The Victory of Bengal

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Scene 1:

The year is 1645.. 14-year old Shivaji starts his activities towards establishing Hindavi Swarajya. The idea may not be completely formed in its finality in the head of that iconic teenager. But he has grasped the simple and obvious fact which can be stated thus - Hindus should rule India, not some Arab, Mongol, Pathan, Turk, Irani, Uzbek, Abyssinian, Portuguese or British. The concept of India taught to him by his mother and other teachers which is prevalent in all Hindu epics (Land between From Himayalas to Southern Ocean is India) is the basic understanding of that teenager. He knows the sacred sites of Hindus are under siege - destroyed OR threatened. Be it sites of Vaishanavas, OR shakti-peeThas (he was devotee of Bhavaani, named after Parvati's name "Shivaa") OR Jyotirlingas of Shankara. He understands that these temples need to be liberated and the constant threat and sword of Damocles (or Sword of Islam) hanging over Hindus need to go.. Somehow. And he knew one way to do it - the way of Vaanar-Sena of Ramayana. He gathers his Vaanar-Sena and starts establishing Hindavi Swarajya - One fort at a time.

Scene 2:

The decade of 1730s. The seed planted by Shivaji, almost century ago is now ready to expand. Hindavi Swarajya has just defeated Mughals after 27 year long and bloody war and emerged victorious. The administration of burgeoning Swarajya is now delegated to office of Peshwa (Prime Minister) in Pune by the emperor of Hindavi Swarajya seated in Satara. But a significant portion of Hindavi Swarajya refuses to acknowledge primacy of Prime-Minister in affairs of Swarajya and pledges its allegiance directly to the emperor and not to Peshwa. The ruler of that portion (Raghuji Bhosale) of swarajya sits in city of Nagpur in central India. Compromise is reached over next 15 years wherein eastern India is delegated as domain of Bhosales and Western India delegated to domain of Peshwa (and those swerving that office - Holkars, Shindes). All the stake-holders - be it Peshwa faction OR Bhosale (Nagpur) faction are fueled by the founding principle of Shivaji Maharaj and Ramdas Swami - To liberate India and Hindu teerthas from dominion of Hinduphobic mlechhas (barbarians - Mughal OR Portuguese) ruling various parts of India for 600-700 years by then.

Scene 3:

Nagpur - Raghuji Bhosale initiates campaign to attack eastern India. By this time, Peshwas had already conquered territories up to Delhi and subjugated Rajputana and other regions either directly (in case of Malwa) or indirectly under 25% annual tax - chauthai agreement (Rajputana states). Nagpur begins its operations in eastern India in late 1730s and early 40s. Chhattisgarh liberated. Odisha liberated. Swarajya armies cross Subarnarekha river for the first time and enter the land of Bengal.

For next decade the Nawab of Bengal and Marathas fight and finally Subarnarekha is made working border and Odisha comes permanently under control of Swarajya in 1751. But the work is still undone. Nagpur knows this. And Pune knows this.

Scene 4:

It is 1759. Swarajya (the Pune branch) has by this time conquered territories up to Attock and Peshawar and are getting in the war with Afghans. However the collective wisdom of Pune has seen this problem with their strategy. They are engaging in Punjab without securing Ganga-Valley. They decide to disentangle from Punjab and focus again on unfinished chapter of previous decade - Bengal. That is when this famous letter is issued from Shanivar Waada in Pune to Gwalior (Dattaji Shinde) to focus on Bengal and liberate it on priority. I have referred to it in this tweet and I have reproduced that letter (along with English translation) on my blog. Link given below. Fascinating insight on political thought process of Pune court. Unfortunately Dattaji is ambushed and killed while he was moving eastward. And Marathas are sucked into campaign with Afhgans and third battle of panipat, the debacle there and their resurrection under brilliant Madhavrao-1 Peshwa by 1772. But meanwhile, East India Company has captured and colonised Bengal. Marathas still sitting in Odisha - to west of Subarnarekha watching the developments. But the question of Bengal remains unaddressed. Bengal passes on from Islamic domination to Christian domination.

https://x.com/Kal_Chiron/status/2051236522679210479

Reference letter from blog - https://kalchiron.blogspot.com/2015/03/balaji-bajirao-peshwas-letter-to.html

Scene 6:

The year is 1916. A young medical student, originally a Deshastha Brahmin from Nagpur is studying in Kolkata in day. he is also working with and learning from Anusheelan Samiti by the side. His name is Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. He is well-versed with history of Hindus, of Hindavi Swarajya, of Past sojourns of Hindavi Swarajya with Bengal - the repeated attempts, the mistakes made by Hindus. He is contemplating on methods to rectify those mistakes and build an organisation of Hindus which will inherit the moorings of Hindavi Swarajya while improving and improvising on modalites as per changed circumstances. He understood where Hindus fall short, what are the requirements of times to build such organisation. He meets with various Hindu leaders - From Maharashtra to Bengal, from Tamil nadu to Punjab. And after deep brainstorming, on vijaya dashami of 1925 AD, establishes Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur. WIthin years of its establishment, RSS becomes a Hindu street power protecting Hindus wherever possible from Muslim street menace. RSS becomes descendant of Hindavi Swarajya, the inheritor of its legacy who will continue the work for which Hindavi Swarajya was envisioned by Shivaji Maharaj in 1645. 

Scene 7:

The year is 1946. Direct action day in Bengal. Thousands of Hindus are raped and massacred by Jihadis of Muslim league. Warriors like Gopal Patha saves the day and keeps Kolkata in India by preventing demographic collapse of Hindus is region that we today call West Bengal. India wins freedom in 1947. The RSS decides that for pushing its policies, it needs to have its swayamsevaks in politics. Enter Shyamaprasad Mukherjee (SPM). Erstwhile member of Hindu Mahasabha, SPM establishes Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) which was the political arm of the burgeoning "Sangh Pariwar". A Bhadralok gentleman from Bengal introduced RSS to National Politics becoming its founding member. BJS still remains in the fringes of Indian polity slowly building grass-root network with help of RSS Swayamsevaks. SPM himself sacrifices his life in Kashmir on principle of not having two flags, two premiers and two constitutions in one India - that sacrifice of SPM becomes guiding star for the political journey of RSS and BJS. They come breifly in power from 1977 to 1980. Then from 1998 to 2004. And then from 2014 till date. They win most of the states, form stable government, fulfil dream of SPM (abolishing article 370), rebuild Ram temple in Ayodhya (and work happening by legal means to liberate Kashi, Mathura, Sambhal and many other temples besieged by Muslim occupation for centuries). Still Bengal remains elusive. The dream of Raghuji Bhosale, the dream of Mukherjee and dream of Shivaji maharaj remains unfulfilled.

Scene 8:

The lost decade of UPA - 2004-2014. Place is Indian twitter. The phenomenon of Internet Hindus has been on the rise for a decade now. Various groups of enthusiastic internet Hindus exist - On twitter and on other defense forums like Bharat-Rakshak and others where nationalistic Hindus come together to fight, discuss, brainstorm history, geography, economics and future of Hindutva. The result of this was victory of Narendra Modi in 2014. The user who currently tweets by the handle @Kal_Chiron participates in such discussions on various forums. Brilliant minds interact, often passionately. Many of them eventually become great personal friends of the person behind this handle. Some get fiercely angry and block this handle, others maintain distance. What follows in this article is the gist of all the musings that happened in various such groups in which @Kal_Chiron was a participant and the points he put forth in these groups and forums from 2004 to 2015. To avoid appearing presumptuous, the handle will quite referring to himself in third person and assume the usage of perpendicular pronoun.

 

The centrality of Odisha

When discussing ways to "solve" Bengal in favour of Hindus, one has to understand how our predecessors approached the problem. How Sangh approaches the problem and therefore how we must do so. History tells us that to crack Bengal, control over Odisha was must to support incursions east of subarnarekha. Afterall, it was liberation of Cuttack that helped the armies of Swarajya to attack Bengal under Nawab. When Sangh swayamsevaks are to work in Bengal (which by this point of time has been severely crushed under terrible and long regimes of Left Parties and TMC), there are certain tasks which certain sections of Swayamsevaks do that needs local police support. When police in the region are antagonistic (as in WB under TMC), having sympathetic police from the adjoining regions is must. To enter Bengal, one must enter from Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. So simple understanding of Chanakya's Mandala theory is that first control of Odisha, Bihar, Assam and Jharkhand is must. The geography supports Odisha and Bihar access route better than Jharkhand (it does not make difference now in days of mobile phones but the long term contours remain etched on historical tapestry - it is good to heed to them). If some swayamsevaks goes in Bengal does some task (lets say give a lecture mobilizing Hindus and is deemed undesirable, having a quick retreat to friendly territory is essential). Think of Hamza ali mazari (since that example is popular and fresh in public's mind at the time of writing this article) retrieved from hostile territory. It would be difficult to support OR extract Hamza from Afghanistan, but from Pakjab is easier (geography). 

That piece of puzzle was missing. Now in 2026, that piece of puzzle in place. Once soldiers of hindavi swarajya have base in Cuttack, no need to move armies all the way from central India. RSS is inheritor of Hindavi Swarajya's legacy, its strengths, its weaknesses and its strong regions too. While sustaining outward expansion, the swayamsevaks (and general public) working in Bengal were always going to work along the lines of 1740 incursion - Crossing Subarnarekha from Odisha in Bankura, Vishnupur area and try to move towards Murshidabad/Kolkata. It was the case then and it is the case now. BJP (Hindavi Swarajya's inheritor) won from west to east. The entry point is controlled via Odisha. Hence control over Odisha was extremely critical. Also, We now control eastern seaboard of India for first time in 300 years.  It always remained elusive

What happens next:

Subhendu will be CM. He has fought valiantly. Unless sangh parivar throws up some unexpected name, in all probability Shubhendu Adhikari will be the first BJP CM of West Bengal. But he will be (and in my opinion he should be) a namesake CM only - at least in his first term.

For first terms, even Maharashtra and UP were run like union territories from PMO. CMs (Devendra and Yogi) were rubber stamps only. Only in mid second term slowly autonomy given to Yogi and to Devendra. Himanta refused to be rubber stamp hence had to be stay as HM for first term (and to prove his loyalty to the cause and organization). Subhendu must agree or there will be some Sonoval equivalent. Shubhendu, like Himanta, is not from ideological backing of Hindutva. So it will need a closer monitoring anyways.

Almost every major file in MH (and UP) was reviewed by dedicated bench in PMO from 2014-19. Whatever files were remaining, DF transferred all to centre in his 3-day govt when UBT backstabbed BJP in 2019. Similar thing will be needed in Bengal. The bureaucracy, police from cabinet secretariat to gram-panchayat of some obscure village in Sundarbans has been infiltrated and cultivated by Left and TMC over the course of last 50 years. There is no way to know who in the bureaucracy and police stands where in loyalty, competency and soundness (refer to definition of "soundness" by Sir Arnold from Yes Minister). Until this vetting and placement of key personnel happens methodically, it will be difficult to turn around West Bengal - things are that bad.

The Role of Amit bhai Shah:

West Bengal will be personally ruled by Amit Shah this time and not by PMO. For all practical purposes, Amit shah is now ruler of WB. He lacks finesse of Modi. But perhaps WB needs AS for getting back on track.

What I know from following sangh and being its swayamsevak from childhood and from observing Amit Shah very closely (and admiringly), what I can say with confidence that the mistakes done 250 years ago by swarajya will not be repeated this time. It was a half-hearted attack then (in 1740s). There were no armies of Pune Gwalior, thanjavur, Indore accompanying nagpur armies. Partially same thing happened in 2021. 

This time swarajya's inheritor attacked in unison. I don’t think Bengal will abandon saffron anymore for next 20-30 years now. Sangh Parivar will do thorough cleanup of Bengal now and get invested in fabric of Bengal completely and thoroughly - to an extent that Bengal will become like MP and Gujarat for Sangh in coming years. Solid, dependable region providing great human resources for further the cause of Hindutva nationally and globally. 

The Future: Why I have high hopes from Bengal:

And I feel Bengal will lead Hindutva henceforth. It is my intuition. Especially Bengal will now come up some workable and scalable strategy to do mass gharwapsi (or ghenghiz khan treatment or both). Bhau Torsekar planted this idea in my head. He has not expanded on it (perhaps he hasn't thought too much on this until now beyond a point OR is tight-lipped on it yet).

I compare and contrast this with people in Maharashtra. We (in MH) have grown far too rich and lazy. The threat perception is not that high. We have become far too casteist. I am seeing the problems creeping in mindset of Maharashtra (in spite of being fountainhead of modern Hindutva). I hope that someone fills the gaps. I had hoped it will be UP, but I am not sure about it now.

Bengal is progressive enough to adopt new ideas (like MH). Bengal is not very serious on caste divides (unlike MH to an extent and definitely unlike UP-Bihar). UP-Bihar are so traditionalists that I don’t see any hope from them coming up with new ideas which are relevant to modern times. Only MH and Bengal can do that. And MH is rich lazy and busy in caste-infighting. Therefore I hope that Bengal comes up with solutions and leads by example in next 10 years.

Gharwapsi entails inclusion of converted into mainstream society. UP-Bihar will never accept the reconverted in their mainstream. The Hindutvavaadi but progressive Bengal may come up with workable and scalable solutions. 

The times are tough. Bengal has taken long to become hindutva state and there is distinct possibility that it is already too late. But I remain eternally optimistic. This time, we will beat the odds and survive, thrive and rise as a powerful and temporally relevant civilization providing alternative ideas of dharma to world which is struggling to achieve the state of sustainable living with surrounding while prospering materially. Dharma can teach the world that. And Bengal can (and will) help stabilise dharma - not just in eastern India but also in Eastern and South-eastern Asia. It is a remarkable development for people in North-east India and countries to east of India along bay of bengal rim.

Jay Shri Raama. 

The riddle of Ambedkar and Reservation

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People wonder why sangha didn't invest in producing good social commentators who're good at their craft and relatively honest even if not fully. Requires money to be invested but not multi millions of dollars, and even that capital isn't out of reach for many years now. Even if one says ambedkar was already established here, the counter argument is going to be that you being the hindu side, should've tried to replace him with hindu icons from those communities (Like Sant Ravidas for example). 

There is difference between sant ravidas (and other Hindu dalit icons) and Ambedkar. 

Ambedkar is a modern man with modern solutions fit for current day Westphalian nation-state model. Older Hindu Dalits saints (even MH has many of those jīvanamukta beings with dalit bodies) are ok for Bhakti and adhyātma. But they don’t have a policy suggestions which can be implemented in this Westphalian nation-state system of governance that is enforced on us by the British post 1857. If we had reverted to varNāshrama dharma in 1947, it would have been possible. But this was preempted by Ambedkar in 1920s. 

Reservations are pact or a contract between four-varNa Hindus and the untouchables that the latter’s interests will be accommodated within Hindu society without them asking for separate country. They actually asked for it in 1920s (started with separate electorate - would have moved to separate country - just like Muslim league). 

Now one may argue that SCs in cow belt were untouched by this and I will agree. But SCs in MH, Punjab, WB were not untouched (and that is from where most of the freedom struggle was fought - especially Bengal and Maharashtra). The thoughts of Jogendranath Mandal were even worse.

There was enormous state patronage from the British for this separate dalit electorate demand just like Muslims. If fact I respect Gandhi for this one act alone. He literally blackmailed Ambedkar into submission by his genuine fast unto almost death (which would led to huge anti-SC riots all over country (again - mostly in MH, WB and Punjab) and society would have splintered irrevocably. Poona-Pact is where this second partition of India was nipped in the bud. Tilak tried to nip first partition in bud in Lucknow-Pact earlier but it failed (due to nature of Islam - but that is separate topic).

In form of reservations, we all are paying for that Poona pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar. Now there is no exit clause from here. One can get out of this contract only by keeping dharma alive in minds, lives and conscious of as large a chunk of Dalits as possible and then using that dharma to gradually wean off that chunk of Dalits away from these subversive tendencies. These Dalits will leave this on their own (or will be integrated enough that when we remove it, there won’t be much fuss).

People diss Phule. But remember where and when Phule was cultivated and why (In Pune, born 9 years after 1818 and active around 1840-1880 : his peak was around 1857). There is no one single pro Hindu mass leader born in this time (Tilak born in 1856 and got active late in 1887-90). So from 1818 to 1890s British had virtually free run from 1818 to 1890 to subvert entire societies at will. Phule happened at that time. And they had special “love” for Marathas (because they knew they had actually won india from them and not from Mughals). They were really good at taking the best from among Hindus and twisting them in their minds to make them act against Hindu interests (look at Sikhs post 1850). I am glad Maharashtrian society resisted that poison that was so successfully injected in Punjab and Tamil Nadu

The “Hindu” and “modern” answer for this riddle (or Dalits and reservations etc) was Savarkar. But we all know what was his status in sociopolitical discourse until recently (Godse by his foolish act made sure Savarkar was relegated to corner). By 2014, Phule-Ambedkar-Shahu were already made ubiquitous all across India - especially after 1980s. And Savarkar will always remain an “outsider” to Dalits until they integrate fully into Hindu consciousness like other jātis (which they are - many never left). 

What is the way forward? 

Hindus (especially savarNa) need to understand that Ambedkar has become PBUH for Dalits all over India. And this was not done by Sangh (or Maharashtrian Brahmins 😁). The ékātmatā stotra etc names many names. There are many dalit Bastis where we emphasise on Lahuji Vastad, Ravidas, Vālmiki, Vyasa, Chokha-Mela etc as being “also dalit icons” and gradually it is resonating (except within the largest SC beneficiary caste of the region who is most vested in maintaining the mythology strictly around Ambedkar - they are the ones within SCs who have benefited from the reservation the most at the expense of other SCs who are even today staunchly Hindu.) But a very well calibrated, researched and evidence backed narrative (pushed by far stronger forces than us for far too long) is such that atrocities were done and Ambedkar rescued them. So even those within SCs who are staunchly Hindu genuinely believe that Ambedkar gave them opportunities (which I cannot say I disagree given the views of people like Karpātri Maharaj who was active until very 80s which “may” have been widespread within savarNa Hindus of north). 

Add to this demographic reality. Thankfully the caste census will solve this question once and for all. We will soon have real data and everyone (GC-Hindus, Muslims, OBCs and SC-STs) will understand their numerical strength so that policies can be recalibrated as per this new numerical reality.

The only way out of reservation and associated narrative is for India to grow rich and expand. Make many good medical and engineering colleges so that there are enough seats so that decent GC kids to get admission and not just super brilliant ones. Having been associated with IIT, I know how the kids from reservation category struggle in completing the BTech courses which they got in at lesser JEE cutoff. Many dropout and do not/cannot complete the course which is very demanding. Same for medical. So I am not worrying about bad engineers and doctors passing out (those who make it to degree are decently equipped). We just need lot more seats where GC kids don’t have to sweat so much in spite of reservations. Economy is growing and in life and society which is relatively free. the talent shines and coal does not. This is my experience so far. There will never be reservations in Private sector in India. That is where money and growth is.

Long term - as said above. Gradually convince SCs that they don’t need reservations and asking them to give it up in addition to empowering private sector. This is multigenerational project which Sangh is doing at its pace and as per its intellect.

Fructification dates of 90-year cycle of History of 2030s

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The dates for current fructification of the 90-year cycle of history. There are two massive events happening in this time. Guru+Rahu in death spiral AND Shani+ketu in death spiral.

24/08/2030 - shani 44 taurus, ketu 49 taurus - imagine this as two merging black-holes in their final (5 degree approach) spiral of collision. This is the date when final phases of the spiral starts.

21/09/2030 - shani (retro) 44 taurus, ketu 46 taurus

from this date onwards, both start moving back. All this happening in second paada of rohiNi nakshatra. Both are basically moving back in rohiNi hand in hand from this date.

20/10/2030 - shani (R) 43.59, ketu (R)  43.58 - the first collision. Shani accelerates in retrogression hereafter to go farther (not much) to escape the the pull of another. This happens in Navamsha of Venus. 

05/11/2030 - Guru 218, Rahu 223 - The second massive set of black-holes begin their death spiral in Scorpio (anuradha nakshatra of Shani co-ruled by ketu)

26/11/2030 - Guru 223 degrees, Rahu 223 Degrees (Anuradha 3rd paada - venus navamsha) - The actual collision of this set in tula/dhanu navamsha of anuradha-3/4)

13/12/2030 - Guru 227, Rahu 223 - 5 degree separation between the two. Thankfully, these two do not meet again later. But this is a very small mercy. Damage already done and stage set for next event.

02/02/2031 - Shani 38 taurus, Ketu 40 taurus

Shani's retrogression ends on this date. They again approach each other for one more headlong collision

23/02/2031 - shani 38.12, ketu 38.12 taurus (rohiNi first charaNa) - the date of second headlong collision of these two planets (in navamsha of mars).

30/04/2031 - Shani 40 taurus, ketu 35 taurus (finally five degree separation between the two in opposite direction).

From August 2030 to April 2031, in these 9 months something momentous is going to happen which will shatter the world. This is the time when the 90-year cycle will explode on the world (and India and Hindus). The second collision happening in Feb in Aries navamsha (which is the absolute worst position for both Shani and Ketu to be, even separately. here they are together) is especially bad. 

Think of these 9 months as the gestation period of human karma which will start bearing fruit simultaneously and will continue troubling the living world for next decade or so. Those will be the effects of this this massive event. Had guru been alone, aspecting Shani+ketu, it would have been a saving grace. Guru too is poisoned by Rahu in the nakshatra of shani (who is poisoned too) at exact same time as Shani is by Ketu. 

Last time when this happened, Hitler launched Op. Barbarossa.... I don't think even then there was guru+rahu in anuradha in addition to shani+ketu in rohiNi. This shows something worse than Op. Barbarossa.

This happened 180 years ago (1850s). Crimean War, Anglo-Indian war of independence, seeds of American Civil war, Anglo-China Opium war. As is the case with participation of guru+rahu, religion/ideology played the triggering effect in 1850s (at least in India). 

And this again happened 360 years ago in the decade of 1680s (Remember Chhava and Hindavi Swarajya's 27 year long bloody religious war with Aurangzeb). 

Whatever happens in these 9 months (August 2030 to April 2031), religion/ideology will play the triggering role here. 

Hacking the Human Development Index – The India Way

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By Shri. Rama Yeleshwarapu

A few days ago, I read an insightful article by an old Bharat Rakshak friend, Suraj, in Swarajya magazine about India’s journey towards Vikasit Bharat by 2047 through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I highly recommend that readers take a look at it.

Hacking the Human Development Index: Why UNDP's Latest HDI Scores For India Are Misleading

Understanding Vikasit Bharat and SDGs

Let’s start with the basics. What is our vision, as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi? We aim to become a Vikasit Bharat by 2047. But what does that mean? Essentially, it implies that the quality of life in India, for all 140+ crore citizens, will reach an average SDG score of 80 or more. The SDG score is a key indicator of long-term sustainability in quality of life, assuming there are no major disruptions like wars or catastrophic natural events.

India could have defined its own quality-of-life indicators without external influence. However, adopting an internationally recognized standard has strategic advantages. It allows India to benchmark itself against global peers and enhances its credibility in international financial markets. A high SDG score can improve India’s rankings in various financial indices, potentially lowering the cost of capital and international borrowings. Even a modest 1-2% reduction in borrowing costs could save India Rs. 2-3 lakh crore annually - equivalent to our current food security expenditure.

Of course, agreeing to an international standard brings challenges. Some indicators may not align with Indian realities, while others may conflict with India’s unique advantages. However, since our policymakers have accepted SDG standards, it makes more sense to focus on achieving high scores efficiently while preserving India’s civilizational identity.

Can India Achieve High SDG Scores?

There are 17 SDG goals measured through 105 indicators, covering various aspects of human well-being. These indicators are tracked using a complex yet widely accepted methodology, which interested readers can explore online.

To assess India’s progress, we refer to the India SDG Report 2023-24. I encourage readers to go through this report, as the goal here is not to re-state its details but to engage in a broader discussion.

A careful review of SDG goals shows that most have little to do with technological superiority or even GDP. While economic development is essential for tackling poverty, hunger, and education, GDP alone does not fully capture individual well-being. In fact, eight out of the 17 SDG goals do not depend on technological advancement. Most nations, including India, can achieve high SDG scores using existing technologies.

As of 2024, India’s SDG score stands at 71, marking a 14-point increase from 2018 (Page 67 of the report). India has already surpassed the 80-point benchmark in three out of 17 SDG goals and scored over 70 in five more. Given the Modi government’s mission-driven approach (Pages 6-9 of the report), achieving an overall score of 80 by 2029—or at the latest, by 2030—is realistic.

The Reality Behind High SDG Scores

It is important to remember that achieving a perfect score of 100 on an SDG goal does not mean all citizens enjoy equal benefits. There will always be individuals who are dissatisfied or unable to afford certain lifestyle improvements. In a country of 140 crore people, even a tiny fraction—say, one lakh (<0.0001%)—will inevitably be unhappy with some aspect of life. In today’s digital era, this small group can amplify their grievances across social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter/X, Instagram, and YouTube.

To put things in perspective, China had an overall SDG score of 70.85 in 2022. India has reached a similar score in 2024, just two years behind. Even China aims to cross the 80-point mark by 2030, so India remains on track.

However, an important distinction must be made: Just because India and China both achieve an SDG score above 80 does not mean they are identical in all indicators. Differences in individual SDG scores and the methods used to achieve them will persist. Consider Finland, which has the world’s highest SDG score of 86.35, yet performs poorly in three key areas: (2) Zero Hunger, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, and (13) Climate Action. This should remind Indians not to indulge in unnecessary self-criticism.

The India Way

The essence of SDGs lies in sustainability. A nation may achieve a perfect score temporarily, but if that progress is unsustainable, it will ultimately fail. A useful metric to assess sustainability is ecological footprint, which measures the human demand on natural resources. If the entire world lived like the United States, we would require four Earths to sustain that lifestyle. Finland’s lifestyle would require 1.4 Earths, while China’s would need three Earths.

In contrast, India’s current SDG score of 71 requires only 0.7 Earths. The Bharatiya approach must focus on achieving an SDG score above 80 while maintaining this low ecological footprint. This is a critical distinction that readers should keep in mind.

Another key aspect of India’s strategy is ensuring that Vikasit Bharat is also Virasat Bharat. India’s civilizational identity remains rooted in its Hindu heritage. If an Islamic USA can exist in Dubai and a Christian China in France, then India can certainly be a Hindu China. There can be no compromise on this civilizational foundation.

The third dimension of India’s approach is its global impact. Every nation’s progress affects others, either positively or negatively. The Spillover Index measures these cross-border influences in trade, finance, and security. With a score of 95.74, India ranks 27th globally - outperforming all G20 countries. This means India’s rise benefits the world, a claim few other G20 nations can make.

A Different Path to Development

Finally, there is the GDP argument. Many believe that becoming a developed nation requires a per capita GDP of over $40,000 (as seen in first-world countries) or at least China’s $15,000. However, India may prove otherwise. It is possible for India to achieve Vikasit Bharat status with a per capita GDP of just $5,000 by leveraging sustainable growth models. If successful, this would be a major contribution to the Global South, breaking Western financial hegemony once and for all.

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India’s SDG journey is not just about improving scores but about redefining development itself. By prioritizing sustainability, cultural identity, and global responsibility, Bharat can carve out a unique and impactful path towards Vikasit Bharat 2047.

The Prodigal Sons of the State Dept - Part 3 - Entry of ISIS

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From 2012 to April 2014, the phenomenon of the ISIS/ISIL, called “Daesh” (Bad People/terrorists) by people in Islamic states to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe the organization that calls itself “Islamic State”,  burst upon the scene.

The earlier version appeared to have morphed from diverse warlord groups operating in Iraq. The effort to set up democratic US-model elections in Iraq had predictably led to the rise of a government dominated by the majority Shia. There were power-sharing deals to keep the heavily-armed Sunnis (Saddam Hussein was a Sunni) pacified. However the jostling between warlords had spiraled into chaos. American interest in keeping up ground forces di- minished as belated realization that the 2003 ‘WMD dossiers’ were blatant scams, started percolating even through parts of the US public discourse and mainstream media. For reference, even in 2005, State Department retirees and others were citing the consternation of people in the US intelligence community: They had recognized the ‘satellite photos’ that were waved around in the UN Security Council by US Secretary of State General Colin Powell as ‘proof’ of Iraqi WMD. They knew that those were from 1990, and long-since destroyed or otherwise emptied. Rising domestic pressure to bring the troops home, was accompanied by rising pressure on Iraqi politicians to demand exit of the Americans.

A swift rash of attacks by the initial version of ISIS was eventually put down, and the Americans pulled out - significantly including cut-backs in aerial intervention. By late 2013/early 2014, the new ISIS had exploded on the scene, sweeping across the landscape of Iraq. It became evident that the earlier disappearance from Iraq was because the ISIS had been pulled out and redeployed inside the massive Sunni belt of Syria, particularly along the Euphrates river corridor, and the borders with Turkey.

With the Syrian government desperately fighting off the urban/suburban insurrection, the so-called ISIS forces occupied essentially all of the areas marked in white in Figure above as well as most of the Sunni-majority areas. Reuter published so-called Secret Files revealing the structure of the ISIS (Ref: https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-files-show-structure-of-islamist-terror-group-a-1029274.html). 

We will cite some facts and leave the rest to be filtered by the reader. The city of Raqqa fell to ’rebels’ in March 2013 and on October 17, the Islamic State called all the leaders and announced a full takeover: anyone with other ideas was executed, the rest swore allegiance to the Islamic State.

The second phase of the invasion started with Turkey openly transporting trainloads of heavy weapons to its border areas and feeding the ISIS to occupy the Euphrates valley (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/world/europe/turkey-is-a-steady-source-of-isis-recruits.html). 

Meanwhile Israeli forces attacked Syrian soldiers in the Golan Heights even as they were trying to defend against ISIS assaults; the ISIS wounded were taken into Israeli hospitals for treatment (https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-allows-first-peek-into-secret-field-hospital-on-syrian-border/ and https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13921113001187 and https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/06/11/exclusive-israel-is-tending-to-wounded-syrian-rebels/) . 

Syrian air force bases were attacked by Israeli air power, and then overrun by the ISIS. In most cases, all Syrian soldiers who surrendered - and did not manage to be absorbed into ISIS ranks by virtue of ethnicity, were murdered and dumped in mass graves or rivers. In quick succession, villages small towns and larger cities fell to the invaders.

In December 2013, other Syrian rebel groups, even Al Nusra whom the US belatedly started calling an ‘Al Qaeda- related’ Islamist extremist group, banded together to attack ISIS and pushed them out of most of the occupied Syrian areas, even Raqqa. This may have been mostly for show, as the ISIS was needed elsewhere: by June 2014 the ISIS was swarming in Iraq.

The Kurds in the border areas declared independence, and were supported by American/NATO airpower and weapons to some extent. They managed to repel ISIS attacks on the city of Kobani. There were heart-rending reports of young Kurdish women soldiers fighting until they had exhausted their ammunition, and then, facing capture and torture, killed themselves with explosives, killing several of the ISIS swarming over them. The Kurdish SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) were reported to be fighting in collaboration with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) against the ISIS in September 2014 (https://www.reuters.com/article/world/syrian-army-turkish-forces-clash-near-border-state-media-idUSKBN1X91UX/_).

The Syrian government claimed since the very beginning, that they were facing a foreign terrorist invasion. This has been more than vindicated by the massive scale of subsequent warfare, with the Syrian armed forces severely outgunned and outmanned, and reduced to defending a few pockets around Damascus and in the province of Latakia. By mid 2015, these areas were also under threat with Damascus suburbs getting heavy shelling. The cities of Homs, Aleppo, Raqqa, Kobani and Palmyra had been lost from Syrian control. Deir ez Zor (D-e-Z), near the Iraq border, has a gruesome history: It was where the Turkish Ottoman forces drove thousands of exhausted Armenian families, and left them to starve to death under the desert sun during the Armenian Genocide. D-e-Z became a besieged garrison with an airport that was often under fire. Syrian soldiers who surrendered elsewhere, had been mercilessly beheaded by the ISIS and the other Rebels, and perhaps this knowledge of certain torture and death sustained the D-e-Z defenders through a historic stand until they were relieved by a combined Syrian-Iranian force in late 2016. The commander of the D-e-Z garrison, General Zahreddin died days later when his vehicle hit a mine outside D-e-Z. At the very last stage of the D-e-Z siege, US warplanes killed over 100 Syrian soldiers in their defensive positions outside D-e-Z, 3 minutes before the ISIS launched a massive assault, very nearly breaking through the Syrian defense line. The US military later claimed that this was an error - which the Russians and Syrians found incredible.

The US Taxpayer’s Benevolence

US involvement started with covert aid to the Syrian Rebels, and clearly supported the armed groups trying to invade Damascus and overthrow the Assad government. The US arming, training and funding the ‘dissent’ in Syria, was quite open and proudly announced. There was strong support for the principle of supporting the Forces of Freedom in Syria against the ‘regime’ of the ‘brutal dictator Assad’, with measures including decapitation strikes, and War Crimes Trials loudly demanded against President Assad. The small fact that Syria was (and is) a sovereign member of the United Nations, that had done nothing hostile against the United States nor posed any challenge to the security of the USA, was not seen mentioned.

It is now apparent that covert aid started very early, but formal approval for military aid to the ‘Rebels’ did not occur until September 2014, by which time the ISIS was swarming all over Iraq and Syria. By 2015, the US had authorized some of the rebel groups to call in US/ NATO airstrikes, purportedly to allow them to fight off ISIS assaults, but equally enabling strikes on the forces of the Syrian government (https://nypost.com/2014/09/17/house-grudgingly-approves-arms-for-syrian-rebels/ and https://www.reuters.com/article/world/u-s-congress-approves-arming-syrian-rebels-funding-government-idUSKBN0HD1UJ/ and https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/09/17/349075789/after-a-long-wait-syrian-rebels-hope-the-weapons-will-now-flow and https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-give-some-syria-rebels-ability-to-call-airstrikes-1424208053).

Doubts about the nature of the Allies receiving US aid appeared in the US media following this Congressional approval. By September 2014 the media were putting the term ’moderate’ in quotes while referring to the rebels whom the US taxpayer was supporting. Thus there were reports that the US-funded ‘Opposition’ against the Syrian Government, had sworn that they backed the ‘rebels’ against the ’Al Qaeda’. In this context, we must point out that the term  ’Al Qaeda’ means ”root directory’ of a hard disk in a computer found in the rubble in Afghanistan by US forces in 2001. The term appears to find usage mainly in justifying funding from Western lawmakers, as in ’we need funding to fight Al Qaeda in (fill in the geographic feature such as ‘Arabian Peninsula’ or ‘Iraq’). 

The only reported usage of such a term in an in- ternal Arabic document was an early position paper by Dr. Aiman Al Zuwahiri, lieutenant to Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, de- scribing the members of the initial Afghan resistance against the Soviets as the core of the movement for Islamic purity (https://www.reuters.com/article/world/syria-s-moderate-rebels-say-they-need-weapons-not-training-idUSKBN0HA0QX/ and https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-does-not-rule-out-meeting-syrias-assad-restore-ties-2024-06-28/).

In September 2014, the US forces bombed ISIS sites in Syria. By May 2015, apparent consternation had dawned in Washington DC about what was obvious to anyone else: that Saudi Arabia and Turkey were sponsoring the ISIS- the same entities that the US forces were supposed to be bombing in Syria. By November 2015, the optimism had faded, lamenting that more airstrikes were not likely to help defeat the ISIS. But by then the Russians were in action (https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/u-s-bombs-isis-sites-syria-targets-khorasan-group-n209421 and https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-shock-western-countries-by-supporting-antiassad-jihadists-10242747.html)

To be Continued..