Sabriwithrealitycheck

Trump in Davos, oh my world, what a speech by the President of the United States. What should have been a sober presidential address instead unfolded like a campaign rally, full of bravado and self-congratulation. It sounded less like diplomacy and more like domestic political theatre, with global crises reduced to backdrops for personal branding. In that moment, statecraft gave way to spectacle. The setting made the performance all the more revealing. Davos likes to present itself as the command centre of neoliberal global governance, a gathering where political leaders, corporate executives, financiers, and policy experts claim to manage the world through markets and technocratic expertise. Yet Trump’s speech avoided any serious engagement with the structural failures of this system: widening inequality, ecological collapse, labour precarity, or the permanent state of war that shapes much of the Global South. For audiences in India and South Asia, these omissions are not abstract, ...

Today we mark National Press Day, commemorating the establishment of the Press Council of India in 1966, the body entrusted with safeguarding standards of reportage across Indian media. Its mandate is simple but vital: to uphold ethical journalism and check the quality of the news that reaches citizens. Yet, anyone following Indian media closely will agree that a gulf persists between that mandate and reality, especially in broadcast and digital outlets. Freedom of expression is a universal right. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts the right to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information. And yet journalists worldwide, including in India, face growing pressure: editorial interference from corporate owners, intimidation from state actors, legal harassment, and even violence. The statistics are grim. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, dozens of journalists have been killed in India since the early 1990s while reporting. In many...

For me, Chhath Puja has never been just another religious ceremony. It is a profound seasonal ritual of sun worship, a tradition where prayers are offered uniquely to both the setting and the rising sun. The evening sun represents closure, surrender, and peace, while the rising sun embodies hope, renewal, and the beginning of life. Rooted in ancient agrarian culture, Chhath is a way of honouring sunlight, water, and fertile land, an act of gratitude to the supreme natural forces that sustain every grain and every life form on this earth (Jagat). In this sense, Chhath is not only spiritual, it is deeply ecological. Being born in Bihar, I carry a natural sense of memory and belonging to this festival. My first encounter with Chhath was around the age of ten, at my Nana’s house in the village. He came from an agricultural family and his fields were near a large village pond. I still remember how every member of the family, along with neighbours, would clean and prepare the Chhath ghat w...

The reports evolving from Bihar election, towards growing unease within the INDIA alliance. What was envisioned as a broad-based front to counter the BJP’s dominance now appears fragmented and uncertain, at least in its public perception. From a distance, one observes a worrying absence of cohesion and purpose among the alliance partners. Most conspicuous is the near-complete silence of Rahul Gandhi. His absence from Bihar’s political developments raises uncomfortable questions. Why has he not intervened at a time when confusion and mixed messaging threaten to erode the credibility of the alliance? Some reports from the field may be exaggerated, others may carry a kernel of truth, but what remains undeniable is that this is a critical juncture for the opposition. The Congress party risks repeating a historical mistake if it fails to respond with political pragmatism. The reality in Bihar is clear, only the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), under Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership, commands bo...

We are deeply troubled by the passing of our dear friend, classmate, and a true lover of composite culture, Amit Kumar . Late last night, I came across this heartbreaking news through a social media post shared by one of our classmates. It was difficult to process this information in the quiet of the night. I immediately reached out to friends to know more, and they shared that Amit had been unwell for some time and was facing serious health issues. After completing his M.A. in History from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2005 , Amit devoted himself to preparing for the Civil Services Examination in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi. He was deeply committed to his goal and, as far as I know, achieved considerable success, even though he could not make it to the final list. Later, I learned that he joined Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to pursue a Ph.D. in History . During my previous job, I often traveled to eastern Uttar Pradesh. Once, while visiting Varanasi, I called Amit. Though he was not in t...

  Today, the Election Commission of India (ECI), through an extensive press conference, shared detailed updates about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and briefed the media about its preparedness for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Election 2025. I found the information shared by the ECI somewhat confusing, especially since there is little clarity about the actual level of preparedness on the ground. How will the election ensure a level playing field for all political parties? Although the ECI appeared well-prepared for the press conference, it also seemed intent on convincing the public and institutions including the Supreme Court of India,   that everything concerning the SIR process is functioning smoothly and without fear. The Commission reiterated that there is still an opportunity for individuals whose names have not been included in the final electoral roll to get them added. It remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will react in its next hearing regarding the S...