The Midnight Dispatch

The phrase ‘Red and rhythmic’ has become synonymous with the Norwegian fans during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As it happens, it’s a term that also resonates with the Naxalite movement in India- red in its ideology and rhythmic in its campaigns.   Naxalism is a left- wing communist movement followed in India, inspired by the Maoist school of thought. It is based on the principle of class conflict between agricultural workers and landowners and the belief that the Indian Constitution and government systems lack substantial protection mechanisms for the workers. This ideology has found a following mainly amongst the tribal groups.    The movement took root in 1967 in the Naxalbari village of West Bengal, from where it gets its name. It was the site of an armed peasant revolt against local land owners and thus began the first of many waves of the insurgency.   In 1969, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) emerged post a split in its parent body (CPI-Marxist). It was...

“ History  teaches us that men and nations only behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.”  T his statement by Abba Eban, former Deputy Prime  Minister  of Israel apt ly  describe s  the  June 2026,  M emorandum of Understanding  signed between USA and  the Islamic Republic of  Iran.  On February 28, 2026, Washington and Tel Aviv  conducted joint strikes on Iranian territory and assets.  Operation  ‘ Epic Fury’, as named by the United Sates , claimed hundreds of lives across Iran, including that of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini.  Thousands more were displaced, infrastructure  was  decimated, military, oil and other strategic facilities  attacked,  and commercial shipping  faced heightened vulnerabilit ies .  The Strait of Hormuz turned into a battlefield, with  counter strikes on ships by Iran and the US.  The war dragged on for  3...

The   towering   Hindu Kush mountain ranges rise along the Durand Line, a 2,640-kilometre border that is as hostile and formidable as the mountains themselves. It is the internationally recognised border between the states of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two countries share deep historical, cultural, ethnic, economic and civilisational ties, pre-dating the official creation of Pakistan in 1947. But much like an oscillating wave, their bilateral relations have been characterised by periods of harmony, followed by discord.   The Afghan-Soviet war (1979-1989) is the starting point of significant Pakistani involvement in Afghan affairs. Pakistan played on the side of the USA and Saudi and backed the Mujahideens in fighting the Soviet forces. The fall of the Soviet forces paved the way for the rise of Taliban in the 1990s. Pakistan militarily and economically supported the group in order to safeguard its interests in the region. It also led to the creation of Tehreek-i-Taliba...

Carousel- a crowd favourite ride in amusement parks- is used as a metaphor to signify that life continues and moves forward irrespective of the happenings. When this analogy is applied in the context of international trade, one relation that instantly comes to mind is that of India and Russia. Despite changing regimes, wars and upheavals, the two countries have remained committed to stable, mutually beneficial relations. February 2022 marked an inflection point in the Russia-India oil trade. That was when Russian missiles hit Ukrainian territory and turned the world oil industry on its head. Pre-2022, Russian oil accounted for below 1% of India’s oil imports and India depended largely on its middle eastern partners for supply. Post-invasion, India- Russia relations in oil trade got a shot in the arm. The value of crude oil imports from Russia rose from less than $2.5 billion in FY 2021-22 to over $31 billion in FY 2022-23 to around $140 billion in FY 2023-24, accounting for 35.9% of it...