N. Ram, that veteran journalist we all know from The Hindu, stood up at a seminar in HKS Surjeet Bhavan and spoke with real fire in his voice. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. He said the Indian people need to come out and protest — not just against the big attack on Iran by the US and Israel, but also against how India’s own foreign policy has changed under the Modi government. He called it a “shameful” shift, the kind that makes you wonder where our independent voice has gone.
Ram put it simply: “We have come to a stage where people must protest against this transformation of India’s foreign policy, side by side with our struggle against imperialist attacks on various states and the people of those countries.” He even expressed solidarity with folks facing aggression in West Asia and beyond. You could feel the room nodding along — this wasn’t some dry speech; it was a call to wake up and speak out.
Back at the end of February, the United States and Israel launched heavy strikes on Iran. It was sudden and brutal. They hit military sites in Tehran and other places, and unhappily, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed along with manifold top officials. That kicked off a hazardous cycle — Iran hit back with missiles and drones, tensions shattered all across the Gulf, and the entire region is still on border more than a month later. Oil prices are jumping, supply lines are tottering, and thousands of Indian families and workers in the area are worried sick about what comes next.
Ram didn’t hold back. He described the strikes as treacherous and unprovoked imperialist enmity. And India’s reaction? He and many others feel the government under Modi has been too quiet, almost tilting the wrong way. No strong words of condemnation, no clear stand for sovereignty or against big-power bullying. Some point out that Modi had just been in Israel around that time, and critics say the overall policy now looks too cozy with certain Western and Israeli interests, moving away from India’s old tradition of strategic autonomy and standing with the Global South.
For Ram, this is a big departure from how India used to handle these things — keeping our head high, speaking for the weaker nations, not appearing to line up behind the powerful. He wants ordinary Indians to raise their voice through protests, discussions, whatever it takes, so that our foreign policy reflects who we really are: a country that values independence and fairness, not one that stays silent when a friend like Iran gets hit hard.
Of course, not everyone sees it the same way. The government side says they’re being practical — protecting Indian lives, keeping the economy stable, avoiding getting dragged into someone else’s war. They’ve issued travel advisories and are watching the situation closely because we depend on that region for energy and have deep ties on both sides. Foreign policy is blotchy; you’ve got to balance defence deals with Israel, oil from the Gulf, and old friendships with Iran. It’s never black and white.
But Ram’s point hits home for a lot of people, especially those who remember India’s non-aligned past. When big powers attack without clear provocation and we don’t speak up firmly, it risks our believeableness. It risks looking like just going along instead of standing on principle. With the conflict still boiling, higher fuel costs could soon nip our pockets, and the human cost — lives lost, families displaced — is heartbreaking.
The seminar was arranged by the Coalition against Imperialism, and voices there called for organised resistance. Ram’s words are making rounds, and small protests have already started often unannounced up at places like Jantar Mantar. People are asking: In these dangerous times, should India stay passive or reclaim a stronger, more independent stand?
Whether agree with Ram’s sharp censure, it’s too one-sided, one thing is clear — this conflict in West Asia isn’t far away. It’s touching our economy, our diaspora, and our place in the world. Public pressure, open debate, and citizens making noise can help keep our democracy’s foreign policy honest and true to our values.
Sources:
- The Hindu, March 30, 2026: “People must protest against attack on Iran, India’s foreign policy: N. Ram”
- Coverage on the 2026 US-Israel strikes on Iran and ongoing West Asia conflict from Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera and related reports.
