Mihir Swarup Sharma – Author, NDTV.com

Opinion: Modi's Speech Was An Admission Of Defeat

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Sunday January 01, 2017

In the end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on New Year's Eve was not exactly the stuff of what history is made. It could be seen as any of three things: an admission of defeat; a declaration of war; or a pivot to populism. Or, perhaps, it's best understood as a combination of all three.

Opinion: Jayalalithaa's Chief Minister Template Followed By Nitish, Modi

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Tuesday December 06, 2016

The other "efficient Chief Ministers" who are widely praised - whether Nitish Kumar or, yes, Narendra Modi - simply follow in her footsteps. They too adopted this authoritarian model, with all its flaws and benefits.

Opinion: Who Will Trust The RBI Or Government Now?

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Friday November 25, 2016

We're 16 days into Narendra Modi's grand demonetisation experiment, and almost everyone is utterly confused about what is legal and what is not. The government has come out with dozens of clarifications, extensions, exemptions and changes to the initial rules.

Opinion: 6 Ways In Which Parrikar's Remarks Should Concern Modi

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Saturday November 12, 2016

When a union Defence Minister is addressing the public, there is no such thing as a "personal view" about something as grave as nuclear policy.

Opinion: Modi's Big Gamble With Banning Rs 500 And Rs 1,000 Notes

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Tuesday November 08, 2016

Make no mistake: this is the beginning of Narendra Modi's re-election campaign. No more coasting along, no more promises he can't deliver on. Now he's going to focus on changing the subject from everything he hasn't been able to do since 2014.

Opinion: What BJP Got All Wrong In Detaining Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Thursday November 03, 2016

If there's one thing that the National Democratic Alliance should really have learned to do better than its ill-fated predecessor, it's how to handle a bunch of people protesting in the middle of New Delhi. Here's a hint on what not to do: Don't arrest them.

Opinion: As Karan Johar Shows, Bollywood Is No Place For Conviction

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Friday October 21, 2016

The furore over Pakistani actors and technicians has underlined once again exactly how far Bollywood is willing to go to placate the powers that be.

Opinion: Strikes Were Well-Executed. What Followed Was Not.

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Wednesday October 05, 2016

India's security establishment did well to find a way to deal with the post-Uri problem. It's a pity the political establishment let it down by squandering the gains in search of chest-thumping triumph. Sadly that's not the first time it's happened under this government, and I suspect it won't be the last.

Opinion: Why Does Parrikar Keep Downplaying A Landmark Military Deal With US?

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Thursday September 01, 2016

The deal emerged from when Manmohan Singh was PM.

Opinion: No Surprise That Modi's Speech Put Kejriwal To Sleep

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Tuesday August 16, 2016

Why did the 90 minutes of Modi's big Red Fort speech sound so little like the Modi we have come to expect?

Opinion: What India Got Wrong With Rajnath Singh's Pak Visit

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Thursday August 04, 2016

We need to grow up, and stop looking at India's foreign policy through the single lens of the India-Pakistan relationship.

Opinion: What Parrikar's Remarks On Aamir Khan Lay Bare

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Tuesday August 02, 2016

What was Manohar Parrikar thinking? Why would the Defence Minister of India stand up, knowing videotape was running, and speak approvingly of a "team" that was "known to him" harassing a private company?

Opinion: How Amit Shah Pandered To Sidhu - Only To Have It Backfire

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Tuesday July 19, 2016

Shah's number-one agenda is for the BJP to occupy the space that the Congress once occupied - as the natural party of government in every state in every corner of India.

Opinion: Rise Of A Peaceful China? India Sees Why That's Wishful Thinking

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Wednesday July 13, 2016

Law constrains the strong and empowers the weak. International law, however, is a somewhat different animal. Weak countries ask and expect a lot of international law; strong countries choose to ignore it when it suits their interests. So: Is China weak or strong? Is India?

Opinion: Decoding The Myth Of Burhan Wani - And What Delhi Is Ignoring Again

Mihir Swarup Sharma | Monday July 11, 2016

As the Valley's mourning of Wani's death shows, New Delhi has been fooling itself if it thinks Kashmir is moving towards "normalcy" - or that it is edging towards acceptance of its place within the Indian state.

OPINION