Grand Tamasha

At this point, you’ve probably read 1,001 post-mortem analyses of the India-Pakistan conflict, desperately searching for some new nugget or data point that helps you understand this brief, but intense clash between these two South Asian rivals.In this sea of hot takes, one essay stands out both for its analytical clarity and its wisdom. That piece was written by the scholar Joshua T. White and it’s simply titled, “Lessons for the next India-Pakistan war.”It was published by the Brookings Institution, where Josh is a non-resident fellow with the Foreign Policy program. Josh is also professor of the practice of international affairs at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C.Josh has served at the White House as senior advisor and director for South Asian affairs at the National Security Council. And he’s also worked at the Pentagon, where he helped get the U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative off the ground.To talk more about his piece and the recent conflict, Josh rejoins Milan on the podcast this week. He and Milan discuss how the global debate on “attribution” has tilted decisively in India’s favor, troubling new precedents about military target selection, the depth of Pakistani information operations, and the widespread use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in the recent conflict. Plus, the two preview Josh’s forthcoming book, Vigilante Islamists: Religious Parties and Anti-State Violence in Pakistan. Episode notes: 1. Joshua T. White, “Lessons for the next India-Pakistan war,” Brookings Institution, May 14, 2025. 2. “Operation Sindoor and South Asia’s Uncertain Future (with Christopher Clary),” Grand Tamasha, May 14, 2025. 3. “US views of India-China ties and their impact on the US-India partnership (with Lisa Curtis, Joshua T. White, and Tanvi Madan),” Brookings “Global India” podcast, February 7, 2024. 4. “U.S.-India Ties After the ‘2+2’ Summit (with Joshua White),” Grand Tamasha, April 27, 2022.

On Saturday, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire, ending—at least for now—the latest bout of armed conflict between the two South Asian rivals. The announcement followed the launch of “Operation Sindoor”—India’s response to the April 22nd terrorist attack in Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians. India’s strike prompted a worrying tit-for-tat standoff which quickly escalated into the worst conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations in a quarter-century. The fighting has stopped for now, leaving policymakers, scholars, and analysts the task of deciphering the longer-term consequences of the recent crisis. To break things down, Milan is joined on the show this week by Christopher Clary. Chris is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Albany. He’s also a non-resident fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. Listeners may remember Chris from his 2022 appearance on Grand Tamasha, when he discussed his book, The Difficult Politics of Peace: Rivalry in Modern South Asia. Milan and Chris discuss why the Pahalgam episode marked a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations, how the recent conflict will serve as a template for the next crisis, and the possible motivations for U.S. intervention. Plus, the two discuss what the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East can teach us about India and Pakistan’s likely future. Episode notes: Christopher Clary, “India-Pakistan rivalry is old, but Pahalgam marked a new chapter,” Times of India, May 11, 2025. Sudhi Ranjan Sen et al., “Trump Truce Leaves India Furious, Pakistan Elated as Risks Loom,” Bloomberg, May 11, 2025. Karishma Mehrotra et al., “The U.S. helped deliver an India-Pakistan ceasefire. But can it hold?” Washington Post, May 10, 2025. “When and Why Do India and Pakistan Fight (with Christopher Clary),” Grand Tamasha, September 14, 2022.

In India today, so many political debates are focused on welfare and welfarism. It seems that state after state is competing to offer the most electorally attractive benefits to its voters. The central government, for its part, has pioneered a new model of social welfare built around digital ID and direct cash transfers to needy households.Making India Work: The Development of Welfare in a Multi-Level Democracy is a new book by the scholar Louise Tillin. It examines the development of India’s welfare state over the last century from the early decades of the twentieth century to the present. In so doing, it recovers a history previously relegated to the margins of scholarship on the political economy of development.Louise is a Professor of Politics in the King’s India Institute at King’s College London. She is one of the world’s leading experts on Indian federalism, subnational comparative politics, and social policy. She is the author or editor of several previous books, including Remapping India: New States and their Political Origins.Louise joins Milan on the show this week to discuss India’s “precocious” welfare regime, the pre-colonial debates over social insurance in India, and the pros and cons of the Nehruvian development model. Plus, the two discuss inter-state variation in modes of social protection and the current debate over welfare in India circa 2025.Episode notes: “Understanding the Delhi Education Experiment (with Yamini Aiyar),” Grand Tamasha, January 22, 2025. Louise Tillin, “This is the moment for a new federal compact,” Indian Express, June 16, 2024. Rohan Venkataramakrishnan, “Interview: How has Indian federalism evolved under the BJP?” Scroll.in, April 13, 2024. Louise Tillin and Sandhya Venkateswaran, “Democracy and Health in India| Is Health an Electoral Priority?” (New Delhi: Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 2023)

Shoumitro Chatterjee, an Assistant Professor of International Economics at Johns Hopkins-SAIS, shares insights on India's trade landscape amidst U.S. tariff changes. He explores India's unexpected successes in exports and the persistent issues in low-skilled manufacturing. The discussion delves into the implications of rising tariffs post-2017 and how India can strategically navigate global uncertainties. Shoumitro also highlights the importance of open markets for agriculture in bolstering India's trade potential.

Over the last decade, election campaigns in India have undergone a dramatic shift. Political parties increasingly rely on political consulting firms, tech-savvy volunteers, pollsters, data-driven insights, and online battles to mobilize voters. But what exactly is driving these changes in the landscape of electioneering?The Backstage of Democracy: India's Election Campaigns and the People Who Manage Them is a new book by the scholar Amogh Dhar Sharma which tries to locate answers to this question. The book takes readers behind the scenes, where they are introduced to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell workers, campaign consultants, data strategists and backroom politicians.Amogh is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford. His research explores the interface between politics and technology, political communication, and histories of science and technology.Amogh joins Milan on the show this week to discuss the professionalization of politics in India, how the middle class relates to politics, and the BJP’s unexpected embrace of digital technology. Plus, the two discuss enigmatic backroom strategist Prashant Kishor and the rise of political consultants.Episode notes: Amogh Dhar Sharma, “The Cautious Rise of Political Consulting in India,” The Wire, September 6, 2024. Roshan Kishore, “Terms of Trade: How to look at the rise of electoral consultants in India,” Hindustan Times, February 21, 2025. Nilesh Christopher and Varsha Bansal, “How a Secret BJP War Room Mobilized Female Voters to Win the Indian Elections,” WIRED, July 30, 2024.

A reactionary antidemocratic ethos born and bred in America has come to infect democracies around the world. This is the central thesis of a timely new book by the journalist Zack Beauchamp, The Reactionary Spirit: How America's Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World.Through a mix of political history and reportage, The Reactionary Spirit reveals how the United States serves the birthplace of a new authoritarian style, and why we’re now seeing its evolution in a diverse set of countries ranging from Hungary to Israel to India.Zack is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers challenges to democracy in the United States and abroad, right-wing populism, and the world of ideas. He is also the author of “On the Right,” a newsletter about the American conservative movement.To talk more about the book and our current political moment, Zack joins Milan on the show this week. The two discuss the rise of competitive authoritarianism, inequality and democracy, and the strange era of “autocracy without autocrats.” Plus, Zack and Milan discuss transnational linkages between rightwing populists and India’s role in the global fight for reclaiming democracy.Episode notes:1. Zack Beauchamp, “Why do US politics affect the rest of the world?” Vox, February 28, 2025.2.Zack Beauchamp, “Their democracy died. They have lessons for America about Trump’s power grab,” February 5, 2025. 3.Zack Beauchamp, “America’s reactionary moment is here,” Vox, November 19, 2024.4.Zack Beauchamp, “The global trend that pushed Donald Trump to victory,” Vox, November 6, 2024.5.Zack Beauchamp, “Why the far right is surging all over the world,” Vox, July 17, 2024.

Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished diplomat and author, shares his inspiring journey from childhood poverty in Singapore to becoming a major diplomatic figure. He discusses the profound influence of his mother and the cultural ties between India and Southeast Asia. Mahbubani reflects on his experiences at the UN, the principles behind Singapore’s success, and his interactions with the influential Lee Kuan Yew. The conversation delves into Asia's cultural renaissance and its implications for the global order, emphasizing the region's rising importance in the 21st century.

Tara Varma, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on European foreign policy, delves into the shifting dynamics between Europe, the U.S., and India. The conversation highlights the strategic importance of a recent European Commission visit to New Delhi and the implications for an EU-India trade pact. They also discuss the widening rift between the U.S. and Europe, the rise of right-wing nationalism, and the potential for a new geopolitical realignment involving China and Russia.

Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America and author of "Vishwa Shastra: India and the World," dives deep into India's evolving foreign policy. He tackles misconceptions about India's strategic culture and highlights its pre-independence influences. Dhruva also discusses the tensions in India-Pakistan relations and the challenges India faces in Southeast Asia. Additionally, he examines how past non-alignment policies shape contemporary strategies and what the Trump administration's potential return could mean for India.

Rajesh Rajagopalan, a Professor of International Politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University and an expert in U.S.-India relations, offers insightful takes on the recent Modi-Trump meeting. The discussion covers two contrasting narratives about the visit and the precarious state of U.S.-India ties amid a volatile political climate. Rajesh emphasizes the stagnation in defense collaborations and India's technology transfer demands. The conversation also touches on challenges posed by China and the implications of Elon Musk's influence on diplomacy.