Strategic imitation.

The first high-level talks between the US and Iran since 1979 "were meant to turn the fragile two-week ceasefire into something lasting. Instead, the marathon talks lasting some 21 hours, ended with no agreement between the warring parties." India Today. If Iran succeeds in making a nuclear weapon it will not hesitate to threaten nations along the Gulf and even demand a fee from every oil tanker, as it is doing now. "Saudi Arabia has warned that it will develop its own nuclear weapon if regional rival Iran acquires one." Prince Mohammed bin Salman "called Iran's (deceased) Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'the new Hitler of the Middle East'." BBC. The Abraham Accords (wikipedia) show that "now Sunni Arab states are publicly aligning with Israel because they recognize Israeli military strength is the most powerful check on Persian imperial expansion. A weakened or eliminated Israel does not produce Palestinian statehood. It produces a Hezbollah-Hamas-Iranian arc from Tehran to the Mediterranean, with nuclear ambitions and a declared ideological commitment to the destruction of the Western liberal civilization," wrote Ravi Shankar. Israel is vital, Iran is lethal. After the talks in Pakistan broke down, "A US blockade of Iran's ports and a partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, chokepoint for shipments of oil, fertilizer and other vital goods began this morning." CBS. Iran has called it an act of piracy and threatened to hit other Gulf states. Iran has been attacking other Gulf countries with missiles and drones even though they are not involved in the conflict." NBC. So, that is an empty threat. Also by threatening to bomb oil tankers Iran has been collecting $2 million from every ship. HT. Iran has been essentially defanged by the adoption of its own tactics and it is already feeling the effects. "This not only potentially curtails the outward flow of Iranian oil, impacting the ability to raise funds for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but also affects every import." Its currency the Rial has dropped to 1.58 million to one US dollar, so that it has issued a 10 million Rial note, and inflation is over 50%. The Print. "According to an estimate, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could cost Iran up to $435 million a day," including $276 million in lost exports, mainly crude oil and petrochemicals. News18. "Lebanon's future is in danger; as long as Hezbollah exists." "Actually, the whole region would benefit from this war delivering a weakened Iran." "What it's really been spreading is hatred and extremism," wrote Khaled Zein Eddine. The regime is a victim of its own corruption. Iranian banker Ali Ansari acquired properties along The Bishops Avenue, dubbed Billionaire's Row, in north London, at a cost of 90 million pounds (around $120 million today). These are lying empty because of sanctions. WSJ. Last year, Ayandeh Bank, run by the regime's cronies, went bust with $5 billion in debt. "The government folded the carcass into a state bank and printed a vast amount of money to try to paper over all the red ink." WSJ. The currency dropped, inflation rose. If the US blockades Iran's ports for a few days the economy will collapse and the regime will have to accept terms for peace. Without using expensive missiles and without any loss of life. Using Iran's own strategy. What Iran can do, the US can do better. Brilliant. 

TN Seshan and Sonali Khatoon.

Elections to the assemblies of Assam, Kerala and Puducherry have been held while elections to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu assemblies will be held next week. wikipedia. Election to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly will be held in February-March 2027. wikipedia. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been conducting Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in every state to bring the electoral register up to date by removing those who have migrated, died or are foreigners. eci.gov.in. It may seem logical to delete bogus and dead voters from electoral rolls but the present EC has lost confidence and is increasingly suspected of taking orders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Last month, "The Election Commission blamed clerical errors for a letter by the EC being circulated with a BJP seal." The EC dismissed it as a clerical error but the CPI(M) party sneered on X, "It is no secret that the same power center seems to control both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Even then, at least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks." TOI. What a descent into disgrace from the days of Mr TN Seshan under whose "superintendence, direction and control of elections, execution of the universal suffrage principle envisaged in the Constitution reached new heights, making countrymen proud of the commission and our elections (TNIE). In UP which has a BJP government the "electorate expanded by 8.43 million between the draft roll in January and the final number.., the highest among the 13 states and Union Territories where the SIR has concluded." HT. Whereas in West Bengal, which is ruled by the Trinamool Congress Party the SIR has deleted "over 5.8 million names, redrawing voter profiles across districts, border belts and high-profile constituencies." MC. Large number of Muslims have been deleted from the rolls on the ground that they are foreigners from Bangladesh (BBC) even after the odious incident of 26-year-old pregnant woman, Sonali Khatoon, who was picked up and dumped in Bangladesh and was brought back only after the Supreme Court ordered. Her husband and three others are still stuck in Bangladesh. TOI. An NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), has alleged in the Supreme Court that the EC failed to weed out 500,000 duplicate voters in Bihar (TOI), which has a BJP-led coalition government (wikipedia). In 1990, when Seshan became Chief Election Commissioner (wikipedia), India had a coalition government with Mr VP Singh as Prime Minister  (wikipedia) followed by a Congress-led minority government from 1991 under Mr Narasimha Rao  (wikipedia). Politicians were no saints at that time but at least they tried to maintain a facade of decency, unlike the brazen shamelessness at present, secure in the rock-like support of an army of deluded Bhakts  (DH) whose dung-filled skulls preclude any logical thought. Immoral politicians will do anything for power and the infinite opportunities for enrichment, but sycophants, who spinelessly accept orders to commit criminal acts, are contemptible trash. "Nobody hates living in India like Indians," said an influencer in the US. TOI. Does the EC feel insulted? If not, India is finished. No redemption.             

Breed unlimited fuel.

"Google has secured a crucial power distribution license from the Andhra Pradesh cabinet for its planned 1 GW data center hub in Visakhapatnam." Electricity can constume 40-60% of operating expenses, so, "As India's data center capacity grows, expected to reach 10 GW by 2030, there are significant concerns about energy and water use." Data centers already use 2-3% of India's power output. Whalesbook. "The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has urged state governments to ensure robust power supply for India's rapidly growing data centers." As of 31 January 2026, the installed generation capacity in India stands at 520.5 GW. Data centers alone are expected to guzzle more than 13.6 GW power by 2032 and 16.4 GW by 2040." The Print. Electricity generation could jump as, on 6 April 2026, a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam went critical. This type of reactor converts depleted uranium into fissile plutonium which is used to convert thorium into fissile uranium, thus 'breeding' more fuel than it consumes. The Wire. "According to the Department of Atomic Energy (DoAE), India has identified over 11.93 million tonnes of in situ monazite resources, containing more than 1 million tonnes of thorium. With this self-sustaining technology India can meet its energy needs well into the future without producing greenhouse gases. NBP. "Traditional reactors slow down neutrons using a moderator such as water." PFBR used liquid sodium as a coolant. "Unlike water, sodium does not slow down neutrons and has excellent heat transfer properties." TOI. The problem is that, "When you wet a piece of sodium metal, it gets hot and fizzes. Sometimes, the reaction can be extreme enough to produce flames and explosions." Chem Talk. "Breeder reactors have been developed and operated in Russia, India, Japan, the United States, France and China, but only Russia is currently operating a commercial fast breeder reactor." wikipedia. India will be the second country to commercially operate such a reactor. Accidents at nuclear reactors are not common and there have been only two at sodium-cooled breeder reactors, presumably because most countries have not adopted these. ieer.org. The latest severe nuclear accident was at Fukushima in Japan in 2011, when tsunami waves swamped the reactor and caused partial meltdown of the core. About 470,000 residents around the plant were evacuated. Radioactive water leaked out into the landscape, severe enough for "Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority to classify it as a level-3 nuclear incident". Britannica. "India's long-term nuclear vision is ambitious by design. With policy backing, dedicated funding, and indigenous research at its core, the country is building a nuclear future that is both self-reliant and globally significant." pib.gov.in. Kalpakkam is a coastal town in Tamil Nadu with about 20,000 inhabitants, 39 of whom died in a tsunami on 26 December 2004. wikipedia. India needs abundant energy with zero pollution. PFBR will do both without having to buy uranium ore from other countries. It is ideal for us. Only if water doesn't get into the sodium. We don't want it to hiss and fizz.              

US and Iran in Pakistan.

"India...welcomed the ceasefire arrangement between the US and Iran, expressing the hope that the development would pave the way for lasting peace and stability in West Asia." "Meanwhile, India has issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Iran, urging them to leave the country in view of potential escalation despite the ceasefire." ET. Across the border, "Pakistan has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US over the last few weeks, passing messages between the two." "Just before 05.00, Pakistan's Prime Minister announced that a ceasefire had been agreed and invited the two sides to meet in Islamabad on Friday, 10 April." BBC. "The Iranian delegation has arrived in the Pakistani capital Islamabad," and "Vice President Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to meet with the Iranian delegation Saturday (today) morning, local time, for Pakistan-mediated talks on ending the war." The Hill. "Islamabad finds itself at the center of a tense diplomatic gamble," "giving the Pakistani capital a rare moment on the global stage." However, "In the hours after the ceasefire was announced by Pakistan, Iranian officials reportedly credited a last-minute push by China with securing their acceptance, a claim soon after validated by Trump." ET. Pakistan is not important, China is. Trump has credited "Field Marshall Asim Munir's counsel for helping avert a wider catastrophe." Because Trump has a "grandiose narcissistic personality" and "Munir delivers obsequiousness, deference and strategic utility, all packaged in a decisive military approach." "Trump has consistently sought to claim credit for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan," and Munir openly thanked Trump for the ceasefire and saving 10 million people, wrote Prof Vinay Kaura. Uncontrolled rage. Because this is contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim in the Lok Sabha that during Operation Sindoor (pib.gov.in), someone in Pakistan phoned and begged, "Stop now, you beat us badly, we cannot take any more.  (NDTV)." Pakistan a friend of the US while Mr Modi is ignored, is intolerable to Bhakts who live in an altered reality (DH). "It's hard to believe now, but US President Donald Trump was once the BJP's (Mr Modi's party) pin-up boy." "It was embarrassing to watch TV anchors declare that the whole world trembled because Trump held a door open for Modi, or that other nations quaked before the power of this supposedly awesome duo." But, "In India, the same social media fantasists who once sang his (Trump's) praises have now turned viciously against him," wrote Vir Sanghvi. The 'Goldilocks economy' has been upended (Reuters), 11 million graduates constitute 67% of unemployed youth aged 20-29 (DH) and foreign investors have lost interest in  India and pulled out Rs 1.77 trillion in 2026 (NDTV). As PM, Mr Modi is responsible for India's dire situation. Poor Bhakts have been reduced to praising our greatest enemy China (India Today) and abusing Trump. Not easy when facts intrude on their delusion. How to worship Dear Leader. When he is a failure.    

The RBI didn't.

"The RBI's six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep the benchmark repo rate at 5.25%...The policy stand was retained at neutral." HT. "The repo rate is the interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lends short term funds to commercial banks against government securities... with an agreement to repurchase them later at a slightly higher price. The difference in price reflects the repo rate." Monefy. Banks decide their lending rates based on the repo rate, so a high repo rate reduces borrowing by increasing costs for borrowers and slows the economy, a low rate is expected to encourage economic growth by increasing investment due to lower borrowing costs. The MPC projected real GDP growth at 7.6% in FY 2025-26 and at 6.9% in FY 2026-27. News18. "For the new fiscal year (1 Apr 2026-3 Mar 2027), CPI inflation is projected at 4.6%, with quarterly estimates of 4% in Q1, 4.4% in Q2, 5.2% in Q3 and easing to 4.7% in Q4. Core inflation is projected at 4.4%." ET. In March 2026, "India's federal government ...retained its retail inflation target of 4% with a comfort band of 2%-6%, according to an official notification. The target will remain in place for five years." Reuters. "Zerodha founder and CEO Nithin Kamath has said foreign investor interest in India has 'pretty much died out'," because "India is being seen as geopolitically exposed, especially to an oil shock, while the lack of strong AI-linked plays and weak rupee are also weighing on the sentiment." NDTV.  The RBI listed five dangers to the Indian economy: 1. "elevated crude oil prices could increase imported inflation and widen current account deficit"; 2. higher commodity prices may affect agriculture, industry and services and lower domestic output; 3. risk aversion by foreign funds may tighten liquidity and raise borrowing costs; 4. weaker global growth could reduce exports and inward remittances and 5. increased borrowing costs globally could raise borrowing costs in India. ET. Higher inflation should prompt a higher repo rate while falling output and lower GDP growth demands easing borrowing costs. This uncertainty regarding the effects of the Iran war on the global economy (ET) is the reason for the MPC voting for status quo. Just a few weeks ago, "A rare Goldilocks mix - robust growth, contained inflation, a low current account deficit and ample foreign exchange reserves - has set the economy apart from most peers." But now, "Rupee has depreciated by over 4% - underperforming most EM Asian peers, and foreign portfolio outflows have approached $12 billion in March alone," wrote Sakshi Gupta. As the Indian rupee crashed to 95 to the US dollar (in.investing.com), on 03 April, "The RBI announced new rules capping the open positions banks can hold in the onshore currency market at the end of each trading day (ET)."  "Traders rightly sensed RBI's mandate to cap local banks' end-of-day currency positions at $100 million as a desperate measure." "The market is no longer confident that the RBI will be able to stop the rupee from slipping past 100. After all, when a monetary authority restricts how lenders manage their books, it unwittingly ends up signaling that traditional tools like interest-rate hikes or dollar sales are no longer sufficient. That's when speculators swoop in," wrote Andy Mukherjee. "When in doubt, don't," said Benjamin Franklin (azquotes.com). That's what the RBI did. It didn't.   

How it won.

"Iran and the US agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire, during which shipping traffic will be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz." US President Donald Trump "said he had agreed to 'suspend the bombing attack of Iran for a period of two weeks", and "Iran has agreed to allow vessels through the Hormuz Strait for two weeks, with their passage coordinated by the Iranian military." BBC. In a huge diplomatic achievement, "Pakistan has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US over the last few weeks, passing messages between the two." It has a border with Iran and "regularly refers to its 'brotherly' relationship with that country." BBC. "On 16 January 2024, Iran conducted a series of missile strikes in Pakistan." "Two days later, on 18 January, Pakistan conducted a retaliatory series of missile strikes in Iran," "Iran's government condemned the strikes and stated that nine people had been killed, including four children." wikipedia. Kill children of "brotherly relationship". "Iran has the largest Shia majority, with more than 66 million making up nearly 90% of the population." BBC. "About 97% of Pakistanis are Muslims," with Sunnis making up 85%- 90%. wikipedia. On the one hand, in Pakistan, "Over 4000 Shias have been killed by sectarian violence in the past 20 years alone." CSOH. On the other hand, "In India, Shias enjoy constitutional protections that allow them to practice their faith openly. They have representation in politics, access to Shia-specific religious institutions, and the freedom to observe their rituals without fear." News18. The Hazaras, most of whom are Shia, are regularly massacred in Pakistan. The Print. In February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted at Blair House, the Presidential guest House in Washington  (NDTV), and "PM Modi is the first Indian Prime minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice. He is also just the second international leader, after Israel Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu, to be granted the honor more than once (HT)." And yet, curiously, both Iran and the US chose to trust Pakistan as the mediator and not India. Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshall Asim Munir, has built up a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump." Munir and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Washington following Operation Sindoor, the conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025, during which, "Sharif praised Trump's 'bold and visionary' intervention, while Munir said the US leader deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping an escalation between the nuclear armed neighbors." ET. The Indian government claimed, "All strikes were executed without loss of Indian assets, underscoring the effectiveness of our surveillance, planning and delivery systems." pib.gov.in. Trump claimed to have stopped the conflict by threatening 200% tariff and said 11 planes were shot down, but "India has consistently denied all claims about any third-party intervention during the armed conflict in May 2025." NDTV. Pakistan has agreed to use World Liberty Financial stablecoin for cross-border transactions (TOI), while Indian media portrayed it as an inducement to Trump's family. Even if we won Operation Sindoor, we have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The US and Iran trusted Pakistan's duplicity. Pakistan won.

Obesity on candid camera.

"A day after Semaglutide lost patent protection in India, top drug makers including Dr Reddy's, Sun Pharma and Zydus Lifesciences launched generic versions priced 50-90% below the innovator brands, kicking off an aggressive scramble for share in the fast-growing weight-loss and diabetes market." "GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs such as Semaglutide work by mimicking a natural hormone that signals the brain to feel full and slow down digestion, helping one to eat less and lose weight more effectively." Mint. Concerned by likely indiscriminate use of these drugs the Indian government has published a list of their side effects and has made it illegal to sell without prescription. Defining obesity as BMI over 25 kg/m2, it advised, "Obesity is preventable and reversible. To prevent and reduce obesity," people should: Reduce calories from fats and sugars, increase intake of fruits, vegetables,legumes and whole grains, and exercise daily. pib.gov,in. The use of the body mass index (BMI) by doctors is wrong and emphasis on weight-loss diets on social media are examples of bias against fat people and of fat shaming. withinhealth.com. But buying expensive drugs which mimic dieting is not. Strange. "The India GLP-1 receptor agonist market size was estimated at $110.55 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 34.3%" to reach $513.1 million by 2030. Grand View Research. However, eye-watering profits will not be limited to pharma companies. As people put on weight the skin stretches, so rapid, significant weight loss leads to loose folds of skin resulting in facial aging (aao.org) and ugly folds elsewhere in the body (Dr John Burns) which need plastic surgery. Should the drugs be continued lifelong? A study at Cleveland Clinic showed that "After 1 year without medication, those in the obesity group regained an average of 0.5% of body weight, and those treating type 2 diabetes lost average 1.3% of body weight on average." Medical News Today. However, 27% switched to another obesity drug, 20% restarted the original drug, 14% continued exercise and diet and less than 1% required bariatric surgery. That is about 68% of the sample. The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) is considering allowing chemists to sell loose tablets to cut costs for patients who have to buy an entire strip of 10-15 tablets when they may not need more than 5-6. Mint. The chemist will, naturally, keep the part of the strip with the name, price and expiry date so as to be able to sell the rest at a later date. How will anyone know what the patient is taking? At the same time the "Drug Consultative Committee has agreed to make the installation of CCTV cameras at medical stores mandatory." ET. That means no more medical confidentiality as any government official will be able to access information. So, patients and doctors won't know what loose tablets the patient is taking, but the police will. Is that a definition of a 'police state'  (wikipedia)? No wonder, "A nationwide survey of over 1,200 Indian doctors has revealed that more than nine in ten physicians would hesitate to recommend medicine as a career to their own children." India Today. Let politicians, civil servants and the police treat patients as a side hustle. No need for doctors. Everything will be on Candid Camera anyway.   

Iran's strength.

Four days back, "Iran's downing of two US military aircraft marks the first time in more than 20 years that American warplanes have been shot down by enemy fire, underlining Tehran's ability to retaliate despite claims by US President Donald Trump that the country has been 'completely decimated'." The US confirmed that an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down. "One service member has been rescued, while search operations continue for another." TOI. Three days back, the missing weapons officer "was rescued by US Special Operations Forces in a risky Saturday night mission that took commandos deep into enemy territory." There were no US casualties and "All commandos and the weapons officer returned safely." DH. The rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, and more, Trump said." Two planes got bogged down in the soil and "were destroyed to keep them out of enemy hands." BBC. This operation values the officer at hundreds of millions of dollars. "One of the biggest miscalculations by Washington and its allies appears to be the expectation that sustained strikes would destabilize Iran internally," "Instead, Iran's power structure has adapted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has consolidated control and continues to drive both military operations and internal security." MC. Iran has resorted to asymmetric warfare and its "strategy is based around the Shahed, a one-way attack drone costing between $20,000 and $50,000." "Iran has fired thousands of these drones since the war began, combining them with more expensive ballistic missiles in an attempt to overwhelm air defenses." DW. Perhaps, Iran's main strength is its disregard for the welfare of its citizens. Iran's Ministry of Health told Time Magazine that 30,000 protesters were killed on 8 and 9 January alone. Even now, Iran is executing civilians. yahoo.com. Whereas, the US media conduct polls showing that a majority of Americans are against the war, to pressure Trump. pbs.org. The US Department of Defense planned to spend $995.13 billion in fiscal 2026. usaspending.gov. Why spend so much of taxpayer money on defense if it is just for show? With a population of nearly 350 million (worldometer), every citizen could receive over $3000 each, $12,000 for a family of four, if this money was saved. Iran has responded to US attacks by attacking Gulf countries (Reuters), consisting of a large majority of Sunni Muslims. Of the total of over 2 billion Muslims in the world, 1.7-1.8 billion are Sunni and about 200-300 are Shia. Iran and the south of Iraq are mostly Shia. wikipedia. Yet, with more than six times the number, the Sunnis seem to be terrified of Shia Iran. TOI. "An Iranian official on Tuesday (today) called on youths in the country to form human chains around power plants ahead of potential strikes threatened by US President Donald Trump." Fox. It's striking that they are willing to sacrifice ordinary people but not the IRGC or the Basij militia thugs. Was it a request or an order? Will they force ordinary people at gunpoint? They can and may. Inhuman scum. Yet the US media is rooting for Iran. That's how treacherous they are. That is Iran's strength.