Articles by Barkha Dutt
Saif Ali Khan case shows the culture of misogyny thrives
Media frenzy over Saif Ali Khan's stabbing mirrors past witch hunts, with Kareena Kapoor Khan unfairly targeted, revealing ongoing misogyny in coverage.

Updated on Jan 31, 2025 08:06 PM IST
Congress needs to focus on politics, not polemics
Bewilderingly, the Congress leadership is pulling the party into ideological squabbles that have little to no resonance with regular voters.

Updated on Jan 17, 2025 08:33 PM IST
Opposition must tell its story better, or tell a new one
This winter session of Parliament offered an opportunity to the Opposition to put the government on the mat in relation to bread-and-butter issues.

Updated on Dec 20, 2024 08:25 PM IST
A Pandora’s box that the Supreme Court has opened
The apex court’s mixed messaging on the Places of Worship Act has allowed claims to be made about the Sambhal mosque and the Ajmer shrine

Updated on Nov 29, 2024 08:50 PM IST
On terrorism, the West is guilty of double standards
Before 9/11, the Kanishka bombing was the worst act of mid-air terrorism. Yet, US and Canada have been soft on pro-Khalistan activists who celebrate such acts

Published on Oct 25, 2024 08:35 PM IST
Lessons from BJP’s hat-trick in Haryana
The results show that ideological positioning is not enough to attract votes, smart tactics and organisational might matter more

Published on Oct 11, 2024 09:14 PM IST
Why J&K polls feel nothing like those in the past
There is no boycott call this time, neither has coercion to vote been reported. The assembly polls, however,feel unpredictable and full of intangible variables

Updated on Sep 27, 2024 09:14 PM IST
Failure of political astuteness in West Bengal and Manipur
Often, the most obvious response to the crises such those in the two states is the appropriate one. It is resistance to the obvious that muddies the waters

Published on Sep 13, 2024 08:59 PM IST
Kolkata to Kerala, how not to respond to sexual abuse
From Kolkata to Kerala, a deluge of sexual harassment complaints exposes the plight of women in India, highlighting political indifference and systemic failures.

Published on Aug 30, 2024 09:25 PM IST
A rape, a cover-up, and a mysteriously powerful principal
In the Kolkata rape, every Indian woman sees a shade of her own reflection, either from an experience already lived, or the dread of one just around the corner

Published on Aug 16, 2024 11:44 PM IST
In Jammu attacks, a clear imprint of the Pakistan army
There is, by all accounts, enough intelligence that points to a direct participation of the Pakistan army, and not just in the conventional sense of the Pakistan Deep State patronising security assets against India

Published on Jul 19, 2024 09:02 PM IST
Review Agnipath. Roll it back or change it
The problems with the scheme, from ethical challenges to implications for unit cohesiveness, make it clear that status quo is not an option

Published on Jul 05, 2024 09:07 PM IST
NEET fiasco is a test of the govt’s outreach skills
Government mishandles student protests over NEET exam, exposing broken examination system and political nexus. PM Modi's communication strategy needs a revamp.

Updated on Jun 21, 2024 08:38 PM IST
What the verdict holds for the BJP, its mascot, Modi
PM Modi may need to turn into a consensus builder to manage NDA allies and also to negotiate the changing power dynamics within his own party

Published on Jun 07, 2024 10:00 PM IST
States hold the key to unlocking Mandate 2024
The BJP banks on Brand Modi whereas Opposition hopes to gain from confusion among BJP voters restive about new alliances, import of leaders

Published on May 10, 2024 11:34 PM IST
What the South thinks — lessons from a road trip
Narendra Modi is, by miles, the dominant political persona of this election. But faith-centric issues are not the motivation for BJP supporters in South India

Published on Apr 26, 2024 10:00 PM IST
A Vadra twist in Congress’s Amethi story
Could Robert Vadra be pitching for a nomination in the party’s prestige seat with the sanction of the Congress leadership?

Published on Apr 12, 2024 10:00 PM IST
AAP story: Leader in prison, party on the backfoot
Whether the AAP can stay intact and fight with its senior leadership in prison is the existential question before the party

Published on Mar 29, 2024 11:38 PM IST
Conflict of interest is built into the idea of electoral bonds
It is a cause of worry that some of the firms raided by central agencies are among funders of India’s political parties

Published on Mar 15, 2024 09:55 PM IST
Tips for Rahul Gandhi from the world of media
Rather than turn bitter about the state of the world, stay agile and be adaptive to change to remain in the game. The alternative is retirement

Published on Mar 01, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Constitutional idealism gets a boost from SC
The verdict on electoral bonds suggests that the healthy and necessary tensions between the executive, judiciary and legislature are alive and well

Published on Feb 16, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Congress’s position on mandir ceremony points to confusion
Hindutva will be a key factor in the general elections and the Opposition has itself to blame

Published on Jan 20, 2024 03:15 AM IST
Like Labour in the ’90s, Congress needs a third way
Politics in India has changed. The Opposition needs a new template that is more than anti-Modism to stay relevant

Published on Jan 05, 2024 10:15 PM IST
In Sakshi Malik’s tears, a message for Indian women
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s continuing hold over Indian wrestling raises questions

Published on Dec 22, 2023 10:19 PM IST
Congress’s anger against voters and EVMs is pointless
On leadership, narrative and organisation, the party has yet to find an effective counter to Moditiva. It is fighting – and losing – on Modi’s terms

Updated on Dec 08, 2023 10:30 PM IST
The curious case of Pannun and the US response
There’s something about Pannun’s story that leaves more questions than answers. And India is entitled to express anger over those who threaten its people

Published on Nov 24, 2023 10:54 PM IST
What I saw from the frontline of Israel-Hamas war
The Indian view, an unequivocal calling out of terrorism but a firm underscoring of the rights of the Palestinian people, is a nuanced response

Published on Oct 27, 2023 10:40 PM IST
Status quo in Manipur is no more an option
Civilians are angry and security personnel are exhausted. As teenagers are pulled into the conflict, a political solution has to emerge in the state

Published on Sep 30, 2023 12:43 AM IST
Media as the fall guy is not a new story
Boycott of select journalists, as announced by INDIA, has always existed. Just that it may never have been declared officially via a press statement

Published on Sep 15, 2023 10:05 PM IST
Is India headed for simultaneous polls?
The mystery special session of Parliament sparks speculation about the possibility of simultaneous elections. But we need three more weeks to conclusively know

Published on Sep 01, 2023 11:11 PM IST