Lyimee Saikia

PhD @ Center for European Studies, JNU | European Geopolitics | + Education Professional

[Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen]

Europe and India are making history today.

We have concluded the mother of all deals.

We have created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.

This is only the beginning.

We will grow our strategic relationship to be even stronger.

[Foreign Affairs @ForeignAffairs]

.@samagreene and @Walker_CT argue that NATO should meet Russia’s shadow attacks with “meaningful consequences”:
https://t.co/PLpCXTTFQs

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

"A quarter" isn't really as worrying. But how much of this Polexit chatter gets normalised as a bargaining tool (esp with the present PM Vs Prez dynamics) & where the support likely concentrates will be interesting. Let's also not forget how this may complicate Ukraine support.

[Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 @notesfrompoland]

A quarter of Poles now favour leaving the EU, a much higher figure than before, according to a new poll.

Among supporters of the right-wing opposition, 43% now favour "Polexit" while 44% want to remain in the EU https://t.co/UHyHDwygnN

[Dimpy Koch @DimpyKoch]

#ZubeenGarg Assam lost its last icon.

An Obituary: Zubeen Garg (1972–2025)

With the passing of Zubeen Garg, Assam has lost not just a beloved artist but the last Assamese icon of this millennium. Icons are born when history and circumstance collide to make one individual the face of a people, their longings, their griefs, and their joys. After Bhupen Hazarika, it was only Zubeen who carried that impossible burden. He was not merely a singer—he was a phenomenon, an attitude, a bridge between the old soul of Assam and its restless new generation.

Zubeen came at a time when Assam was bruised and fragmented, yearning for voice and visibility. His music, his raw irreverence, his stubborn independence gave people something to rally around. He sang for the silences, for the streets, for the river islands, and for those who had lost faith that their language and culture could ever find mass resonance again.

He was a contradiction—fragile yet fearless, unpredictable yet dependable in the way only true artists are. He could make the air tremble with his voice in an intimate hall, or roar like the Brahmaputra before lakhs in an open ground. His presence was never just performance—it was communion.

After Zubeen, there will be singers, celebrities, influencers. Some will have immense popularity. Some may even become national names. But they will not be icons in the way Zubeen was. The age of icons has ended because icons are not manufactured; they are born of cultural turning points, of shared hardship, of collective memory. Assam will love many artists in the years to come, but the singular electricity, the embodiment of a people’s heartbeat—that chapter has closed with him.

For those of us who lived in Zubeen’s time, he will remain a reminder that Assam could still dream in its own voice. For those who come later, he will be a myth, a legend retold in songs and stories. For his family and loved ones, an irreplaceable absence. For Assam, an eternal icon.

Zubeen Garg was the last Assamese icon of this millennium. His music will echo long after the microphones fall silent, because he gave us not just songs, but a sense of who we were.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

Zubeen had flaws, some visibly disturbing ones, that grew unmissable over the later years. But this sudden and tragic loss of an icon feels personal. For the mammoth collection of wholesome tracks that defined my assamese upbringing, #RIPZubeenGarg . You will be missed 💔

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

Almost every Bohag Bihu memory is associated with the phrase "Aaji zubeen'r show ase" that used to be enough to keep people up till 2 am and beyond in anticipation. He was the undisputed contemporary face of Assamese pop culture & music.

[GPlus @guwahatiplus]

NEWS | Assam's heartthrob #ZubeenGarg passes away in a hospital in Singapore. According to sources, the singer reportedly fell into the sea during an activity between 12:30 PM and 1 PM. Further details on the incident are awaited.

Garg was in Singapore to attend and perform at the Northeast India Festival.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

His songs would be hummed casually whilst doing chores, but also reckoned vociferously in get togethers. You would not know music but u would know Zubeen. The man defined the general assamese lifestyle ever since I could remember. He is (was) nostalgia personified.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

@CortevaUS @PioneerSeeds There needs to be some accountability taken for this.

[Harsh pandey @Harsh_Pandey18]

My grandfather sowed a rabi session demonstration corn crop given by @CortevaUS @PioneerSeeds. There was an MoU between different parties when buying that product. However, when we harvested the same, the agency that was supposed to buy the product started misbehaving toward us.

[Elizabeth Threlkeld @ethrelkeld]

Key point here from @FRHoffmann1. Wars involving major powers like Russia -Ukraine get more attention, but the (relatively low) risks of nuclear escalation in regional conflicts are arguably higher. https://t.co/E0COl9T25r

[Mint @livemint]

#Opinion | Unrealistic demands from funders are causing non-profits to lose authenticity and rigor in their quest for social change, leading to a troubling shift in #India’s social sector - ✍writes Anurag Behar

https://t.co/oldBeF1fFT

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

From the Young Scholars' Conference 2024 today, organised by Centre for European Studies, SIS, JNU. The inaugural session discussions are always the ones you can never miss! Discussing contemporary challenges and developments in Europe and Intl Politics. #JNU #SIS #YSC2024

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

It invalidates every time someone spoke of the humanitarian costs of the Ukraine War, because how do you explain the way major international leaders, especially the ones from Europe, hesitated and fumbled to take decisive action to stop the loss of civilian lives in Gaza.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

#RaisinaDialogue2024 may have had some incredible sessions but the absolute lack of discussion on Israel/Gaza and, in some cases, the deft side stepping of references to the events in West Asia by some of the panellists was clearly evident and severely disappointing.

[Happymon Jacob @HappymonJacob]

Many, not all, European officials visiting Delhi for Raisina were quick to condemn Russia, “displeased” about India’s unwillingness to condemn Russia & “surprised” at (& insinuating the presence of) Russian propaganda in India while ducking all questions about Israel & Gaza!!

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

That a 3-4 day international event could not manage to encourage any discussion on an ongoing significant event and the absolute failure of the international community to respond swiftly to the horrors continuing in Gaza invalidates the purpose of such high-profile Dialogues.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

Probably one of the most memorable sessions from #Raisina2024 on "Emerging Technology: A Panacea for SDGs?" Everything from Edtech, pros and cons of co-creation, the need for tech governance, accountability in edu, and many more pertinent issues widely discussed and debated.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

In discussions about the #GlobalSouth, @JMakamba emphasizes that a just, equitable future can only happen when the structural asymmetry and injustices that Africa had to face are acknowledged. + @DrSJaishankar reiterates India's role as a Bridging power #RaisinaDialogue2024

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

On de-risking, strategic partnerships, India Europe relations and (of course) the Indo Pacific as a prominent theatre in geopolitics. An insightful session kickstarting Day 2 at @raisinadialogue #RaisinaDialogue2024

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

That time of the year✨ #RaisinaDialogue2024
Day 1 and starting it off with two sessions of extended discussion on India-NATO Public Diplomacy.

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

Read this in alarm only to realise how misleading the headline is. Report talks of 40 students which have been exaggerated to 100 students (?), not sure why. The incident is alarming enough already, @htTweets need to seriously review their content.

https://t.co/Gs54CKgFsb

[Lyimee Saikia @Lyimeee]

As part of the JNU community, here's an initiative for our furry friends around our hostel who have to bear the cold, bitter winter nights outside. Please feel free to donate and share 🌷