Opinion

Opinion | Facing Governance Heat, Bhagwant Mann Still Holds Sway On Campaign Stage

Punjab's election campaigns have never been short of loud voices. But as the state heads towards the 2027 assembly elections, few leaders seem able to command a crowd's attention quite like Bhagwant Mann. The former comedian, who now occupies the Chief Minister's chair, can make a political point sound like something said over tea in a village cour...

Sai Pallavi As Sita: The Impossibility Of Pleasing Everyone

Can a person who eats beef portray Ram? Can someone with left liberal views be Sita? And can a larger-than-life-hero play a powerful antagonist like Ravana?  These were just some of the questions that predated the release of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, one of the most debated movies in Indian cinema's recent history. And they say much more ab...

Opinion| Sonia Gandhi's Attempt To Rewrite 1984: Army Was Ready, But Congress Failed Sikhs

History can be uncomfortable, but that is precisely why it must be confronted, not sanitised through memoirs, selective recollections and convenient explanations. In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi has offered an account of the delay in deploying the Army during the anti-Sikh massacre of November 1984 that deserves to be c...

Opinion | Nvidia's Biggest Asset - Its CEO - May Soon Become Its Biggest Liability

Is Jensen Huang too big to fail? That is the question that popped into my mind as I read of the sex scandal involving the embattled CEO of AI chip giant Nvidia and an alleged Chinese spy, Alice Huang. One would have expected him to quit or be sacked right away, but this story has a twisted plotline that would put to shame the 1977 James Bond classi...

Opinion | Sonia Gandhi Belongs Here, And She Wants Us To Know That

Sonia Gandhi was easily the most misunderstood person in Indian politics. I believe Belonging is her way of telling us who she really was and is, writes Sanjay Jha.

Opinion | Huang Or Not, NVIDIA Will Remain A Critical US Asset

From being a leading chipmaker for the gaming industry to becoming the world's most crucial tech company, and then a potential national security risk, NVIDIA has seen its reputation shift dramatically in less than a decade. The rise of GenAI bots brought international attention to NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang. NVIDIA's chips were best placed to h...

Opinion | Delhi Has Every Pollution Control Policy - Except One That Works

Every November, Delhi performs the same ritual. We check the AQI before stepping outdoors, children are kept indoors, masks reappear, schools consider shutting, construction is restricted, and emergency meetings are convened. Politicians blame the weather, neighbouring states, farmers, or firecrackers. And then, as the season changes, the urgency d...

Opinion | Congress Is Eating Itself Alive In Karnataka - And Opposition Is Loving It

Famous British author Jeffrey Archer, who also dabbled in politics, wrote several political thrillers and novels dealing with political ambition, corruption, power struggles, government conspiracies and scandals. The political skulduggery and slugfest that have manifested themselves in Karnataka over the last few weeks may not measure up to Archer'...

Opinion: Ramayana Is An Epic For Our Conflicted Times

Like it or love it, Ramayana: Part 1 is a 21st century interpretation, which acknowledges Ravana's immense power to do good for his community, the Asuras, as it does Ram's duty and responsibility as Maryada Purshottaman.

Opinion | Is Trump Going To Double Down On His Strikes On Iran? The Signs Are There

The pendulum in the war in Iran has been swinging wildly over the past few weeks. On one end, there are reports of positive momentum in negotiations between Iran and the US, mediated largely through Qatar, while, on the other, reports of a massive US military buildup in the region, including threats of using highly destructive ordnance in Iran, hav...

Opinion | The Republican Elephant In The Room: How Democrats Turned GOP Blue Chips Blue

There is a sense of tranquillity about fall in North America. The most soothing part of fall is the foliage, the eclectic colours of leaves on trees. As Americans headed into decision day for the 2026 midterms on November 3, those colours seemed a fitting metaphor for the political contest ahead. It's one thing to have a colourful story, and ...

Opinion | How Pakistan's Anti-India Obsession Turned Into A $40 Billion Blunder

The country incurred an estimated $40 billion in losses due to trade with India being suspended in 2019, with businesses facing higher sourcing and logistics costs after being forced to import goods from distant markets.

Opinion | US Midterms: Things May Get Better For India - But Ever So Slightly

The Blue tsunami on Capitol Hill washed away many Republicans and changed the landscape, but it's unlikely to sweep India's existing woes with President Donald Trump into oblivion.  A divided government could be worse for all concerned as Democrats lock horns with Trump and demand answers on war and peace. Gridlocks are a typical characteri...

Opinion | Rahul Gandhi Is Hailing Sidhu Moose Wala. Can Congress Live With All He Sang?

At the Congress Insaaf Rally in Sangrur, Rahul Gandhi reached for one of Punjab's most powerful cultural symbols. Recalling his first meeting with Sidhu Moose Wala, the singer murdered in May 2022, the Leader of the Opposition described him as an extraordinary talent. "He was probably Punjab's most talented singer, who could also one day make a mar...

BJP Hunts For A Crack. Rahul Gandhi's Allies Could Be His Weak Spot

The government suffers a handicap in the sense that there is little to beat the opponents who have been out of power for long. But this is where the Congress and Rahul Gandhi need to use caution

Opinion | Trump, And The Inevitable Curse Of American Politics

Midterm elections in the US are a critical referendum on the sitting American President and his policies. Rarely, though, has an incumbent so willfully put himself in the spotlight in defiance of his own popularity. When it came to polling day, Americans seem to have humbled Trump and his Republican Party by savagely rejecting his party's ag...

Opinion | A Wounded Trump Could Soon Make The World Pay For His Defeat

The US and the rest of the world should worry more about what Trump might do next to redeem himself.

Opinion | Midterm Blues: Why America Might Just Get Even More Unpredictable Now

The 2026 US midterm elections have produced a decisive political setback for President Donald Trump, with the Democratic Party securing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The outcome represents more than a conventional midterm rebuke to an incumbent administration. It reflects growing domestic disquiet over the cost of ...

Opinion | Trump's Midterm Rout Eases India's Worries. But It Doesn't End Them

The midterm outcome offers immediate psychological relief for India. But it may not change much when it comes to thorny issues such as tariffs or regulatory frameworks. There, Trump still holds the gavel.

Opinion | Classroom Violence: Cinema, Society And The Crisis Of Responsibility

There has been a combined outrage against violent movies such as 'Dhurandhar' and 'Animal', which have been blamed for such widespread behaviour.