Clerics urge Muslim community to follow govt guidelines for Eid sacrifice
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India.com
17 minutes ago
- India.com
Trump Cozying Up To Pakistan – Will It Push India Closer To China?
New Delhi: A meeting in Washington last month between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir sparked concern in New Delhi. Just days earlier, a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir, had killed 26 innocent civilians. India blamed Pakistan after a group linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility. Foreign policy watchers are now weighing a critical question: could this renewed U.S.-Pakistan engagement unsettle India's fragile equation with China? For years, Beijing has served as the strategic common threat binding India and the United States. Both nations view China as a geopolitical rival and have steadily expanded cooperation to counter its influence. But Trump's warm overtures toward China-backed Pakistan are forcing India to rethink its calculus. Diplomatic experts say India is unlikely to pivot dramatically toward China based solely on the Trump-Munir meeting. Moves to de-escalate tensions with Beijing had already been set in motion months earlier. Still, the symbolism of the meeting and its implications for India's long-term strategy are difficult to ignore. Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington D.C., said the meeting must be viewed in light of recent India-Pakistan military flare-ups during Operation Sindoor. 'It is not that India is suddenly leaning toward China because of Trump's outreach to Pakistan. But the context matters, especially given that Pakistan used Chinese weapons against India for the first time during that conflict,' he explained. He added that uncertainty around U.S.-India ties under Trump remains a major concern in New Delhi. 'There is no clear indication of how Trump plans to deal with China. At times, he talks tough, at others, he calls for cooperation. India is wary of assuming that the United States will always align with its strategic interests on China.' That ambiguity, Kugelman said, is one reason India has begun hedging its bets by stabilising ties with Beijing. A Subtle Thaw Between India and China Since October 2024, signs of a diplomatic thaw have emerged. Border troops from both sides have started withdrawing from several flashpoints along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC). Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the SCO foreign ministers' summit, marking his first visit to Beijing in six years. Direct commercial flights between India and China are set to resume. The long-suspended Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has reopened for Indian pilgrims. In a move with economic implications, the government think tank NITI Aayog has proposed allowing up to 24% Chinese equity in Indian companies without special clearance. Foreign policy commentator Indrani Bagchi believes India is proceeding cautiously. 'The government is trying to introduce a degree of stability into its relationship with China. We may see some Chinese investment flowing in, but it's unlikely to go much beyond that,' she said. She also warned against overreacting to Trump's overtures to Pakistan. 'This is not the first time Washington has leaned toward Islamabad. Whenever it does, the trust factor in U.S.-India ties takes a hit. If the United States resumes military aid to Pakistan, it will definitely raise red flags in New Delhi,' she added. At the same time, she noted, India has been attempting to diversify its defense partnerships, gradually reducing dependence on Russia and increasing procurement from the United States. 'If America is using Pakistan as a bridge to reach China, India will be forced to reassess,' she added. What Is Beijing's Game? Some former diplomats argue that if India extends a hand, China will likely respond with caution but openness. Achal Malhotra, a former ambassador, said New Delhi's foreign policy is guided by realism, not alignment. 'Our relations with China stand on their own merit. We are prudent but sovereign in our choices. The United States knows this. Trump's meeting with Munir likely reflects Pakistan's geographic utility in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Unless that directly threatens India, it is not an alarming development,' he said. Strategic analyst Zakir Hussain suggested it is U.S. inconsistency that might be nudging India toward China. 'The way Washington handles its ties with India is part of the reason New Delhi may explore a less confrontational path with Beijing. Economically, some of India's moves may lower tensions. But let us be clear that China will never abandon Pakistan for India,' he said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
SC admits Bengal plea against HC order on 113 OBC subgroups
1 2 Kolkata: Supreme Court on Thursday admitted Bengal govt's plea against a Calcutta High Court order striking down efforts by the state to classify 113 subgroups under OBC A and B categories. An SC bench presided over by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai listed the matter for hearing on July 28. In another development, a division bench of Calcutta HC extended the interim stay on the state gazette notification, announcing the fresh inclusion of 140 subgroups under the OBC category in Bengal, till Aug 31. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal mentioned the state's plea in the apex court. He submitted that the HC, on May 21, 2024, struck down the inclusion of 113 new subgroups on the ground that the exercise was undertaken by executive directions and not backed by the legislature. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The CJI remarked that judicial precedent — right from the nine-judge bench historic judgment in the Indra Sawhney case in 1992 — dictated that backward classes in society could be identified through executive directions. Sibal pointed to Calcutta HC's stay on subsequent efforts by the state to include 140 subgroups in the OBC category, of which 80 are Muslims. The HC, in its order on June 16, 2025, stayed the gazette notification announcing the new inclusion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Took 1 Teaspoon Before Bed – Her Belly Was Gone in a Week Hollywood News | USA Click Here Undo The division bench did not find justification for the steps taken by the state executive under the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, after the West Bengal Backward Classes Act, 2012, was adopted. On Thursday, the HC extended the interim stay on the state gazette notification. Meanwhile, a division bench of justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha dismissed an application to initiate the recruitment process in Calcutta HC and district judiciary in compliance with a court order on June 17. The division bench will take up the matter for hearing, if an application is made, on Aug 5.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Muslim clerics, Mohan Bhagwat agree on interfaith dialogue at meet
Amid growing discontent among Muslims against the NDA government over Waqf Amendment Act and other issues, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and other senior functionaries of the organisation met prominent Muslim clerics and scholars in New Delhi on Thursday. In the meeting, a host of 'national issues' were discussed and the two sides stressed upon the need to start a series of dialogue between representatives of Hindu and Muslim communities to clear the 'misunderstandings'. The All India Imam Organisation (AIIO) had organised the meeting titled — 'Samvaad' — at Haryana Bhawan. Along with Bhagwat, senior functionaries, including Krishna Gopal, Ramlal and Indresh Kumar, were present in the meeting. AIIO chief Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi said the meeting lasted for about three-and-a-half hours and was attended by 60 prominent imams, muftis and representatives of prominent Islamic seminaries like Deoband and Nadwa. The RSS described the discussion in the meeting as 'positive' and said it was part of a continuous process of holding an extensive dialogue with all the sections of society. 'The main objective is to explore how everyone can work together in the interest of the country. Today's discussion was also positive,' said Sunil Ambekar, the head of the national publicity and media department of the RSS. 'A detailed discussion on national issues took place at the meeting. It was decided that there should be a dialogue between mandirs and masjids, imams and pujaris, gurukuls and madrasas so that misconceptions and confusions about each other are removed and a positive atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood is developed,' Ilyasi told The Indian Express. He said it was discussed that everyone from across the castes, faiths and religions should have the sentiment of 'rashtra sarvopari' (nation is supreme) and contribute in nation building. Possible roles and responsibilities of imams and muftis in taking the nation forward were also discussed in the meeting, he said. Asked about the RSS chief's view on the decision, he said Bhagwat appreciated the idea of continuous dialogue to clear the misunderstandings and misconceptions. 'A consensus was reached to take this forward… Similar meetings will be held in different parts of the country. The schedule will be decided soon,' Ilyasi said. When asked about the 'national issues' discussed in the meeting, Ilyasi refused to share details. When asked if any 'concern' was expressed by the clerics on the contentious issues like new Waqf Act and survey of mosques, Ilyasi said, 'It was not a meeting about concerns but for building trust and a good atmosphere.'
