On “Press Freedom” and Prejudice.

May 21, 2026 18 Comments filed under RecoveringNewsJunkie

This is what Norway’s leading newspaper chose for its coverage of the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Norway.

https://x.com/_Tracer_Bullet_/status/2056737017460089173

While the usual suspects on BP chose to focus on an aspiring influencer’s stunts and dramatic heckling, I am not surprised that such blatant bigotry in the ‘mainstream’ newspaper of the supposedly Number one ranked Press has not been discussed on BP. Hilariously, a non-trivial subset of the Indian media and political opposition actually supported a rookie aspiring journalist’s publicity stunt.

Its a time-tested pattern. Rage-baiting and attacking Hindus and India earns notoriety, while the pushback and negative consequences if you push the envelope too far into nakedly racist territory, is minimal if there at all.

For all the cacophony and chaos that the Indian media landscape consistently generates, it has yet to demonstrate ability to even capitalize on such low-hanging fruit. A more capable media ecosystem wouldn’t allow such nonsense unpunished.

This is the overton window that needs to be shifted – the coverage ‘rules’ on India allow for a lot more mainstream ‘phobia’ and assault. And we see that on BP as well, the Pakistani tribal ‘patriot’ squad repeatedly find themselves facing pushback which to them is unexpected. After all, why shouldn’t they be allowed free rein in rage-baiting and plying bigoted stereotypes.

Bangladesh whitewash Pakistan again

May 21, 2026 28 Comments filed under Bombay Badshah

Bangladesh completed a whitewash over Pakistan yesterday in the test series they were playing at home, winning it 2-0. This follows the 2-0 whitewash they achieved in the test series before this, in Pakistan two years ago (in Rawalpindi, of all places). Bangladesh have also won the last ODI and T20I series between the two sides.

During my vanvaas, apart from enjoying the IPL (on which I will do a post later, maybe after the final) I also watched a decent chunk of the test series. Test cricket has its own flavour of joy, distinct from the more immediate rush of T20 cricket. Its slower and more meandering pace means you can actually put it on the background while tending to other stuff. 

Some thoughts about the series.

Bangladesh has overtaken Pakistan

Bangladesh has been doing economically well over the past few decades and now surpasses Pakistan in most, if not all socioeconomic indicators – higher GDP, higher GDP per capita, higher HDI, lower poverty rate, higher life expectancy, better access to electricity etc.

Diverging HDI between Bangladesh and Pakistan

Diverging GDP pci between Bangladesh and Pakistan

Continue reading Bangladesh whitewash Pakistan again

Hindutva Music: Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara As an Example of a Female Sadhu

May 21, 2026 3 Comments filed under Kabir

I am sharing this essay about “Hindutva music” as an example of when music can be used to divide–as opposed to unite as in the case of Kabir oral traditions.

The essay was originally submitted as part of the coursework for my M.Mus in Ethnomusicology.   I was reminded of it recently when I came across Professor Brahma Prakash’s article on Scroll.in entitled “Why the toxic beats of ‘Disc Jockey Hindutva’ are so dangerous for India” 

Unfortunately, the YouTube video analyzed in the piece no longer seems to be on the site. I hope the essay can still stand on its own merits. I will include a representative YouTube video of Didi Maa at the end of the essay.

Note: It is also worth noting that Didi Maa was conferred the Padma Bhushan in January 2025. 

Bhajan is the major genre of devotional singing in Hinduism. It is a loosely structured song, usually performed in regional languages. It can be sung by an individual or by a congregation. Themes typically include ideas from scriptures, the teachings of saints and loving devotion to a deity.

Since I am from a South Asian background, I am familiar with bhajans. However, I have previously approached them through Hindustani classical music, in which the focus is on aesthetic beauty and using the bhajan’s lyrics to develop the raga. In a devotional context, in contrast, the words and the message of the bhajan can often be more important than the musical content.

In this essay, I will discuss Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara’s performance of a Krishna bhajan “Aaj Gopal Raas Ras”, and compare her to the female sadhus studied by Antoinette Elizabeth DeNapoli in her monograph Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan (Oxford University Press 2014) . One of the major contrasts is that Didi Maa is involved in Hindutva politics, which would seem to contradict the role of the sadhu as someone who has renounced worldly life. DeNapoli’s informants, on the other hand, are focused on singing to god as a way of serving humanity through seva. Continue reading Hindutva Music: Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara As an Example of a Female Sadhu

Return of the King

May 20, 2026 5 Comments filed under Bombay Badshah

The king returns from his vanvaas, refreshed and with a mind filled with clarity.

Before my self-imposed exile X.T.M said something which I have pondered upon during my time away.

Pakistan has anyway lost to India alas; thus the Pakistanis have to constantly deprecate India and everything she stands for.

I don’t need to be getting into mud fights in the comments sections writing essays.

The victor doesn’t need to proclaim his victory. The defeated know.

And as the winner, I possess an asymmetric array of “tools” to do my “Dhurandharing”. Far more civil and high-signal and in a way, more wounding.

Of course, that does not mean I won’t participate in the comments, but it will be in a more “support” role. There are many Dhurandhars here with some springing up in my absence so I need not play as active a role.

I have also changed my profile picture to reflect that change. While my earlier picture was from when Hamza was actively involved in street fights, my current one is from the later part of the movie where he takes a bit of a back seat to co-ordinate other guys. Of course just like in the movie, I won’t hesitate to personally participate if necessary.

Kabir Oral Traditions in the Indian Subcontinent

May 20, 2026 7 Comments filed under Kabir

Since there has been a lot of discussion on Bhagat Kabir,  I am sharing this essay I wrote on Kabir Oral Traditions in the Indian Subcontinent.  This essay was originally submitted as part of my M.Mus coursework in Ethnomusicology at SOAS, University of London.  

Here is a link to a Kabir bhajan called “Mo ko Kahan Dhunday Banday” which I recorded.  The composition is by Ustad Hamid Hossain and is set in Raga Bhairavi. 

Bhagat Kabir (c. 1440-c. 1518) is considered one of the major poet-saints of the Bhakti movement—a social reform movement arising in North India around the fifteenth century. Characterized by an emphasis on the individual believer and a disregard for caste and gender taboos, the movement often rejected Vedic rituals and focused on the individual’s loving relationship with a personally defined god. This emphasis on love has clear parallels with Sufism, often seen as the mystical branch of Islam. It also later influenced Sikhism.

In contrast to other Bhakti poets such as Surdas and Meerabai—whose works can be placed squarely within the Hindu fold, often addressed to particular gods such as Krishna—Kabir’s poetry cannot be so neatly demarcated. He questioned the rituals of both Islam and Hinduism and was devoted to a nirgun (formless) deity, often addressed as “Ram”. According to Professor Harbans Mukhia: “In place of Allah and Ishwar he conceptualized a single universal God; in place of denominational religions he conceptualized a universal religiosity” (Mukhia 2018). This distance from the orthodoxy of both traditions perhaps explains why Kabir is revered by Hindus and Muslims across the Indian subcontinent. Some of his poetry is even included in the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s holiest scripture. In an era in which South Asia has experienced increasing polarization along sectarian lines, it is instructive to more closely examine this unique figure who served as a bridge between communities. Continue reading Kabir Oral Traditions in the Indian Subcontinent

7 Steps to Financial Freedom: My First Book

May 20, 2026 4 Comments filed under Maneesh Taneja


India’s GDP grew at 7.6% in the financial year 2024-2025 making it one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

It is also home to a vibrant capital market. The market capitalization of its listed companies at the end of 2025 stood at 4.75 trillion US Dollars.

India is also a young country. 65% of its population of 1.4 billion is below the age of 35.

The trifecta of economic growth, world class capital markets and a young population with access to technology has enabled breakneck growth, in the number of Indians investing in Indian equity markets via mutual funds and stock purchases.

The number of mutual fund investors in India was 2.08 crores at the end of year 2020. This number stood at 5.9 crores at the end of year 2025.

The number of Demat accounts in India stood at 4.98 crores at the end of year 2020 this number had grown to 21.59 crores by the end of year 2025.

In April 2026, Indians invested Rs 38.4 thousand crores in Indian equity markets through mutual funds.

I have been an investment adviser to individuals and institutional investors for almost 17 years now and have had front row seats as this growth has played out.

I have also had the chance to interact with investors in tier 2, tier 3 towns in India and I am also witness to the phenomenon of ‘fin-influencers’.

Fin-influencers are freelance financial advisers offering easy money schemes and ways of attaining Financial Independence and Retiring Early (FIRE) through their YouTube channels and Instagram handles.

Their channels have millions of subscribers and their videos and reels get tens of millions of views.

Viewers of these channels take home answers to the holy grail of all questions -How much money is enough to retire?

How much is enough for you to leave your job, move to a small town and spend your time tendering to your kitchen garden?

How much money do you need for you to leave your job, pack your bags and open a cafe in Dharmashala/Goa/Cochin or Tuticorin?

If you don’t like the figure, help is at hand. Viewers are given formulas to arrive at their own answers.

I have no data to prove how successful or unsuccessful fin-influencers have been in helping people achieve FIRE.

However we do have data on how Indians are investing in the derivative segment of Indian stock markets faring!

Derivative instruments are used by investors to manage risk and by speculators to make quick money.

If I want to run a cafe in Dehradun before I turn forty, my salaried job wouldn’t do.

I need to make money fast.

Enter a digital stack that lets me do derivative trades as easily as ordering a pizza online, an oversupply of ‘trade strategies’ and access to cheapest cellular data in the world.

I can now watch YouTube videos all day and ‘hone my trading skills’.

SEBI, regulator of capital markets in India, conducted a study and published a note in 2024.

The study revealed 93% of individual traders incurred losses in equity derivatives between financial years 2022 and 2024.

The aggregate losses of these traders for this three year period exceeded Rs 1.8 lakh crores.

To put the figure in perspective, the Government of India’s budgetary allocation to its Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in FY 2024 was Rs 80.5 thousand crores.

As part of my job, I am often asked- what is the rate of return one should expect from a growth oriented portfolio? My answer invariably disappoints because it does not augment dreams of early retirement.

I learnt, from some of the best investors and fund managers-investing is like watching paint dry.

My job and my experience of investing my own money have convinced me that is the only way.

There are no short cuts to financial freedom.

This book is my attempt at conveying a framework that has stood the test of time and helped people live better. 

The book has no magic formulas and final figures.

No silver bullets that will ease the path to a cake and coffee shop in Almora.

If the world is watching YouTube, why write a book ?

I believe a reader gets more out of the content than a viewer.

Physical and financial health are keys to our sense of well being and confidence. They make our world go around. The book is my attempt at making investing accessible and relatable.

If you end up reading the book, please let me know if I got it right.


The book is now available on Amazon and Kindle

 

Open thread Indian scenes

May 20, 2026 86 Comments filed under Active Authors

1) Vijay’s secularism :

TVK ‘s Vijay and his secularism: A commentator had argued that whilst,  other Hindu secularists need to criticize and some need to bad mouth (udayanidhi)Hinduism to be called progressive and secular, Vijay with his ‘Joseph ‘ name can be a secular just by being himself. If he goes the Dravidian way critizing hinduism, all hell will break loose. 
 
Ironically non Hindu leaders, go all the way out by going to temples, wearing kumkum, vibhiti. So does Vijay , and yet claim to be secular. 
 
So he does whatever he knows  best, going to places of worship, do token good things in jayalalitha fashion. 

2) Tata’s events: A naukar should be one and too much power to him in a closely held family enterprise appears to be the main essence of the tata problem.  I feel that the family should regroup and take voting rights of non family members.

 

The Prussia of the Ummah

May 19, 2026 8 Comments filed under Comment as Canon, X.T.M

Why Munir’s Compromise May Hold

“Pahalgam took place because the PTI anti-military agitation had genuinely shaken the ‘roots’ of Pakistani military’s unquestioned supremacy and popularity domestically. Given Munir’s rapid roll up and consolidation of power, field marshal for life, lifetime immunity, constitutional authority beyond his base tenure, for now the cost-benefit equation even for PakMil does not indicate them risking a round 2. But that calculus can and unfortunately likely will change at some point.”

RNJ’s very incisive comment above is correct on the mechanism but rather conservative on the implication. India still runs Pakistan as a state on the verge of dissolution. However the strategic class has long since moved to “durable but dangerous,” but the public conversation has not caught up.

What Munir has built is not a pause before collapse. It is the consolidation of something more durable, the Prussia of the Ummah, governing through a hybrid in which the boiler vents and the bayonet holds.

Munir’s Compromise

Field marshal for life with constitutional immunity removes the standard succession variable in Pakistani politics. Every previous chief was a hostage to his retirement, every handover a season of conspiracy. Munir has now exited that game. The cost was heavy. PTI agitation in 2023 genuinely shook the army’s domestic legitimacy, the May 9 attacks on cantonments were the most serious internal challenge since 1971, and the suppression has been ugly. But the suppression worked. Imran Khan remains popular and remains in prison. PTI remains the largest party by vote share and remains shut out of power. The constitutional system absorbs the grievance into electoral form, which is to say it diffuses the steam without releasing the pressure.

Factional alignment inside GHQ, the perpetual Punjab-Sindh-KP-Balochistan imbalance, elite exhaustion under chronic fiscal stress, the Baluch insurgency, TTP, all remain live. Munir has fixed the variable he could fix. The others he has merely deferred.

The Raj Continued

Continue reading The Prussia of the Ummah

Sanam Saeed at Cannes, Alia Bhatt Out of Frame?

May 19, 2026 60 Comments filed under X.T.M

I. The Cannes Frame

The clip is short and damning. Alia Bhatt walks the Cannes red carpet as L’Oréal’s global face, waving at a thicket of photographers who never quite lift their cameras.

Sanam Saeed arrives in a white peacock couture by Hussain Rehar, fifty artisans and 2,354 hours, a tribute to Shamim Ara that the photographers actually shoot. Rehar’s accompanying showcase at Château St George is titled Lahore: A Knot in South Asia’s Loom, sitting one cabinet over from Gucci and Roberto Cavalli. The title is doing the work.

Cannes 2026 was supposed to be Bollywood’s annual export ritual. Instead, Pakistanis slid past the L’Oréal machinery and produced the festival’s most discussed South Asian image.

II. Taste Without Empire

Continue reading Sanam Saeed at Cannes, Alia Bhatt Out of Frame?

Brown Pundits