was brave. But today, I’ve been reduced to tears.”  

She had married Biswanath Mukherjee, a legendary communist leader, way back in 1942. In fact, she was physically weak herself after a heart surgery in the 1980s.

In one of the parliamentary reports the Geeta Mukherjee-led panel in Report of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, expressed strong objections to sub-reservation or quota within 33% quota, 

The refrain was there was no precedent or move for (general) OBC reservation in Legislative bodies or Panchayats and that the problem could be easily solved without reservation if OBC women could be put up in OBC-dominated constituencies by all political parties. (Geeta Mukherjee-led Joint Select Committee Report, 1997).   

Tail piece

During the stint of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister; there was a mini fiasco as even after the PM had assured the Women Reservation Bill was not introduced. Geeta Mukherjee and a few others had then compared Vajpayee with I K Gujral -- both the leaders were described as 'good leaders' in 'bad parties'. 

Earlier around 1997, the bill could not be piloted when I K Gujral was the Prime Minister. 

I K Gujral, Vajpayee, George Fernandes and L K Advani 

ends 

 

Touts still taking advantage of unfenced areas along India-Bangladesh border to undertake infiltration ::: Alarm in Assam, West Bengal ..Infiltration spike before polls !!

The central agencies have alerted law and order enforcing agencies including CAPF and state police in both Assam and West Bengal to carry out heavy scrutiny, as the 'infiltration' push that is being made is reportedly very big.

It could run into several thousands of illegal immigrants, and the biggest push would be made before the voting is complete. 

There has been a massive push to send illegal immigrants into Assam and West Bengal, in a clear sign that attempts are being made to vitiate the atmosphere in these states as elections are set to be held. 

The alert comes after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested 14 Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district on the New Delhi-bound North-East Express train. The agencies are further probing on whose advice these people had come to India and what their purpose was. 

Reportedly during interrogation, 14 arrested people revealed that they came in through the Assam border using fake documents and had planned on going to New Delhi and some other parts of north India. 

Of course it is a matter of deep concern that why and how many people are managing to enter the country when the security at the India-Bangladesh border is supposedly so tight.  

Out of the 4,061-kilometre border, around 3,141 kilometres remain unfenced. 

West Bengal shares a 2,216-kilometre border, of which 569 is unfenced. 

The 'unfencing' in West Bengal is largely blamed on non-cooperation of the Mamata Govt which allegedly did not provide land.

In the case of Assam, the fencing has been difficult due to marshlands, hills and riverine areas. 

Over 900 kilometres of the total border is riverine, where fencing is impossible. 

These riverine areas had provided 'escape routes' to many Awami League supporters ad workers especially Hindus to flee Bangladesh during the peak of anti-Sheikh Hasina protest and immediately after the interim regime had taken over the charge of administration in Bangladesh.   

Infiltration from Bangladesh into India is a significant national security and political issue, characterized by illegal border crossings for economic migration, smuggling, and seeking refuge. As of April 2026, the situation remains a top priority for Indian security agencies. 

In 2025, the India-Bangladesh border recorded its highest number of infiltration attempts in nearly a decade, with 1,104 detected attempts and 2,556 arrests made between January and November. This surpassed the 977 cases reported in 2024.

Recent spikes are attributed to political instability in Bangladesh following the 2024 government change, economic challenges such as high food inflation (reaching 14.10% in mid-2024), and sectarian tensions.

India shares a 4,096 km border with Bangladesh, of which approximately 79% is currently fenced. About 850 km remains unfenced, including 175 km of difficult riverine and swampy terrain that is geographically impossible to secure with traditional barriers.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Assam, made it clear that illegal immigration is not just an election slogan but an issue that is related to Assam’s identity and security of both the state and the nation. The PM said that it affects the land of farmers, the livelihoods of the poor and Adivasis, and the security of women.

Modi also reiterated his claims in multiple rallies that the Congress party was supporting 'infiltrators' in Assam. The PM also urged the BJP workers in the state to collect details of illegal entry and encroachments by Bangladeshis "and find out the megative impacts" of the same. 

"Central forces would not be withdrawn from Bengal": Supreme Court after ECI flags Mamata video  

The Election Commission on Monday furnished in the Supreme Court videos purportedly showing Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool leaders telling voters they would be beaten up by the central forces deployed by the top court.

After a brief look, an apparently annoyed Supreme Court made oral observation stating the central forces “would not be withdrawn” from West Bengal. 

Central forces will not be withdrawn from West Bengal looking at the way things have happened in past, says SC.

Counsel D. Seshadri Naidu, representing the poll panel before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant that was hearing an SIR case on April 6, alleged that the Trinamool leaders were misleading voters about the central forces.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, intervened to say that “democracy was in danger” in Bengal.  

The Election Commission handed over to the Supreme Court a speech allegedly made by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee telling people "the CRPF people are coming from UP to beat you up, be prepared."

Naidu said: "The rabble rousing will only vitiate the atmosphere"

CJI Surya Kant remarked - "if the state machinery fails then we will see what to do".  

“Looking at the way things have happened in the recent past, the central forces will not be withdrawn from West Bengal. If the state machinery fails to discharge its duty, we will see what should be done,” Justice Kant orally observed.

He said a communication from Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul had said that as of noon on Monday, 59.15 lakh of the 60.06 lakh cases under adjudication had been disposed of by the judicial officers.

A study claims disproportionality between the Muslim share of the electorate and the community’s share among deleted voters in Nandigram in the East Midnapore district.

In 2021 Assembly poll, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari humbled Mamata Banerjee in the seat. Adhikari is contesting again this time besides Bhawanipore from where the TMC supremo is seeking re-election.  

The BJP leaders say: "We are confident of Suvendu winning from both the seats Nandigram and Bhawanipore. Voters in Bhawanipore will create a national record when Mamata Banerjee will become the first sitting Indian CM to lose assembly election twice". 

ends    

Vadh-2 :::: 'apne hisab se jee rahan hoon" ::::: It does not talk about only a 'finished product' ::::: It redefines a Paradox --- 'divided by Freedom; and United by Shackles' :::: And more ... the film explores intersection of love, repentance, karma ....

Like our day-to-day life -- a thriller move even as a work of fiction is a 'raw material' and not necessarily the finished product.

Ask the protagonists in Vadh-2 -- a latest Bollywood product starring Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra --- each one of them could have different plans to end the woes of their lives.

In fact, each may have different definitions too.   

There are several Hindi films exploring the intersection of love, repentance, karma, and violence. But it is also a crime thriller and therein lies its strength. Vadh-2 directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu perhaps also underlines the importance of fate and how in the ultimate all of us have to 'reconcile' to realities. 

Neena Gupta playing Manju --- says almost philosophically-- “Kya pata, ab toh inke beech rehna accha lagta hai. Kam se kam apne hisaab se toh jee rahi hoon (Who knows, maybe I actually enjoy being around the jail inmates now. I do not know what will I do with freedom... At least within four walls of jail; I am living life on my own terms".  

It's not a meek surrender. It is a strong determination. 

Her this statement is also like -- tell you stories about journalists. 

Often we also do not know what to do with freedom. Should we be freelancers ...bloggers --- not sure enough how will one manage child's college fees. 

Should we join one political party or the other and end up becoming -- Rajya Sabha MPs ... or some glorified typists somewhere ? 

In the end one can say - 'apne hisab se jee toh rahan hoon'.

Later in Vadh-2; the story comes out -- Manju was jailed on a false charge of twin murder. The original culprit - a cop - Prakash Singh (played by Kumud Mishra) - as life would turn it - comes to the same prison where innocent Manju (Neena Gupta) is cooling her heels  - aging ...frail but determined. 

The film has other elements. The ominous and hydra-headed  caste system. 

The jailor Kumund Mishra (playing Prakash Singh) is touchy about 'jaat' so much that he even asks his official driver -- "Chauhan sahab ... kaisey Chauhan ho .... and the response is 

"unchi wali sir". 

Apparently happy to know that -- Prakash Singh tells his driver "Toh jaldi chalayiye". 

Special investigator Ateet Singh (Amitt K Singh) 

The interaction between two police officers at the climax scene is also scripted ear-on-ground. As probe officer shows evidence that Prakash Singh had murdered someone and kept the body in the backyards of his official quarter; the casteist Prakash loses cool -

"Do you think I am an idiot to murder and keep the body behind my own quarter. Did you come to the police through quota (reservation)," says an angry Prakash Singh. 

The cop's die-hard hatred for 'other castes' is one of the causes of problems in the film. Prakash Singh is shown in a reflective scene murdering his niece and her husband (of different caste) in rage. 

Shambhunath Mishra slowly forms an unexpected, platonic bond with Manju as the two find themselves sharing long conversations and mutual understanding in the oppressive environment.

Protagonists Shambhunath (a jail constable - 59 and counting days for retirement) and Manju (Neena Gupta) highlights the power of Platonic love. At the end of the time, Shambhunath (Sanjya Mishra) -- even says "we have lived our time of tgetherness". Here love is not measured by the wed-lock or numbers of years together.   

They are 'United by Shackles' -- when in jail (one in service and Manju as inmate). They talk about loneliness and count stars -- both from two sides of the wall. But they have fear of Freedom as they would be divided. 

And when it comes to celebrating his birthday; Shambhunath passes a bottle of alcohol to Manju. And when it comes to sharing her part of the tale - she smiles mysteriously as nother inmate teases her saying Shambhunath is "ashiq" of Manju.  

Is life so difficult and love so simple, so easy ? 

There are shortcomings certainly. 

The local MLA' brother goes missing from the prison. But the matter doesnot appear serious or sensitive.

The cops, more or less, don't seem to feel pressure about the whole incident; or perhaps they all feel relieved. Something must be missing in the plot nevertheless in an intriguing thriller. 

ends