BEYOND DARA

  A Heartfelt Tribute, by an Indian — B. S. Dara All who fire the bullet will die by the bullet. T his isn’t just another headline in the long conflict over Kashmir. This is personal. This is Indian blood spilled on Indian soil, again. It was supposed to be a retreat, soft pine breezes, crisp skies, ponies clopping through flower-draped meadows. Baisaran Valley, a postcard vision just seven clicks from Pahalgam, had never looked more innocent. But on April 22nd, the paradise peeled its skin back and showed the world its underbelly. What followed was the bloodiest act of terrorism on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, twenty-six dead, more than twenty wounded, and an entire nation staring into the abyss of its own vulnerabilities. The valley became a slaughterhouse, soaked not in the blush of spring but in the thick, ugly red of fear, faith, and geopolitics gone rancid. They came like ghosts from a forgotten war. Five men, automatic rifles slung...

F or  over two decades, those familiar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political career have witnessed its meteoric rise. Modi, a dominant force in Indian politics, has often been compared to historical figures for his strong leader ship style. Parakala P r abhakar, a renowned economist and commentator, has even described him as a "Wolf in Wolf's clothing," emphasizing his unapologetic, assertive nature. However, the recent general elections in India, the world's largest democracy, have delivered surprising results. The BJP, Modi's party, has fallen short of the majority needed to form a government independently. This outcome has stunned the fundamentalist lobby and right-wing Hindutva supporters who have championed Modi’s often controversial, anti-secular decisions, which critics argue have undermined India’s diverse and secular fabric. As Modi prepares to lead the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for a third term, he faces an u...