Posts

Why Are Pakistani Artists Barred from Bollywood?

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Mukesh Devrari India has traditionally shown magnanimity towards Pakistanis, but that did not deter the Pakistani military from launching terror attacks in India. Just a decade ago, lots of Pakistani actors were working in the Hindi film industry. Some of them succeeded in entering the good books of large film production houses. Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan are notable examples. The former starred in three films and later worked opposite Shah Rukh Khan, arguably the biggest star in contemporary Indian cinema. Some even believed Fawad Khan might replace Shah Rukh Khan. He was young, and someone like Karan Johar decided to promote him through his films, despite his tantrums, such as refusing to play the role of an Indian police officer in one project, because he had problems with wearing the clothes of an Indian police officer. Now comes the second question: why was he allowed to work in India until a specific date, and then banned afterward? The same applies to a singer, Atif Aslam, who w...

American Sanctions and the Unequal Partnership: India’s Path Forward

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By Mukesh Devrari The Indian media is shocked by the Trump administration’s policy towards India. In his first term, when Pakistan used a suicide bomber to attack a bus full of security personnel in Kashmir, the American administration supported India’s right to retaliate. The result was that Pakistan did not launch another attack due to the fear of India’s retaliation and America’s stance towards such actions. Six years after the Pulwama attacks, Pakistan-trained Islamic terrorists in Kashmir attacked again, and identified Hindus before killing them. The attack shocked India, while global media largely ignored it. India tried to retaliate, but the Trump administration did not support India. In fact, it pressured India to stop the attack. India lost six fighter jets as Pakistan shot down Indian aircraft using PL-15 air-to-air missiles launched from J-10 fighters. India would have done better if it had shown the courage to launch retaliatory strikes bigger than symbolic ones. The terror...

When Home is a Hemisphere Away: A Kiwi Conversation and the Weight of a Nation

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By Mukesh Devrari (I share an honest conversation I had with a Kiwi nurse. It made me reflect deeply on how I, as an Indian immigrant, feel seen and judged here in New Zealand. This is raw and personal. Take it as my story—not a conclusion for anyone else.) I have been living in this strange land, popularly known as New Zealand, for almost six years. Let me make it very clear: I am an outsider, completely unaware of European ways of conversation, interaction, and viewing the world around me. Even in India, I always lived in small towns, where you can literally talk to anyone. And above all, I was in a university, which gave me all the more access to speak with people freely. Here in NZ, I am at the lowest level of the economic and social ladder, doing menial jobs, just surviving. Though I am not very bad at adapting, I find it very difficult to deal with white New Zealanders. The reasons—I will contemplate in the coming months or years. Anyway, enough about me. Before I start writing ...

India’s Illusion of Strength in the Face of Pakistan’s Provocations

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By Mukesh Devrari Most Indians would forget that Pakistan exists next to them in a few years, but the Pakistani military ensures, by launching terrorist attacks in Kashmir, that it remains a hot topic of discussion in India. Despite its many weaknesses, one thing is certain: successive governments in India have shown no interest in bickering with Pakistan and prefer to focus on economic development. India is generally ready to accept the killing of Hindus, Sikhs, and security personnel in Kashmir through random small-scale terrorist attacks by Islamic terrorists trained, funded, and armed by the Pakistani military establishment. It remains true that despite Modi’s government’s rhetoric, Pakistan has continued its policy of targeting India without any pause. As the Kashmir issue was becoming irrelevant and peace in the valley was making global headlines—and with the Indian government messaging that Kashmir had been normalized and militancy largely eliminated—Pakistan decided to change t...

2047 and Beyond: Dreams, Delusions, and the Demand for Real Change

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By Mukesh Devrari  India stands at the cusp of a historic moment. So far, our national story has largely been one of unfulfilled potential. In contrast, China’s journey has been quite the opposite. It has shown the world that when political leadership possesses the vision and competence to prioritize economic growth, success can be achieved against all odds. China is now emerging as one of the world’s most powerful nations. Western countries are actively trying to prevent China from becoming the world’s largest economy, but this seems increasingly inevitable. Over the past decade, successive U.S. administrations have shamelessly attempted to cripple China’s economy. They’ve sought to ban Chinese companies from accessing vital materials and technologies in an effort to preserve their dominance in manufacturing. Today, China contributes to nearly half of global manufacturing output. While many developing nations also have large industries, they are mostly owned or controlled by Weste...