Lalaram

Research Scholar, JNU SIS

[Pratap Bhanu Mehta @pbmehta]

Rubio in Jamnagar, and the gathering storm over Indo-US relations

[New Order with Afshin Rattansi @NewOrder_TV]

🇮🇳 Mangal Pandey: The Soldier Who Defied British Rule

Before the uprising of 1857 spread across India, one Indian soldier openly challenged British authority.

Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry.

Indian soldiers were already deeply resentful of the East India Company’s rule. The controversy over the new Enfield cartridges, believed to contain cow and pig fat, became a major flashpoint, further angering both Hindu and Muslim soldiers.

On 29 March 1857, Pandey appeared on the parade ground with a loaded musket and called on his fellow soldiers to resist the British.

He attacked British officers. Many of his fellow sepoys refused orders to restrain him. Pandey was captured, court-martialled and hanged at Barrackpore on 8 April 1857.

But the British could execute a soldier. They could not suppress the growing anger against colonial rule.

On 10 May 1857, the uprising erupted at Meerut and soon spread to Delhi and other parts of northern and central India. The revolt was eventually suppressed with brutal force, but it shook the foundations of East India Company rule and became a defining chapter in India’s resistance to British colonialism.

Mangal Pandey did not end British rule. He became one of the early symbols of resistance to it.

His execution was meant to silence defiance.

Instead, his name became part of the story of India’s struggle for freedom.

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

Shut your Iran war down first, pliz.

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

When the US and Israel launched the war against Iran, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) stayed out of it even as Hezbollah opened a new front against Israel. Many asked why. Some said the Houthis were wary of getting sucked into the war. They were wrong. I had argued then that the Houthis were acting as a check on the Saudis when the Iranians were bombing US bases across the Persian Gulf. I think it was part of a deliberate regoinal strategy. And once the American bases in the Gulf were considerably damaged and Iran tightened its grip on Hormuz, the Houthis, in July, started testing the Saudi resolve by letting an Iranian plane land in Sana'a.

The Saudis walked straight into the trap. On July 13, they bombed Sana'a airport giving the Houthis the perfect excuse to ditch the 2022 ceasefire and join the war. They did not just retaliate by striking Saudi Arabia, but also opened a new ground offensive against the Saudi-backed regime in Yemen (whose leadership is based in Saudi Arabia), aimed at capturing the Red Sea coast. This was also part of the same regional strategy. And they did actually capture the entire coastline and an island in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

Now many ask why the Houthis are not closing Bab el-Mandeb. The answer is that they don't have to. By taking Mokha, Dhubab and Hanish and Perim (both are islands), the Houthis have established full control over Bab el-Mandeb, which means if they want to shut down the Red Sea traffic they can do it at ease, not just with missiles and drones but also with artillery. This gives the Houthis enormous influence. This is a clear message to the US, as the Hormuz situation remains unresolved. Also, the regional ceasefire Iran demanded in June as part of the MoU would not include Yemen as well as and when the U.S. and Iran resumes talks. And for a ceasefire in Yemen, the Houthis would demand drect concessions from Saudi Arabia, including lifting the naval and aerial blockade on Houthi-held territories. The war has become a lot more compllicated.

I think the Iranians believe that trump would escalate, probably with Israel, once the midterms are over. Because after the elections, irrespective of the results, trump would have nothing to lose. So the Iranians are building new counterescalatory optoins, from Hormuz to Bab el-Mandeb. And I won't be suprised if they make the first move before the midterms.

[Happymon Jacob @HappymonJacob]

Some take offense to eating non-veg.

Some take offense to eating with hands.

Some take offense to eating nuts.

Some have nothing to eat.

If only we took offense to that.

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

Some in India are getting so worked up about #Brics! The U.S. had imposed 50% tariffs on India, which could have seriously affected India's rise. The US wanted to impose its preferences on #India's energy purchases. trump's trade czar Peter Navarro used to attack Indian trade policies almost on a daily basis during the high-tariff days. The US maintains a very close strategc partnership with Pakistan and allowed trump's favourite field marshal to consolidate both at home and abroad. The US is also turning increasingly transactional, even alienating its closest post-War allies. The US's unilateral aggression in India's neighbourhood has threatened to disrupt India's economic and energy stability. America's ability and commitment to defend even its close allies are called into question in the aftermath of the war on #Iran. And from a broader, structural perspective, the American unipolarity is behind us.

Still, the Americaists in Delhi argue that India's only path to rise is through the U.S.! They don't find serious problems with any of these abovementioned material realities or US behaviour, but maintaining and managing a stable relationship with #China, bilaterally or multiletarally through groupings such as Brics and SCO, is an issue. Retainig and pursuing close strategic partnership with #Russia is an issue. They have been arguing since 2022 that India has, or should have, lost Russia. America forcing India to reroute its energy supply map is fine, but India importing good from Russia or China would make us a Russian or Chinese colony! This fear-mongering stems out either lack of confidence in Indian statecraft or a blind belief that only subordinance to the US would bring India prosperity and influence. We are a balancer, not an ally of any great power system, and we will continue to balance.

[Rajesh Rajagopalan @RRajagopalanJNU]

If just talking about multipolarity could conjure up a multipolar world, we would have had disarmament and world peace, New International Economic Order, a reformed UNSC and lot more besides by now.

[Iran in India @Iran_in_India]

Old friends are always happy to see each other.

[Lalaram @Lalaram1997]

@Mishi_2210 52

[School of International Studies @sisjnu_official]

Congratulations to Prof. @sharadksoni1, @JNU_official_50 (SIS–CIAS), on being conferred the Order of the Polar Star, the highest civilian award of Mongolia 🇮🇳🤝🇲🇳

A proud moment for @sisjnu_official.

#JNU #SISJNU #SIS70
@MEAIndia
@indiainmongolia @amitabhmattoo

[RT_India @RT_India_news]

As 🇨🇦 PM Trudeau Claims He Was Misunderstood, RT India’s @RahulS_7 Gets the Reaction from the Street in 🇮🇳

Was he telling the truth then, or now? Was New Delhi's reaction the right one?

#Canada | #JustinTrudeau | #India | #NewDelhi | #CanadaIndiaRelations

[Yogendra Singh Charan @yogendrasingh75]

@harbhajan_singh Playing alone- in his mind, yes.
He was playing alone with rest with his mind.

Sharpest use of human brain in cricket- MS DHONI.
If MS had been a politician, he would have become CM of jharkhand.
Cricket is a team sport where captain takes 25% credit for win as well as loss.

[President Biden Archived @POTUS46Archive]

Congratulations to my nominee, Ajay Banga, on becoming the next President of the World Bank.

I look forward to working with Ajay in his new role, and to supporting his efforts to transform the World Bank to reduce poverty and address global challenges including climate.

[Neera Chandhoke @ChandhokeNeera]

Poor cow imagine being hugged by random men on 14 February

[Lalaram @Lalaram1997]

@pincu1444

[Lalaram @Lalaram1997]

@pincu1444 😂😂😂😂

[Neera Chandhoke @ChandhokeNeera]

Right wing populists might come and go but their destruction of institutions have cost us dear. The US Supreme Court has been packed with conservatives and look at the judgement on abortion rights: India is not far behind. We are doomed.

[Lalaram @Lalaram1997]

Sometimes emotional person is one who gets easily hurt .... But don't ever be rash and impetuous ... Make yourself strong.

[Neera Chandhoke @ChandhokeNeera]

The tragedies in Kashmir underscore a fundamental truth,complex issues cannot be solved through the use of force, they require historical understanding, political imagination and inventiveness not draconian laws and the army

[Lalaram @Lalaram1997]

It's really a pleasure to be part of JNU IR Society 🙂🙂🙂.

[Society for Indian IR @india_irsoc]

Had an amazing Sunday discussion on @rkrystalli and @philipp_schulz1's 'Taking Love & Care Seriously: An Emergent Research Agenda for Remaking Worlds in the Wake of Violence' followed by an IR themed review of the movie Gadar: Ek Prem Katha.