The growing encroachment on Agra’s streets and sidewalks has thrown the city’s infrastructure into disarray. From Sadar Bazaar to Belanganj, Hospital Road, and Paliwal Park, street vendors and hawkers have taken over footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk on busy roads, risking their safety.

At a time when India is facing hostilities from across the borders and surrounded by not-so-friendly neighbours, scholars are wondering whether nations, small in size and with limited resources, have any future, or will they permanently remain basket cases.

Fighting on two fronts in a war can be a challenge for any country. Masters of modern information systems can influence the morale of soldiers and even force the sacrifice of principles. False and half-baked information can escalate tensions. Cyber armies remain a significant threat even during normal times.

You might have seen monkeys on trees and clowns in a circus taking amazing somersaults, but when the head of a global superpower apes his simian cousins and wows you with unexpected plunges and speedy back walking, the comity of nations can not but be alarmed.

India has always exemplified global brotherhood through the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, i.e. the world is one family. However, some nations have mistaken this magnanimity for weakness. Bangladesh and Turkey are two such examples—despite sharing historical ties with India, they now stand against us. Under these circumstances, boycotting economic and diplomatic relations with these countries is justified and essential to safeguard India’s national security and self-respect. 

Once heralded as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy, journalism in India today stands precariously weakened by something more insidious: the steady invasion of public relations, the dominance of corporate messaging, and the deliberate spread of false narratives.