In this episode, we explore the transformation of Pakistan into the epicenter of global terrorism in the years following 9/11. What began as a tactical retreat by Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters turned into a full-fledged resurgence, with North and South Waziristan becoming the launchpads for militancy across Afghanistan and Pakistan. By 2006–07, the Taliban were regaining ground in Helmand, Kandahar, and Zabul, while Al-Qaeda embedded itself deep within Pakistan’s tribal belt.

We take listeners through the critical turning points that shaped this trajectory: Dick Cheney’s 2007 visit to Islamabad, the breakdown of peace agreements with Taliban warlords, and the emergence of Lal Masjid in Islamabad as a symbol of radical defiance in the heart of Pakistan’s capital. The siege of Lal Masjid, Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, and the National Reconciliation Ordinance exposed the fragile nexus of politics, intelligence, and militancy.

The episode also covers how disillusioned Pakistani military officers defected to join jihadist movements, bringing with them not only battlefield skills but also sophisticated insurgency strategies. This paved the way for Al-Qaeda’s grand designs from targeting NATO supply lines to orchestrating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, aimed at provoking an India–Pakistan war.

We unravel how global jihadist ideology, Pakistan’s domestic politics, and regional rivalries combined to create an enduring cycle of violence. More than just history, this story explains why Pakistan continues to be viewed as the “nursery of terrorism” and why its militant legacy remains central to South Asia’s security challenges today.

Namaskar,

We at Niti Shastra bring to you podcast “Operation Sindoor & The Global Reset” on India’s Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam Terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan. In this episode we discuss the contours of India’s Operation Sindoor where it hit Pakistan strategically taking out its 11 airbases marking a paradigm shift from Strategic Restraint to Sovereign Retaliation.

We discuss the radicalization of Pakistani army and the various suitors who have backed Pakistan as an agent of Chaos & Conflict in the region. From Turkey to China to American funding of Pakistan, we discuss threadbare the tumultuous nature of the conflict in South Asia. And finally we make the sense the larger play of Trade War and Economics that has defined the shifts in global order through centuries.

We really hope you enjoy listening to the podcast. Wish to have you with us in our journey going forward. Do like, share the video and subscribe to our platform at nitishastra.substack.com , YouTube (@nitishastraIndia), Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

We bring podcast on The DD India article titled "The India Growth Story" authored by Navroop Singh, that outlines the remarkable journey of India’s economic rise, positioning it as the world’s fifth-largest economy with a GDP of $3.72 trillion. It highlights how India’s economic composition has evolved, with the services sector now contributing over half of the GDP, followed by industry and a declining share from agriculture. With a strategic target of achieving a $5 trillion economy by 2025, the government is focusing on boosting manufacturing to comprise 25% of GDP. The article emphasizes India’s global standing in purchasing power parity and its growing economic influence across sectors.

The narrative also delves into key policy initiatives that have accelerated this growth trajectory, including "Make in India," "Atma Nirbhar Bharat," and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes. These reforms are designed to attract foreign investment, increase domestic manufacturing, and foster self-reliance, especially in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy. With over ₹95,000 crore in investments already mobilized under the PLI schemes, the article presents a forward-looking view of India’s ambition to become a manufacturing powerhouse, underpinned by structural reforms and strategic vision.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

We are bringing you the podcast on the article “The Gold Fix: Mar-A-Lago Accord” on #NitiShastra Platform. In this podcast we discuss about Gold Revaluation, Mara Lago Accord, Capital Controls and Sovereign Wealth Fund by Trump Administration as a means to fix budget deficit & reboot the American economy as an Industrial and manufacturing power house. We discuss the policy dictums of Trump’s Chief Economic Advisor Stephen Miran who is seeking to restructure the global trade.

For a detailed reading you can read our article over here on #NitiShastra.

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Team Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

In today’s episode “Falun Gong: China’s Silent War on Faith” , we dive into one of the most controversial narratives pushed by the Chinese Communist Party that Falun Gong, the spiritual practice banned in China since 1999, is secretly backed by the CIA. While Falun Gong has indeed been vocal against the CCP's authoritarianism and has built a powerful diaspora network through media and advocacy, there is no credible evidence proving any formal or covert ties to the CIA or other intelligence agencies. Chinese state propaganda routinely claims Falun Gong is a tool of American destabilization, but these accusations appear more like ideological smears than fact-based allegations. Falun Gong itself continues to deny any government ties, maintaining its identity as a spiritual discipline focused on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

We also explore how Falun Gong’s global outreach especially through platforms like The Epoch Times and Shen Yun has led to growing perceptions in China that it’s part of a larger anti-communist coalition. While their goals often align with U.S. critiques of the Chinese regime, this doesn’t imply CIA coordination. In fact, independent investigations and scholarly reports repeatedly find no evidence of operational backing. What we see is a grassroots resistance movement that, due to the brutality of its repression, has naturally found allies in human rights circles and Western democracies. The real story here is not covert espionage, but how personal faith collided with a totalitarian state and sparked a global moral and political response.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

In today’s episode, we explore the geopolitical, economic, and ethnic complexities surrounding Xinjiang, officially the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, also historically known as East Turkestan. Accounting for one-sixth of China’s landmass, Xinjiang is a strategic gateway to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, rich with vital resources like coal, oil, gas, and precious minerals. The Chinese Communist Party's aggressive modernization efforts have exploited Xinjiang’s energy wealth through massive pipelines like the East-West Gas Pipeline and the Central Asia-China Gas Network. Yet, these developments have disproportionately benefited the Han migrants, deepening resentment among the indigenous Uighur Muslim population, leading to rising ethnic tensions, violent crackdowns, and the emergence of separatist movements like ETIM and TIP, which over time linked themselves with global jihadist networks.

We also dive into how Xinjiang has become pivotal to China’s broader ambitions, especially under the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), providing a vital overland route to bypass maritime vulnerabilities. However, this economic rise has come at the cost of massive human rights violations, international criticism, and covert support to Uighur advocacy groups from Western powers like the United States. As China seeks to secure its internal frontiers for its global ambitions, the growing unrest in Xinjiang and its increasing vulnerability to external interference could become a decisive fault line that will test the resilience of China’s global leadership aspirations in the years ahead.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

In today’s episode “Myanmar’s Descent into Chaos: Proxy War, Ethnic Strife, and Narco-Terrorism” , we explore Myanmar’s complex internal conflict shaped by deep ethnic fault lines, the rise of narco-terrorism, and the proxy battles of global powers. We examine how groups like the United Wa State Army, Kachin Independence Army, Arakan Army, and Karen National Liberation Army control large territories, fueled by the narcotics economy and backed by external patrons. China’s dual strategy of supporting both the military junta and ethnic armed organizations is laid bare, as is America’s subtle support to resistance forces aiming to deny Beijing full control. We also uncover how India, balancing immediate security concerns with long-term regional interests, walks a delicate tightrope in Myanmar’s evolving crisis.

The episode highlights how Myanmar has transformed into a critical battleground for global influence, with the narco-economy funding insurgencies, ethnic militias carving autonomous zones, and major infrastructure corridors hanging in the balance. We analyze different future scenarios ranging from permanent fragmentation to a prolonged stalemate, and assess why Myanmar’s instability threatens the broader Indo-Pacific balance. This discussion offers a detailed breakdown of rebel groups, foreign interference, narcotics networks, and the critical stakes for India, China, and the United States in what is no longer a local civil war, but a regional faultline shaping the new Asian geopolitics.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

The Podcast “Yemen's Endless War” traces the long and complex history of Yemen’s conflict, from its colonial past as divided North and South Yemen, through Cold War rivalries, unification under Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the eruption of civil war following the Arab Spring. It explores how internal grievances, combined with regional proxy battles, turned Yemen into a brutal battleground involving Iran-backed Houthis, Saudi Arabia’s coalition forces, UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council, and terror groups like AQAP and ISIS. The narrative follows how Western arms sales, Emirati use of private military contractors, and Russia’s growing influence with southern separatists have added further layers to Yemen’s fragmentation.

It also highlights how strategic control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has made Yemen a global flashpoint, drawing in the US, China, and France militarily. The Houthis' increasing threats toward Israel, Iran’s regional ambitions, and Russia’s interest in securing maritime dominance through Socotra are woven into the conflict’s modern phase. Throughout, the article emphasizes the catastrophic humanitarian toll: famine, disease, displaced populations, and collapsing infrastructure. Ultimately, it presents Yemen not just as a civil war zone but as a mirror reflecting the larger power struggles of the Middle East and beyond, with no end in sight.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar

In this podcast “South China Sea: The Flashpoint in Asia-Pacific”, we discuss the flash point in South China Sea today represents far more than a regional maritime dispute it has become the defining faultline where the future of global power is being contested.

In this episode, we delve deep into how China's aggressive reclamation and militarization, America's persistent naval operations, and the growing alignment of Indo-Pacific powers like India, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines are transforming these waters into the most volatile battleground of the 21st century.

We also explore India's expanding role as a critical player in safeguarding the Indo-Pacific, the crumbling of ASEAN unity, and the impact of China's "Island Chain Strategy" on Pacific geopolitics.

The South China Sea is not merely about shipping lanes or fisheries; it is about the rules, alliances, and power structures that will define the 21st century. Tune in to understand why the South China Sea is no longer just a distant dispute it is where the next chapter of global history is being written.

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Niti Shastra

Namaskar,

In today’s episode “Pipelines, Ports, and Power: How Energy Corridors Are Redrawing the Map of Eurasia”, we take you deep inside the real drivers behind some of the world’s biggest conflicts from Afghanistan to Syria to Ukraine. We’ll uncover how global energy battles, gas pipelines, and rare earth resources have shaped wars, regime changes, and trade alliances. We explore how the Qatar gas pipeline rejection by Syria triggered a proxy war, how the U.S. quietly supported the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s for energy access, and how Afghanistan’s untapped lithium reserves factored into long-term U.S. strategy. We also break down how Russia used pipelines like Nord Stream to dominate Europe and how the Ukraine war reshaped Europe’s entire energy map, giving rise to U.S. and Qatari LNG dominance.

Then, we move to the future: how India’s new IMEEC corridor challenges China’s Belt and Road Initiative, how China’s pipelines in Myanmar create strategic backdoors to the Indian Ocean, and how the U.S. is countering China’s moves through hybrid strategies. This episode will connect all the dots pipelines, ports, rare earths, LNG supplies, digital trade corridors and show you how the real wars of the 21st century are no longer just fought with armies, but with infrastructure, minerals, and trade routes. Stay tuned as we unpack the hidden energy and corridor wars reshaping the global order.

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Niti Shastra