Opinion

Opinion | Why November 1 Rally Raises Questions About INDIA Bloc's Priorities

In a democracy, political parties have the right to protest, mobilise public opinion and hold governments accountable. But democracy also demands that political leaders remain sensitive to the everyday struggles of the very citizens whose interests they claim to represent. It is this equilibrium between political confrontation and public responsibi...

Opinion | The Muslim World Is Seeing An Unexpected 'Experiment' - In Kazakhstan

The country has a long history of using mediation to mitigate conflict; now, it has added another, much-wanted dimension to it.

Opinion | Is America Staring At A 'Blue Wave' Again? Why Trump Feels Threatened

Wonder of wonders, the so-called 'red-neck' states - like Texas - are leaning democrat, and Vivek Ramaswamy is probably going to lose in Ohio. But will this be enough for a 'blue wave'?

Opinion | Baruipur To Gaighata, Inside Suvendu Adhikari's Zero-Tolerance Approach To Crime

From Baruipur in the South 24 Parganas district to Gaighata in North 24 Parganas, a new political culture is emerging in West Bengal. Although both districts are adjacent to Kolkata, the developments in these areas have become part of a wider political message. Suvendu Adhikari has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards rape, making it clear tha...

Opinion | Will Israel 'Dump' Netanyahu? Why His Future Hangs In The Balance

The October 7 incident continues to haunt 'Bibi', producing two competing arguments how the security breach occurred under Netanyahu's watch, and who Israelis can trust to protect them in the future.

Opinion | India's Bond Market Is Bleeding, And The 'Savers' Are Losing

Oil, war, and a hawkish central bank have made Indian government bonds cheaper than at any point since early 2023. The damage to existing holders is real. So is the opportunity for new ones. The 10-year yield, which ended 2025 below 6.6%, touched about 7.46% on October 23. The Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate to 5.50% on October 7, its...

Opinion | BJP Rules Out Trinamoolisation' Ahead Of Civic Polls, But Can It Afford To?

BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya has made the party's position clear, saying that the BJP will contest the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election independently and does not need any other party's support. According to this position, there will be no coalition or electoral adjustment with any faction of the Trinamool Congress. However, on the ...

Blog | How Durga Puja Has Changed Over 60 Years

I have been observing Durga Puja in Kolkata for more than six decades. Like every cultural phenomenon, Durga Puja is not static. It changes constantly; it is dynamic and remains in a state of flux. However, Durga Puja 2026 has been distinctly different and represents a new cultural phenomenon. One noticeable change has been the role played by th...

Opinion | Middle Power Myths, And Why The West Needs To Stop Putting India In A 'Box'

India is not a "middle power" waiting to find its place in a Trump-disrupted world; it is a rising power that refuses to be squeezed into someone else's geopolitical hierarchy

Opinion | The US-China Tech Cold War Is Moving Undersea

A new project by Australia, the UK and the US was quickly announced to develop underwater drone technology to protect cables by 2027.

Opinion | Aramco To Venezuela: The Oil Concession Comes Full Circle

More than a century ago, William Knox D'Arcy made a bargain with the Shah of Persia that helped create the modern oil industry. The deal gave D'Arcy exclusive rights to explore for, produce and sell oil across most of Persia for 60 years. In return, the Persian government received £20,000 in cash, £20,000 in shares and 16% of annual net profits. ...

Opinion | Why China Is Producing More, Selling Cheaper - And Still Not Getting Anywhere

More capital, more capacity, more elaborate technology, and steadily less profit to show for any of it. That's what's happening to China now.

Opinion | Jamnagar, Rubio, And Why The US Wants India To 'Obey', Not Negotiate

Marco Rubio's dash to Jamnagar was driven by Trump's hope that India could do something about the shortage of diesel that the world is experiencing and thereby help his mid-term performance. But why the punishing policies then?

Opinion | Akash Missile Could Be India's Next Big Export. But There's A Problem

India's reported sale of its indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan could mark an important step in the country's ambition to become a major global arms exporter. Beyond the commercial value of the deals, the entry of Akash into Central Asia would open a new market for Indian defence technology in a region whe...

Opinion | A Jolt For Trump? How The US May Be Staring At A 'Blue' Wave

Evidence now points firmly to a Democratic majority in the House. The only real surprise is the Senate

Blog: Away From Kolkata, A Delhi Home Keeps The Spirit Of Durga Puja Alive

Much is the same for a group of friends, lawyers by profession who got together in Delhi, away from their homes in Kolkata, and began Probash & Co.- a Barir Pujo in the quieter lanes of Chittaranjan Park.

'Vote Chori' vs 'Regime Loot': How BJP's Counter-Offensive Is Taking Shape

Two of the most influential men in Delhi's ruling matrix, PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, like Hansel and Gretel from a famous German fairy tale, have dropped a trail of breadcrumbs for their voters to find their way back home.

Opinion | Bimol Akoijam Case, And Congress's Convenient Amnesia For Sexual Harassment

Bimol Akoijam, Congress Member of Parliament from Manipur, was dismissed from his academic position at Jawaharlal Nehru University on October 9 after an internal probe found him guilty of sexual harassment charges brought by at least 11 women students. Akoijam termed the allegations a political witch hunt, refused to step down as MP, and vowed to c...

Opinion | Marco Rubio Has Come Selling 'Oil' To India - But With Strings Attached

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India this week underscores a critical reality in contemporary geopolitics: energy is no longer merely an economic commodity but an instrument of strategic influence. Against the backdrop of persistent trade tensions, differences over India's purchases of Russian oil, and Washington's evolving engagement...

Opinion | Why The Saudi-Pak-Turkey Defence Pact May Actually Be An 'Intel' Network

Rather than a NATO-like construct, the Mecca pact may evolve to become something like the West's Five Eyes alliance.