Home

Featured Articles

Nov 05, 2026
Viren S Doshi

American Midterm Elections Results: A Political and Seminal Geopolitical Analysis

Political Analysis of the Midterm Results Now that the dust is settling about the American Midterm Elections, here are some noteworthy and remarkable points. In the US, the votes are counted, reported and certified by local, county-level and state-level officials and authorities; at times including elected persons of parties, as there is no national federal single uniform authority and system to do so. In many places, particularly Leftist Socialist Globalist Woke Jihadi Democratic Party-ruled states, they do not ask for voter identity cards mandatorily. Mail-in ballots are also cast, and there are possibilities of vote stealing in this system. Then delimitation, which is known as redistricting, is also frequent, leading to gerrymandering by the leftist-ruled states wherein they do delimitation to increase their winnability. Then there is the vicious, relentless and often paid war of fake narratives by the leftists, wokes and Jihadis of the Democratic Party and their global masters. They also use bot accounts and media houses for this "toxic chemical mind-polluting" war. Add voter mobilisation. As in many other democracies, leftist voters vote en bloc and vote more compared to conservative or nationalist voters who are often more likely not to vote or are likely to cross-vote if the candidates or leaders are to their liking or they get misguided due to fake narratives. Given all this, in the midterms, it is estimated that almost 49% of voting had happened for various races, around 12 crore votes were cast out of an eligible 25 crore votes approximately. In any of the cases and races, though seat loss is more, the Republicans have got around 45% votes on average or more. Crores of Americans, and generally they are expected to be real citizens and rightful voters, have voted for the nationalist conservative Republican Party even amid this debacle in seat counts. A swing of 5% vote from Republicans to Democrats generates a difference of 10%, and that is the difference. I think the war on the jihadi regime in Iran is not the real reason, but the war of fake narratives and fake votes is the real reason for the defeat of the Republicans. There is no SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of voter rolls, neither there is empowered national election commission leading to loopholes making the American democracy more vulnerable. Unfortunately, when there was majority in the House and Senate in last two years, the Republican legislators, particularly senators, didn't realise the importance of passing SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, often shortened to SAVE America Act, for electoral reforms and electoral roll sanctity. They couldn't pass it, as some of them did not want to cooperate with President Donald Trump. Several Senate Republicans (notably Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina) joined Democrats in blocking key procedural votes or amendments. Now all of them will have to sit in the opposition. Overall, at this juncture, with crores voting for the party, it would be nothing more than a political narrative to write off the nationalist conservative Republicans from American politics. The day the nationalists get written off would be a black day for the American Dream and American Vision and American Democracy. American Democracy is vulnerable to irregularities, just like, though in different ways, Israeli democracy is as seen in recent elections there. Geopolitical Seminal Analysis Suicidal Democracies and the Paradox of Tolerance In the current geopolitical landscape, a transnational Communist Leftist Socialist Globalist Woke Jihadi Axis operates with ruthless asymmetry. In open democracies, it advances through street violence, narrative control, electoral mathematics skewed by demographics and media, and institutional capture. In return, democracies face severe constraints: they cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Communist or Jihadi dictatorial powers except in limited cases such as the war on the Ayatollah regime in Iran and still the regime is so ruthless and repressive that it could not be removed. There is a profound lack of a level playing field. Democracies struggle against undemocratic forces that feel no reciprocal obligation to openness, elections, or tolerance. Even major military efforts have underscored this imbalance. Despite war and intensive campaigns, the United States could not achieve regime change in the Jihadi Ayatollah regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-captured Iran. The Jihadi system and its security apparatus proved deeply embedded across institutions, society, and power structures, surviving external pressure in forms that preserved core authoritarian control rather than yielding to democratic transformation. Of course, it gets external overt and covert support from the Global Communist Leftist Socialist Globalist Woke Jihadi Axis led by Chinese Communist Party and North Korean Communist Regime. This stands in stark contrast to the ease with which the Axis exploits democratic openness from within in even apparently strong democracies, oldest democracies and largest democracies like those of Brazil, Israel, the US and India along with many European, Latin American and other democracies. The Outcome Israel, Brazil, and the United States risk following the trajectory of France and the United Kingdom. India is not immune. Too much unguarded democracy can kill democracy. This is the classic problem known as the paradox of tolerance. The paradox of tolerance, articulated by philosopher Karl Popper, holds that if a free society extends unlimited tolerance to the intolerant, the intolerant will eventually seize or destroy that society’s capacity for tolerance. Unlimited openness becomes a suicide pact when the other side exploits democratic rules without ever intending to abide by them once in power. Communist, Leftist, Socialist, Globalist, Woke, and Jihadi actors show no shame or remorse in practising dictatorship when it suits them. Multilateral institutions have often been subdued or neutralised by the same axis. Years ago, Columnist Thomas L. Friedman wrote on related dangers to democratic systems. Drawing from his experience covering Lebanon’s civil war, he observed roughly that democracies perish when everything becomes politics, when a critical mass of actors put party or faction before country, when extremists go all the way while moderates simply go away, and when the pillars of truth and trust erode—warning that the system can and will break under such conditions. His analysis of polarisation, rule-bending, and the vulnerability of open societies to internal fracture remains resonant amid today’s vicious external transnational pressures relentlessly working on the internal fault lines. Democracy and Wars Consider the contrasting records on elections during wartime. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, frequently associated with progressive and left-leaning international networks, postponed elections citing the ongoing war with Russia and martial law. The democratic processes were suspended for years with relatively muted criticism from the global left. By contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Donald Trump went into elections amid conflict—Netanyahu facing the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent multi-front wars, Trump operating in a highly infected domestic environment. They faced intense opposition; the same networks that excused delayed elections elsewhere readily labelled them authoritarians and kings. The irony is stark: the “rightist, nationalist, patriotic” leaders who submitted to the ballot amid crisis are painted as dictatorial, while those who suspend democracy endlessly are often given a pass. This is the paradox of democracy in action—suicidal openness, vulnerable open societies. Ukraine War went on for years; nobody blamed leftist Democrats for the ensuing hardships, but the war on Ayatollah is being readily blamed on the nationalist Republicans. It is not the actual war. It is the narrative war that impinges on democracy. Even after decimating the enemy and winning the actual war, the narrative war has been lost by the nationalists, leading to losses in elections. Systemic Vulnerabilities Electoral systems themselves reveal structural vulnerabilities. The United States federal election apparatus lacks the centralised powers entrusted to the Election Commission of India. Delimitation of constituencies in the United States is largely handled by state legislatures as stated in the beginning. Blue states controlled by left-leaning forces have used this authority assertively to entrench advantages. In India too, the ruling coalition and Parliament have struggled to advance comprehensive delimitation reform. Democracy without robust guardrails for electoral sanctity—independent oversight, fair boundary drawing, resistance to demographic engineering and narrative dominance—is inherently fragile. Beware, India. Complexity at its Climax Some post-election analyses on the American right have gone further, arguing that leftist Democratic victories sometimes benefited from the left’s willingness to absorb or ignore extreme elements while the right fractured under internal purity tests involving figures associated with the “far left,” certain online subcultures, or controversial commentators. So-called white racist and most probably a leftist mole, Nick Fuentes, did a complete about-face leading into the 2026 U.S. midterm elections after adequate racist narrative shooting, actively urging his followers to sit out or "vote Democrat". This sudden shift—or "somersault"—came after the far-right white nationalist streamer fiercely broke away and revealed his real colours. Whether fully accurate or not, the observation underscores a tactical asymmetry: one side consolidates power; the other is encouraged to implode, through such “moles”. Way Ahead Yet Israel and India, despite their vulnerabilities as open societies, are not standing still. These are relatively more coherent despite fault lines. Their conservative, nationalist leaders are actively planning to move forward with partners such as the United Arab Emirates and broader Abraham Accords frameworks—with or despite a potentially leftist, woke, or Jihadi-influenced United States, which is far too open though far more mighty. Survival and the capacity to fight require pragmatic coalitions grounded in shared interests against common threats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been explicit on this point during campaigns and public addresses. He has repeatedly highlighted the strategic depth of ties with democracies like India. In the Knesset and elsewhere he has spoken of building an “iron alliance” of nations that believe in moderation, progress, human dignity, and mutual respect against the threat of extremist Islam and the jihadist communist axis of evil. He has described India as a huge power of 1.4 billion people offering “tremendous support,” called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a personal friend and “brother,” and noted the overwhelming backing Israel receives in India even as it faces delegitimization campaigns elsewhere. He has invested heavily in the relationship, elevated it to a special strategic partnership covering defense, technology, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and more, and linked it to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. Netanyahu has also underscored the resilience of Abraham Accords ties with the United Arab Emirates, noting that a million Israelis have visited the UAE, that cooperation continued through wars, and that security and economic partnerships with Emirati leadership remain vital. These moves reflect clear-eyed realism. CCP occupied China, Iran occupying Jihadi regime (still dominated by the Ayatollah system and IRGC influence despite external military pressure), and various Jihadi networks do not play by democratic rules. They suppress dissent, export influence operations, and exploit open societies’ freedoms. Israel and India, as democracies under pressure from both external adversaries and internal ideological capture risks, cannot wait for perfect Western alignment. Deepening defense, technology, energy, and diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and like-minded partners creates alternative centres of gravity. It multiplies capabilities against the axis while reducing over-dependence on any single capital that may itself be contested by woke or globalist currents. US, in light of this, ought to put guardrails in the next two years of Conservative Rule under President Donald Trump. Let us hope democracies learn from each other and strengthen each other, and stand united. Conclusion The path forward demands more than alliances. It requires democracies to recover the paradox of tolerance’s practical implication: a society that wishes to remain free and tolerant must retain the right—and the will—to refuse tolerance to those who would destroy it. This means protecting electoral integrity with strong independent institutions, resisting demographic and narrative engineering, enforcing borders and citizenship norms, and treating ideological capture of media, academia, and bureaucracy as the strategic threat it is. It means distinguishing between legitimate political opposition and coordinated efforts to hollow out the democratic order from within. India’s Election Commission model offers a stronger central guardrail than the fragmented American system; strengthening rather than weakening such institutions is essential. Israel’s experience under relentless multi-front pressure shows both the costs of openness and the necessity of decisive self-defense. Both nations demonstrate that conservative leadership can pursue national interest, forge non-Western partnerships, and reject the false choice between isolation and submission to a transnational axis that despises their existence as sovereign democratic civilizations. The free world faces a lurking existential threat precisely because multilaterals and parts of the Western establishment have been subdued or neutralized. Armchair strategists, executives, and policymakers must confront the asymmetry honestly—including the hard lesson that even sustained war failed to dislodge the Ayatollah-IRGC structure in Iran. Unlimited tolerance is not virtue when the other side views it as weakness to be exploited. Israel and India are already acting on that recognition by building resilient partnerships with the United Arab Emirates and each other. The alternative is to watch open societies gradually become unrecognizable—or cease to be open at all. The time for clear-eyed action is now.

Nov 05, 2026
Dr. Krutagna Bhatt

Bollywood and Diwali: A Festival Overlooked on Screen

Diwali, one of the biggest festivals of Bharat, holds immense cultural, historical, and Dharmic significance. Celebrated across the entire country for centuries, the festival is observed in diverse ways across different regions of India. While some regions celebrate Bhagwan Rama’s return to Ayodhya, others worship Devi Lakshmi, Devi Kali, or Bhagwan Krishna, reflecting the diverse traditions and beliefs of Bharat. However, the limited visibility and representation of Diwali in Bollywood, an industry that produces thousands of films and generates substantial revenue every year, warrants serious attention. Often touted as a ‘cultural ambassador of India’ and believed to be India’s ‘soft power’ globally, Bollywood has given relatively little importance to Diwali, largely limiting the festival to the background rather than exploring its deeper significance as a central theme in a film’s storyline. The portrayal of Diwali has largely remained confined to entertainment, without making the festival a noticeable element in a film’s narrative or even making an effort to portray Diwali’s religious, cultural and social significance in the civilisational landscape of Bharat. When was the last time Bollywood produced a film whose storyline revolves around Diwali? One has to scratch their head hard to recall this, right? Because, truly, Bollywood has not merely neglected but deliberately ignored ‘Diwali’ – on screen – a festival that is central to Hindu life and culture. During the Golden Age of Hindi cinema (1950 to 1960), Diwali featured in several memorable songs, including ‘Deepawali Manai Suhani’ from Jugnu (1947) and ‘Aayi Hai Diwali’ from Sheesh Mahal (1950). These songs captured the festive spirit of Diwali, making it a charming part of Hindi film culture. However, over the last two decades, only a few Bollywood films have given Diwali any notable attention. Let’s take a look at how some Bollywood hits have portrayed the festival. The blockbuster film ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ (2001), directed by Karan Johar and starring Shah Rukh Khan and other superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan, shows the festival in one of its famous scenes where Jaya Bachchan performs aarti on Diwali when her son Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) returns home in a helicopter. Though the scene gained popularity later and is now a part of India’s pop culture memory (as well as meme material!), the festival of Diwali remains in the background, limited to decorative details such as lights, diyas and flowers. Thus, Diwali serves only an aesthetic purpose here, whereas the deeper spiritual and cultural meaning is absent. In another Shah Rukh Khan starrer, ‘Mohabbatein’ (2000), Diwali appears in the song ‘Pairon Mein Bandhan Hai’. Here, the portrayal is largely confined to celebration, with characters dancing while holding diyas. However, the sequence also serves a narrative purpose: the celebration becomes a setting for the students’ rebellion against the rigid principles of the Gurukul. This presents an interesting contradiction: a Hindu festival is used as a backdrop for challenging an institution rooted in traditional Hindu educational ideals. A few other films also incorporate Diwali as part of the cinematic narrative. Examples are -- Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!(1994), Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Chachi 420 (1997), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Taare Zameen Par (2007). In most films, Diwali is the backdrop for either a family reunion, a romantic encounter, a glamorous song sequence, a party or a dramatic confrontation. Diyas and flowers become decorative visuals, while family gatherings are convenient plot devices. In some scenes, fireworks are used to establish a celebratory mood, and traditional clothing and elaborate sets create a festive atmosphere. However, these visual elements, despite making the celebration appear grand and culturally royal, do not necessarily communicate what Diwali is all about and why it is celebrated. Thus, the films listed barely acknowledge Diwali in one or two scenes; but overall, the Hindi film industry has disregarded the symbolism, stories, history and ritualistic practices, lessons in Dharma, virtue and action that Diwali has to offer to Hindus in India and around the world. However, Bollywood considers Diwali as the perfect time to release big films, with hits like Mohabbatein (2000), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Happy New Year (2014) being released during the festive season. Yet, the festival itself has rarely taken centre stage in these cinematic celebrations, not going beyond lights, crackers and pompous family gatherings. This is concerning because through pop culture, Diwali has been reduced to partying, fun and entertainment. Yes, it is a time to celebrate, spend time with family, eat delicacies and socialise. But Diwali is not only about this! Diwali marks the home coming of Bhagwan Ram, the ‘Dharma Yuddha’ that he fought with Ravana, his sacrifices, the support he received from Laxman and Mata Sita, the devotion of Bhagwan Hanuman and his resolve to adhere to his duties. Diwali celebrates all of this, but more important is the acknowledgement it is rooted in the Sanatan tradition. Bollywood has popularised Diwali as a secular festival which has nothing to do with Hinduism. There is no ‘puja’, no rituals, no community celebration of Diwali in Bollywood. This is referred to as ‘cultural appropriation’, when a tradition or a festival is deliberately delinked from its origins and presented as something completely different. This delinking and distance of Bollywood Diwali from Hindu Dharma is intentional and well-thought. It is part of Bollywood’s broader pattern of ‘secularisation of Hindu festivals’ – where film-makers are shy or rather ashamed or projecting anything remotely Hindu on screen (of course this has changed in the last decade, especially post-2014 when more films are openly and proudly seen embracing Hindu culture and values). The same pattern is observed with how Navratri is depicted on screen. The same stands true for Bollywood songs. If one searches for songs dedicated to Diwali in Bollywood films released over the last two decades, the number is scant, with a few exceptions, such as ‘Happy Diwali’ from Home Delivery (2005) and ‘Aayee Hai Diwali’ from Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya (2001). Several other songs feature Diwali celebrations on screen, but the word ‘Diwali’ itself does not appear in their lyrics. In contrast, Bollywood has a longer list of songs associated with Eid, such as ‘Eid Mubarak’ from Daddy (2017), ‘Mubarak Eid Mubarak’ from Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002), ‘Aaj Ki Party’ from Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and ‘Chand Nazar Aa Gaya’ from Hero Hindustani (1998), and many more. These songs either mention Eid directly or are closely associated with its celebration, making the festival more visible in pop culture. Unlike Eid, Bollywood may have fewer songs dedicated to Christmas, but several films have featured the festival prominently through Christmas trees, cakes, Santa Claus, decorations, family gatherings and celebrations, making it an important part of the film's setting and atmosphere. To name a few, films like Anjaana Anjaani (2010), Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), Dilwale (2015) and Merry Christmas (2024) had Christmas celebrations or imagery prominently featured. In Sanatan culture, Diwali is not just a one-day festival of lights and fireworks; it is a series of celebrations, each carrying its own significance across various regions. Dhanteras is associated with prosperity and the worship of Dhanvantari and Lakshmi, while Kali Chaudas has different religious and regional traditions. For example, in Gujarat, Chopda Pujan holds special importance among business communities, as new account books are worshipped to mark the beginning of a new financial year. Similarly, different parts of Bharat follow their own customs and traditions during Diwali, reflecting the country's cultural diversity. However, none of this seems worthy enough to Bollywood and its ecosystem to be presented to a larger audience. Hence, the familiarity of ‘Diwali’ tropes which also proves the industry’s cultural ineptness and bankruptcy. Despite this richness of Diwali, Bollywood depends on the familiarity provided by diyas, crackers, sweets and family gatherings, overlooking the many traditions and stories that make Diwali unique and important. These customs offer ample scope for filmmakers to explore regional cultures, family histories, faith and changing social values. The advertising industry has its fair share of contribution in the inaccurate portrayal of Diwali. Reasons behind deliberately ignoring Diwali can be many – it can be attributed to the nature of the film industry and its roots in post-independent India where supposedly secular, liberal, communist values took the forefront and anything remotely Hindu was shunned as backward and communal. The takeover of Bollywood by communists, left-liberals and those with affinity to Abrahamic faiths is why we see such lopsided narratives. One cannot miss the fact that other faiths and festivals are portrayed more generously on-screen whereas brickbats, criticism and sermonising is reserved for Hinduism and Hindu traditions. Another reason for sloppy portrayal is the people who control Bollywood – who are themselves culturally disconnected, religiously disenchanted and spiritually uprooted from Hindu traditions. They either love to hate on their traditions or simply employ them to grab eyeballs. Traditions merely serve a commercial purpose for these makers. When creators are themselves bereft of cultural affinity, what can one expect on-screen! That is why a Japanese film-maker could present the Ramayana on screen, in an animated form, with much more sincerity and devotion, than an Indian film-maker! Recently, Bollywood stars are obsessed with delivering lectures on environmental safety, hazards of pollution caused due to Diwali firecrackers, harm to animals as a result of bursting crackers on Diwali. Celebrities are the loudest and most vocal on these issues as Diwali draws closer even as they maintain hypocritic silence on crackers during New Year’s Eve or even their own wedding celebrations! Seems like all the burden to save the environment rests only on Hindus! Not a word during festivals of other religions! The advertising industry in turn has tried to very smartly project Diwali as an occasion to go on a shopping spree, splurge money and indulge in endless consumption. Even the models in ads for Diwali jewellery and apparel bear no mark of Hindu traditions – ‘bindi’, ‘mangalsutra’, ‘bangles’ or ‘sindoor’. Diwali for the advertisers is simply an occasion to entice people into binge-buying their products and services. Bollywood celebs and influencers, meanwhile, have reduced Diwali to a ‘bash’ or a ‘party’ – meant to be enjoyed! The cultural and spiritual quest that Diwali represents is simply lost here! A Diwali like this raises questions about how young minds and future generations will understand and celebrate the festival. Bollywood and the wider entertainment industry produce voluminous content every year, and it is known for its everlasting impact. The industry needs to rethink its portrayal of Diwali and create culturally rooted content that explores the festival’s diverse traditions, cultural significance and deeper meaning. Diwali is connected to Dharma. The only way to celebrate Diwali on-screen is to honour this connection. So far, Bollywood has miserably failed in this task. Bollywood’s portrayal of Diwali is in fact, a disservice to Desh and Dharma. The pop culture industry shapes young minds, sets the discourse, challenges established narratives or strengthens existing ones. It has the power to produce a deracinated generation that will simply not understand the historical and cultural significance of celebrating festivals. It is time for Bollywood to look beyond familiarity and popular consumption patterns when it comes to on-screen Diwali. It is time to tell stories about the Dharmic significance and the heritage of Diwali. After all, keeping the true spirit of Diwali alive for future generations requires more than showing its celebrations on screen; it requires telling stories that make the festival truly worth celebrating. Bollywood has to get its act together and with a new generation of culturally conscious filmmakers and storytellers on the rise, hopefully it should be possible sooner than later. References ETimes.in. (2023, November 13). Salman Khan's Hum Aapke Hain Koun glamourised the portrayal of Diwali in films: Throwback. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/salman-khans-hum-aapke-hain-koun-glamourized-the-portrayal-of-diwali-in-films-throwback/articleshow/105171442.cms Gaekwad, M. (2015, November 12). In search of the definitive Diwali film song. Scroll.in. https://scroll.in/article/1498/in-search-of-the-definitive-diwali-film-song Ghosh, A. (2009, October 18). Diwali ditties. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/diwali-ditties/articleshow/5136762.cms Jha, A. M. (2023, November 11). How Bollywood has depicted the festival of Diwali over the years. Retrieved from The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/column-how-bollywood-has-depicted-the-festival-of-diwali-over-the-years/article67503885.ece/amp/ Press Trust of India. (2024, October 30). Popular Diwali songs that celebrate the spirit of festival. The Week. https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/entertainment/2024/10/30/ent8-diwali-bollywood-songs.amp.html Sharma, S. G. (2021, November 2). The Missing ‘Diwali’ From Bollywood’s Repertoire Of Festive Films And Songs. Retrieved from Swarajya: https://swarajyamag.com/culture/the-missing-diwali-from-bollywoods-repertoire-of-festive-films-and-songs

Manipur’s Democratic Institutions Under Siege: Kuki-Zomi Groups and Political Nexus

When Greed and Anger Become Deadly Enemies of Humanity

Pakistan Can Only Dream of Kashmir

Featured Articles

American Midterm Elections Results: A Political and Seminal Geopolitical Analysis

Bollywood and Diwali: A Festival Overlooked on Screen

Reports View All

India close to securing $800 million BrahMos missile deal with Philippines

Saudi Arabia bails out Pakistan with a $3 billion lifeline after US liquidity support remains uncertain

US sanctions Indian, Turkish firms and people for allegedly aiding Iran’s shadow fleet

Supreme Court stays Madras High Court order to take Chidambaram Nataraja temple out of Dikshitars’ hands

Bangladesh and China sign MoU to boost investment and infrastructure development

Centre accuses CJP of receiving foreign funds from Pakistani politicians

Search

Top Authors

Archives

Featured Articles

Reports View All

Search

Podcast / Videos

Popular Posts

Top Authors

Archives