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Barkha Rani Jamke Barasti Hai. Emmy Nominated Reporter. Columnist @WashingtonPost. Editor, @themojostory. Argumentative! Yaaron Ka Yaar
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Articles by Barkha Dutt
Engage with China, but without getting starry-eyed about it
India, Sept. 12 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to India in seven years and his bilateral with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is understandably going to dwarf everything else at the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi. At a time when US President Donald Trump has upended every norm of global diplomacy, I can understand why there's a need for us to stabilise relations with Beijing.
Engage with China, but without getting starry-eyed about it
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to India in seven years and his bilateral with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is understandably going to dwarf everything else at the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Does the Opposition really enjoy a sweet spot at present?
There are two parallel narratives about Rahul Gandhi’s politics at this moment — well, three, if you include those who oppose him. But, among those who think the Leader of the Opposition is enjoying a bit of a sweet spot, two varying responses are on offer. It is the CJP that mainstreamed the idea of protests. And it is the CJP — not the Opposition parties — that secured the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as education minister.
PoJK protests show Pakistan’s Kashmir policy is unravelling
While the world remains a passive observer, the staggering violence in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) this week has upended the policies of Pakistan’s deep State that has for long used instruments of terrorism to wage an asymmetric war against India on the Kashmir issue. The world’s focus is, and should be, on what is happening in the part of Kashmir that is under Pakistan’s occupation and control.
Protesting students, a hunger strike, and the rules of power
Posted On: 2026-07-18 Posted By: Barkha Dutt Entertainment Health & Lifestyle National Education Politics Cities Hindustan Times Columnists India, July 18 -- If you are looking at the impact of the hunger strike by Ladakh's engineer-turned-activist Sonam Wangchuk at the protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) only through the lens of electoral consequences and conventional impact, that could be a mistake.
Protesting students, a hunger strike, and the rules of power
If you are looking at the impact of the hunger strike by Ladakh’s engineer-turned-activist Sonam Wangchuk at the protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) only through the lens of electoral consequences and conventional impact, that could be a mistake. A 59-year-old man has become the face of a Gen-Z movement. And, in that most Gen Z of developments, he’s now become a massive Instagram “trend”.
Siya, Twisha & the wages of society's focus on marriage
Barkha Dutt At first glance, the two women who have occupied India's headlines, energy and imagination for the last few weeks are mirror images of each other's lives — both sordid tales of macabre domestic violence and abuse. Twisha Sharma, 33, was found mysteriously dead in the home of her in-laws in Madhya Pradesh. Her death — her family says she was killed and there is mounting evidence for why it was not a suicide including ante-mortem injuries — uncovered the underbelly of influence peddling.
Siya, Twisha & the wages of society's focus on marriage
India, July 4 -- At first glance, the two women who have occupied India's headlines, energy and imagination for the last few weeks are mirror images of each other's lives - both sordid tales of macabre domestic violence and abuse. Twisha Sharma, 33, was found mysteriously dead in the home of her in-laws in Madhya Pradesh.
Don't drop Twisha Sharma's death from news cycle
Perhaps not since the murder of 13-year-old Arushi Talwar, who was found dead in her own bedroom in 2008, has India been as fixated with a crime as we are with the death of Twisha Sharma. There are two reasons for why the death of a former model and actor in her mother-in-law's house has the nation both agitated and riveted.
Don’t drop Twisha Sharma’s death from news cycle
Perhaps not since the murder of 13-year-old Arushi Talwar, who was found dead in her own bedroom in 2008, has India been as fixated with a crime as we are with the death of Twisha Sharma. As a former judge and someone with a special course in crime scene management, Giribala Singh has all the instruments at her disposal. (ANI) There are two reasons for why the death of a former model and actor in her mother-in-law’s house has the nation both agitated and riveted.
Searching for the truth in Twisha Sharma's death
Barkha Dutt Her absolute lack of visible emotion, unflappable and chillingly cold demeanour, and brazen misogyny is not the only reason Giribala Singh is in the national spotlight. I did a double-take, recoiling more than once as I interviewed Singh after her daughter-in-law, former model and actor Twisha Sharma was found dead (allegedly) by hanging in her in-laws' house in Bhopal. I shuddered to think that Singh had been a district judge.
Searching for the truth in Twisha Sharma’s death
Her absolute lack of visible emotion, unflappable and chillingly cold demeanour, and brazen misogyny is not the only reason Giribala Singh is in the national spotlight. I did a double-take, recoiling more than once as I interviewed Singh after her daughter-in-law, former model and actor Twisha Sharma was found dead (allegedly) by hanging in her in-laws’ house in Bhopal. I shuddered to think that Singh had been a district judge. Sharma’s father told me he regrets not bringing her home sooner.
After poll defeats, an opposition in serious disarray
Barkha Dutt Politics is ruthless and unforgiving and, therefore, also has an elephantine memory. The suddenly-diminished former chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, is now invoking solidarity with the INDIA bloc — the on-again, off-again alliance of a few Opposition parties who came together before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But many of her peers might want to remind her that it was she who blocked the ascent of Nitish Kumar as convenor of the group.
After poll defeats, an Opposition in serious disarray
Politics is ruthless and unforgiving and, therefore, also has an elephantine memory. The suddenly-diminished former chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, is now invoking solidarity with the INDIA bloc — the on-again, off-again alliance of a few Opposition parties who came together before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But many of her peers might want to remind her that it was she who blocked the ascent of Nitish Kumar as convenor of the group.
After poll defeats, an Opposition in serious disarray
India, May 8 -- Politics is ruthless and unforgiving and, therefore, also has an elephantine memory. The suddenly-diminished former chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, is now invoking solidarity with the INDIA bloc - the on-again, off-again alliance of a few Opposition parties who came together before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But many of her peers might want to remind her that it was she who blocked the ascent of Nitish Kumar as convenor of the group.
Iran war diminishes the idea of America, and UN's relevance
Barkha Dutt I don't know if the Iran war will end anytime soon. But here are two things that have most certainly ended — the idea of America and the relevance of the United Nations. Never before has the UN seemed as redundant, powerless and defunct as it does today. And never has the US looked as much of a parody as it does now. I say this as someone whose childhood and post graduation years — two major formative phases — were shaped by and in New York.
Iran war diminishes the idea of America, and UN’s relevance
I don’t know if the Iran war will end anytime soon. But here are two things that have most certainly ended — the idea of America and the relevance of the United Nations. Never before has the UN seemed as redundant, powerless and defunct as it does today. And never has the US looked as much of a parody as it does now. No single entity has been as irrelevant as the UN. The very foundation of the UN Security Council, the most powerful body within the UN, is rooted in a version of imperialism.
Iran war diminishes the idea of America, and UN's relevance
Posted On: 2026-04-10 Posted By: Barkha Dutt Health & Lifestyle Technology International Hindustan Times India, April 10 -- I don't know if the Iran war will end anytime soon. But here are two things that have most certainly ended - the idea of America and the relevance of the United Nations. Never before has the UN seemed as redundant, powerless and defunct as it does today. And never has the US looked as much of a parody as it does now.
The Iran war and the shifting Gulf dynamics
Barkha Dutt I have just been as close as I could get to the nerve-centre of the US-Israel war against Iran — the very edge of the Strait of Hormuz. This was in a fishing village called Al Jeer, which is in the northern-most part of the Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, next to the Musandam Peninsula, on Oman's border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Iran war and the shifting Gulf dynamics
I have just been as close as I could get to the nerve-centre of the US-Israel war against Iran — the very edge of the Strait of Hormuz. This was in a fishing village called Al Jeer, which is in the northern-most part of the Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, next to the Musandam Peninsula, on Oman’s border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In West Asia, the ruins of globalisation
US President Donald Trump has lost control of the reckless war he began on Iran. As an Indian whose country has been at the receiving end of the Trump administration’s unstable imperialism, I wish his Iran debacle could allow me some moments of schadenfreude. But alas, I can’t draw any satisfaction from America’s crazed military delusions because of the cataclysmic consequences for our economy, our energy security, and our geopolitical calculations.
The We The Women's Women Of Impact Hosted By Barkha Dutt
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The We The Women’s Women Of Impact Hosted By Barkha Dutt - Gallery PART 2
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Why Centre must rethink disability tax on soldiers
If you poll Indians on which institution they respect and trust the most, the armed forces always tops the list. From building bridges over flood waters to leading flag marches during riots, from securing our borders in sub-zero temperatures to rescue missions in snowstorms, from war zones in Kargil to Operation Sindoor, the military has often had to pay a price in blood, sweat and tears.
Inside the US-India Trade Deal
Bridges are seen crossing the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in February 2017, with a road bridge in the foreground and rail bridge in the background. (Wikimedia Commons)
India must build its hard power in the age of Trump
Barkha Dutt For years now, India's military planners have prepared for what former chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat called “a two-and-a-half front war”. Rawat's phrasing refers to simultaneous conflicts with Pakistan and China on the country's northern and western borders, alongside internal security challenges.
India must build its hard power in the age of Trump
For years now, India’s military planners have prepared for what former chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat called “a two-and-a-half front war”. Rawat’s phrasing refers to simultaneous conflicts with Pakistan and China on the country’s northern and western borders, alongside internal security challenges. Given the collusive threat from two nuclear-armed neighbours, coupled with, at the very best, a disengaged Trump administration, India must spend more on security.
HT Syndication: India must build its hard power in the age of Trump
India, Jan. 16 -- For years now, India's military planners have prepared for what former chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat called "a two-and-a-half front war". Rawat's phrasing refers to simultaneous conflicts with Pakistan and China on the country's northern and western borders, alongside internal security challenges.
India must speak out against the fringe’s attack on Christmas
As India celebrated the onset of a new year, a bunch of videos on social media platforms showed a group of men brandishing swords and machetes in a residential colony in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh — no more than an hour from the national Capital. The group, which calls itself the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), posed happily for photographs behind a long wooden table on which the swords were displayed.
HT Syndication: Bihar hijab incident: Crossing red lines on bodily autonomy
Posted On: 2025-12-20 Posted By: Barkha Dutt National Politics Cities HT Lucknow India, Dec. 20 -- I watched the video clip of Bihar chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar tugging at the hijab on a young woman's face in utter disbelief. It was a public event in the state and the woman - Dr Nusrat Parveen - was there to receive her appointment letter for a government job in the AYUSH medical programme from the CM.
Bihar hijab incident: Crossing red lines on bodily autonomy
I watched the video clip of Bihar chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar tugging at the hijab on a young woman’s face in utter disbelief. It was a public event in the state and the woman — Dr Nusrat Parveen — was there to receive her appointment letter for a government job in the AYUSH medical programme from the CM. As the camera captured the bizarre moment, you can see the deputy CM of the state — the BJP’s Samrat Chaudhary — gently pulling at Nitish Kumar’s kurta to try and pull him back.
HT Syndication: Delhi to Nowgam, a twisted trail of terror networks
India, Nov. 22 -- This past week, the twin realities of the Kashmir Valley were on disturbing display. On the one hand, the country confronted the chilling details of the gang of radicalised doctors turned terrorists who fuelled the car bomb blast in the Capital. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) confirmed that the blast in Red Fort was the handiwork of a suicide bomber, Umar un-Nabi.
A twisted trail of terror networks from Delhi to Nowgam
This past week, the twin realities of the Kashmir Valley were on disturbing display. On the one hand, the country confronted the chilling details of the gang of radicalised doctors turned terrorists who fuelled the car bomb blast in the Capital. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) confirmed that the blast in Red Fort was the handiwork of a suicide bomber, Umar un-Nabi.
HT Syndication: A twisted trail of terror networks from Delhi to Nowgam
Posted On: 2025-11-21 Posted By: Barkha Dutt Health & Lifestyle National Education International Hindustan Times India, Nov. 21 -- This past week, the twin realities of the Kashmir Valley were on disturbing display. On the one hand, the country confronted the chilling details of the gang of radicalised doctors turned terrorists who fuelled the car bomb blast in the Capital.
In Sivakumar’s story, the best and worst of India Original
“I come from a very simple, humble background.” K Sivakumar’s every sentence was punctuated by inconsolable tears. “Please forgive me if I get emotional.” I had reached out to the former CFO of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) after being moved like hundreds of thousands of other Indians on reading his now viral Linkedin post.
HT Syndication: India must engage with the Taliban, but do it cautiously
India, Oct. 18 -- The photograph of the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi sitting under an old portrait of the Bamiyan Buddhas at the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi - an iconic heritage site his group destroyed in 2001 on the orders of Mullah Omar -- captured all the contradictions and cultural challenges that India's dramatic reset with the Taliban will entail. From lyricist Javed Akhtar to parliamentarian Mahua Moitra, several Indians have questioned or criticised this engagement.
India must engage with the Taliban, but do it cautiously
The photograph of the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi sitting under an old portrait of the Bamiyan Buddhas at the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi — an iconic heritage site his group destroyed in 2001 on the orders of Mullah Omar — captured all the contradictions and cultural challenges that India’s dramatic reset with the Taliban will entail. From lyricist Javed Akhtar to parliamentarian Mahua Moitra, several Indians have questioned or criticised this engagement.
HT Syndication: India must engage with the Taliban, but do it cautiously
Posted On: 2025-10-17 Posted By: Barkha Dutt Travel Education Real Estate & Construction International Hindustan Times India, Oct. 17 -- The photograph of the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi sitting under an old portrait of the Bamiyan Buddhas at the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi - an iconic heritage site his group destroyed in 2001 on the orders of Mullah Omar - captured all the contradictions and cultural challenges that India's dramatic reset with the Taliban will entail.
In poll-bound Bihar, signs of politician Prashant Kishor
In Rajgir, Bihar — once the capital of the Magadha Empire — amid its hot springs, cut out caves, Buddhist monasteries and gentle undulating fields, I witnessed a dramatic and discernible shift in Indian politics. This was, after all, the home base of Nitish Kumar, the beleaguered chief minister, where we were following political strategist-turned-politician, Prashant Kishor (PK), on the campaign trail. He had brought his fight straight to the home turf of the man on whose side he had once worked.
Behind New Delhi’s cautious approach to Saudi-Pak pact
Distilling it down to a rudimentary question, had the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia military pact been in place during Operation Sindoor’s four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, would the Saudis have been obliged to rush to Pakistan’s rescue?
HT Syndication: Behind New Delhi's cautious approach to Saudi-Pak pact
Posted On: 2025-09-19 Posted By: Barkha Dutt Health & Lifestyle National International Hindustan Times India, Sept. 19 -- Distilling it down to a rudimentary question, had the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia military pact been in place during Operation Sindoor's four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, would the Saudis have been obliged to rush to Pakistan's rescue?
HT Syndication: Stand up to the US, but be careful about standing with China
India, Sept. 6 -- While I have had a fair idea of the US disconnect with Indian sentiment over President Donald Trump's bizarre tariff war, the ever-widening gap between Americans of a certain ideological persuasion and the Indian response became evident to me on a recent show hosted by UK TV presenter Piers Morgan. Brigadier general Mark Kimmitt, who retired from the US army, was among Morgan's guests.
Stand up to the US, but be careful about standing with China
While I have had a fair idea of the US disconnect with Indian sentiment over President Donald Trump’s bizarre tariff war, the ever-widening gap between Americans of a certain ideological persuasion and the Indian response became evident to me on a recent show hosted by UK TV presenter Piers Morgan. Brigadier general Mark Kimmitt, who retired from the US army, was among Morgan’s guests.
HT Syndication: Saving India-US relationship fromTrump & beyond
India, Aug. 23 -- There was always a feudal warlord element to US President Donald Trump's recent outbursts against India. As he lashed out from behind the protective gear of tariffs and penalties, the US president's rants smacked of the arrogance that only imperialists permit themselves. Russian oil is a bogey. This is the 2025 version of the East India Company, at least insofar as a colonialist mindset goes.
Saving India-US relationship from Trump & beyond
And if you had even the slightest doubt that this was about some genuine disagreement over India’s supposed protectionism in farming, dairy and fishing, the language used by Peter Navarro, trade adviser to Trump, should shut that down. With the use of the phrase “Maharaja tariffs”, Navarro has displayed an inherent orientalism and clichéd racism in how the Trump administration views us. What’s he going to do next — use the metaphor of snake-charmers?
HT Syndication: Saving India-US relationship from Trump & beyond
India, Aug. 22 -- There was always a feudal warlord element to US President Donald Trump's recent outbursts against India. As he lashed out from behind the protective gear of tariffs and penalties, the US president's rants smacked of the arrogance that only imperialists permit themselves. Russian oil is a bogey. This is the 2025 version of the East India Company, at least insofar as a colonialist mindset goes.
Trump tantrums complicate India’s strategic challenges
So to hector India on relations with Russia is not just out of line; it’s a display of staggering hypocrisy. Trump’s attacks on India — the uncouth language and sneering style — seem to be personally motivated, well beyond the stated aim of rebalancing US trade numbers. If one were to borrow from the language of therapy and gender studies, these are the irrational rants of a bruised male ego hell bent on gaslighting his partner with bullying tactics and fantastical claims.
HT Syndication: Trump tantrums complicate India's strategic challenges
India, Aug. 1 -- There's something about Donald Trump's outbursts against India, which even benchmarked by his own standards, feel more unhinged than usual. Particularly revealing is the so-called threat of penalty against India for purchasing oil from Russia, as if India were a recalcitrant schoolkid and the American President our class monitor. There is zero ideology at play here. Until a few months ago, Trump called Vladimir Putin smart and a friend.
HT Syndication: In AI crash, western media spins stories to pin blame on pilot
India, July 19 -- The families of those who perished in the Air India 171 crash a mere 32 seconds after take-off deserve, at the very least, answers. But the promptness with which Boeing has been exonerated, especially in sections of the international media and the speed with which the pilots of the aircraft have been smeared, makes me think we might never get to the truth of what took the plane down.
In AI crash, western media spins stories to pin blame on pilot
The families of those who perished in the Air India 171 crash a mere 32 seconds after take-off deserve, at the very least, answers. But the promptness with which Boeing has been exonerated, especially in sections of the international media and the speed with which the pilots of the aircraft have been smeared, makes me think we might never get to the truth of what took the plane down.
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