POLITICS

RSS to launch Swadeshi Jagaran Abhiyan: Directives sent to Saraswati Shishu Mandirs

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in close coordination with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is preparing to roll out a major national campaign aimed at strengthening India’s domestic industries and reducing reliance on imports. The initiative, called “Swadeshi Jagaran Abhiyan”, is expected to be launched from Nagpur, the RSS headquarters, and is being positioned as both an economic and cultural movement. At its core, the program seeks to promote locally manufactured products, encourage self-reliance among traders and manufacturers, and build resilience in the economy so that India does not feel vulnerable to international economic pressures such as tariffs or trade restrictions recently imposed by the US administration under President Donald Trump. The campaign also ties directly into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Vocal for Local” vision, which emphasizes strengthening indigenous production capacities, empowering small industries, and generating economic strength from within the country. Sangh leaders believe that a push towards greater swadeshi adoption will not only safeguard India from external pressures but also nurture a sense of national pride linked to local enterprise.

A tussle won by the Bangladeshi Army inside Dhaka’s corridors of power !

A fresh conflict is brewing inside Dhaka’s corridors of power as the Bangladesh Army and Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus appear at odds over policy towards Pakistan. While Yunus has sought to soften ties, the Army ensured that during the two-day visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Dhaka’s position stayed hardline. Instead of Yunus’s bid for normalisation, Bangladesh publicly contradicted Pakistan’s claim that all “1971 issues” were resolved, an assertion Dar repeated in Dhaka. Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain made the contradiction clear, telling the media: “Definitely, I don’t agree (with Dar). Had it been so, the problems would have been solved. We explained our position and they (Pakistani side) did theirs.” This strong pushback carried a deliberate signal: Dhaka will not agree with Pakistan on the question of accountability and reparations for the 1971 war crimes. Behind the scenes, it reflected the Army twisting Yunus’s hand to ensure Bangladesh spoke firmly in the international arena. The episode has also highlighted a deeper power play inside Bangladesh. Yunus, who has recently called for elections, appears to be walking a fine line with Pakistan, but the Army has drawn red lines on sensitive historical and sovereignty issues. By rejecting Pakistan’s narrative so visibly during Dar’s visit, the Bangladesh military made it clear it will not let Yunus control relations on this front.

Will there be a Cabinet Reshuffle in Bihar just prior to polls ?

Just before Bihar elections, there are now rumours in Patna that Nitish Kumar’s government is planning on sending signals against anti incumbency of 18 years in total. One method that the NDA might employ is to consider a Cabinet reshuffle and allocate representation for caste groups and regions.  Sources suggest that BJP Bihar Chief, Dilip Jaiswal and Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary are heading the charge in this matter. The aim is to provide a strong message for the alliance as it goes to polls in November this year. It is to be seen who will get what and what other subtle signals are sent to the electorate in the coming two months.