Geeta's World

Last week unrest broke out in China, seemingly in response to attempts by the Chinese authorities to dismantle parts of Najiaying mosque in Nagu, a town in Yunnan province. The province predominantly houses the Hui Muslims. But on what grounds, has the Chinese government labelled these mosques as "illegal religious education"? And like the Huis and Uighurs, the Ahmadis in Pakistan remain a persecu...

Erdogan secured another re-election victory in Turkey amidst challenging economic conditions, maintaining his presidency for an unprecedented third decade. His consecutive triumphs in 11 elections reflect his enduring leadership in the country. But what's the reason for his political longevity? The press in Turkey is controlled by members of Erdogan's family, who barely gave his opponent Kılıçdaro...

Jammu and Kashmir is hosting the third tourism working group meeting of G20 countries in the capital city of Srinagar. However, the event is marred with controversies, since several observers believe that the choice of Srinagar as the venue is a strategic move by the Modi government to further its party's electoral interests, by projecting that Kashmir is now peaceful and normal. And India always...

The recent arrest of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has only added to the already dire situation. In response, supporters of his political party PTI targeted the army and even attempted to storm the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi. But we’ve often heard that Pakistan’s economy remains in turmoil. So why hasn’t this sentiment against the Army developed earlier in Pakistan? And several...

The recent SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Goa saw intense verbal exchanges between India and Pakistan. But a few observers noted that Jaishankar's recent comments on not engaging with Pakistan to counter terrorism went a bit too far, and analysts say both Jaishankar and Zardari officials put up a “performance for their respective domestic audiences". Is it so? Meanwhile, China has co...

The US will now periodically deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea and involve Seoul in its nuclear planning operations. In return, South Korea has committed to not develop its own nuclear weapons. But there is a dissenting voice coming in from the South Koreans, who are skeptical of the deal, why? And given the fact that this dissent is growing among members of South Korea's ruling party...

The Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary group RSF are engaged in violent clashes, stemming from tensions over the proposed integration of the RSF into the military, and with both sides vying for control in the country. Both General Burhan and General Dagalo have claimed that they support the idea of returning to civilian rule. But why has the conflict and the infighting between the two mil...

Leaked documents allegedly from the US Department of Defense have caused concerns about security breaches and potential diplomatic fallout. One revelation suggests that the US may have exaggerated the number of Russian military casualties in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. So Is it because of the US's penetration of Russian military operations that Russia is fighting an almost lost war? And doesn...

The recent incident of Israeli police entering the al-Aqsa mosque, one of the most sacred sites in Islam, and also a significant site in Judaism and Christianity. has sparked outrage and concern. This occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Jewish Passover holiday, leading to a cross-border exchange of fire in Gaza. And this was not a first. Several such brutal attac...

The recently concluded democracy summit hosted by the US was marred by a lot of controversies, with some critics raising concerns about its effectiveness, while others questioning why certain countries were excluded from the event. But as the host of a summit aimed at promoting democratic values, can the US truly claim to be the standard-bearer of democracy? And by cherry-picking nations who align...

It did come as a shock when the two countries Iran and Saudi Arabia that have been at loggerheads for a long time now, announced mending of their diplomatic ties. The deal between the two was brokered by China. Interestingly, the announcement came on the day President Xi Jinping clinched a third term as China’s president. So do optics matter when striking such a deal? And given India’s long-standi...

Amritpal Singh's controversial views and sudden rise to fame have sparked a political crisis in the north Indian state. He has now been declared a fugitive. But his case raises important questions about the Khalistan notion, which calls for a separate homeland for Sikhs. What does the rise of amritpal singh, as a preacher of Sikhism and as Bhindranwale 2.0 mean? And does Khalistan really exist as...

The UK government has introduced an Illegal Migration Bill aimed at discouraging small boat migration, promising to remove all individuals who enter the UK illegally by any means. Critics claim that the bill is a political ploy by the Sunak government to benefit his reelection bid in 2024. However, several polls indicate that concerns regarding immigration have actually declined since the Brexit v...

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than a year, resulting in a devastating toll on civilians. According to UN Human Rights data, 8,006 individuals have been killed, and around 13,287 have been injured. Despite numerous attempts at peace talks between the two countries, progress has been minimal, and tensions remain high. Recently, a senior Ukrainian official has declared that peace talks...

As India assumes its G20 presidency, there are questions about its role in shaping the global agenda and promoting cooperation amidst ongoing challenges such as COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions. But the first G20 Ministerial under India’s Presidency could not deliver a consensus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Can India play a role as a peacemaker in the conflict? And, there is anticipation of a...

In this episode of Geeta’s World, we look at the timing of the resignations, what does it have to do about their gender, what “a humanised” perception of political leaders means, and does it give in to the good old rhetoric that women do not make good leaders? Listen in!

In this episode, we delve deeper into the struggle of being an Ahmadiyya in Pakistan. We understand what makes an Ahmadiyya Muslim, their beliefs and customs? And what role does the community, representing perhaps 0.2 percent of Pakistan’s 208 million population, play in Pakistan’s politics, a democracy that has seen the Ahmadi, a religious minority boycotting the elections for over three decades?...

A devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border. This has added a new dimension to the already complex situation in Syria, where a civil war has been raging for over a decade. And hundreds of people have already been confirmed dead across northern Syria, in both government-held and opposition-controlled areas. But Because of the d...

Dwindling forex reserves and soaring inflation have pushed Pakistan’s economy in a shambles. And Over the years, the military in Pakistan has always been in the saddle and seen the economic difficulties from close quarters. However, Pakistani experts are lamenting the fact that the country never moved ahead on the economic reforms that should have been brought in. Is the military as an establishme...

‘A man cannot become a woman.’ and ‘’not all women have vaginas’ : This has been the rhetoric and a matter of controversy in the past few days in the United Kingdom and Scotland. So, what’s the matter on this divided issue on LGBTQ+ rights and reforms.? The Scottish government wants to pass a Bill that would allow trans people to self-identify their gender without medical or legal documents. But t...

Days after Lula’s presidency, on January 8, Brazil’s far-right former president Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed and ransacked the country’s presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court demanding a coup to ensure the ouster of Lula. But this has raised questions on the role of the armed forces, who allegedly have been glossing over the fact that his supporters were camping around their barracks...

After two years of another military coup, Myanmar is bracing to hold elections, again! The military junta is looking at the exercise as a means to add a veneer of legitimacy to its rule by force. But the embattled country is on the verge of implosion, with several militias comprising civilians fighting the military tooth and nail and even capturing parts of the country. By offering support to Myan...

The year 2022 was jam packed with some pertinent and significant developments on the geopolitical front. Be it the Russia-Ukraine war, the Iran protests, the strict and regressive FIFA world cup that was played in the face of years of human rights abuses, the Tawang clash,  and the fact that as we, Indians, celebrated our 75th Independence Day, our neighbouring country Afghanistan marked one year...

Will Netanyahu, also called King ‘Bibi’ by his supporters, assume invincibility if his far-right coalition acts on the reforms it has supposedly planned? In the recent international news discourse, we’ve often seen Israel being portrayed as the aggressor and supposedly committing war crimes against the ‘Palestinians’. But is there more to it than meets the eye? What is the historical context to th...

Is there a particular context for Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's comment, given the border skirmish between India-China at Tawang? And since elections are round the corner in Pakistan, is his comment driven by political compulsion? We discuss it in Geeta’s World. Tune in!