External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently asserted a fundamental truth: India’s destiny will be forged by its own intrinsic strength, not by the grace or grievances of others.

Agra is known worldwide for the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal. Every day, thousands arrive to witness love carved in marble. But just beyond the tourist circuits, another industry thrives quietly: nursing homes, diagnostic laboratories, and private hospitals, with an extensive network of suppliers of medicines and equipment.

Recently, in the hallowed lecture halls of the Gujarat National Law University, a quiet but seismic truth was laid bare. Rameez Raja, a Senior Research Fellow from Aligarh Muslim University, did not just deliver a lecture; he held up a mirror to a nation that prides itself on a booming economy, only to reveal a gaping void. He showed us a class of people who are stateless in their own country, not in geography, but in the ledgers of the state. India’s transgender and eunuch communities are standing on the outside of the financial system, peering in through a glass wall they are not permitted to break.

The sun was brutal. Madurai was boiling. Then came Narendra Modi. Like a political thunderclap. Months before the Tamil Nadu polls, he did not just land. He signalled intent. Clear. Calculated. Combustible.

When an ordinary citizen approaches a police station in distress, do their steps reflect trust, or does their heart carry dread? This question now confronts the image of the police in the mirror of Indian democracy.

How many more children must die for a "like"? This question is heartbreaking. But India will have to face it.