Pankaj Saran is a former diplomat with over 40 years of experience in foreign policy, strategy, and national security. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Russia and Bangladesh, Deputy National Security Adviser, and worked in the Prime Minister’s Office under Dr Manmohan Singh. He has also been posted at the Indian Mission in Washington, D.C. He is currently the Convenor of NatStrat, a Delhi-based independent centre for research on strategic and security issues.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Saran explains why India’s silence on the Iran war is being seen as aligning with the US and Israel. He says Pakistan is not a mediator, but a messenger in the conflict. He also talks about how Pakistan built close ties with the Trump administration, and whether India missed a chance to play a bigger role in stopping the war. The conversation also touches on the film Dhurandhar and why India chose not to retaliate after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:53 – West Asia War Overview

05:47 – Decision-Making in War

09:18 – India’s Stand on Iran War

12:16 – LPG Supply Crisis

17:52 – Gulf Nations Under Attack

19:55 – Warfare Strategies

27:41 – Pakistan as Mediator in Iran War

36:26 – Should India Mediate Iran War?

38:44 – Iran’s Global Position

42:26 – China & Russia's stand

58:38 – India’s Strategic Silence

1:04:45 – Can India Build AI Without U.S.?

1:08:57 – Did India Misread Iran Situation?

1:11:29 – 2008 Mumbai Attacks

1:22:45 – Dhurandhar Movie

Manickam Tagore is an Indian National Congress MP representing the Virudhunagar constituency in Tamil Nadu. He serves as Whip of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha and is the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses the Opposition’s strategy in Parliament, the DMK–Congress alliance, actor Vijay, freebies politics, Congress’ organisational challenges, and the BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu.

*Timestamps*

00:00 - Introduction

00:22 - Lok Sabha Suspension Revoked

04:25 - DMK–Congress Alliance

08:16 - National Parties in Tamil Nadu

16:28 - Modi vs Rahul Popularity

21:27 - Power Sharing with DMK

26:08 - The Vijay Challenge

35:58 - Tamil Nadu Media

37:21 - Alliance Dynamics in Tamil Nadu

40:24 - Politics of Freebies

46:57 - Rahul as Congress Face

49:42 - Why Rahul Gets Angry

53:50 - Digital Marketing by Political Parties

55:42 - Ravneet Singh Bittu

1:04:28 - Congress Cadre

1:14:23 - Caste Politics in Tamil Nadu

Swaminathan Gurumurthy is the editor of the Tamil political weekly Thuglak. An auditor by training and an ideologue by conviction, he has spent decades at the intersection of economics, politics and civilisational debate. From his investigations into corporate power in the 1980s involving Reliance Industries to his critique of globalisation and role in shaping the intellectual ecosystem of the RSS, he has remained an influential and outspoken voice in India’s public life.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses the DMK-Congress alliance, actor Vijay, Sanatana Dharma, Tamil Nadu politics and RSS.

Gurumurthy outlines the structural and ideological challenges the BJP faces in Tamil Nadu, shaped by decades of Dravidian politics and alliance-driven electoral dynamics.

He also speaks candidly about Ramnath Goenka, Dhirubhai Ambani, Indira Gandhi-era politics and his clashes with corporate power in India.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

02:14 - Dravidian Politics

14:43 - DMK-Congress Alliance

21:25 - Can Vijay Challenge DMK?

25:42 - Tamil Nadu’s Cultural Ethos

33:56 - Electoral Shifts in Tamil Nadu

40:43 - BJP’s Challenge in Tamil Nadu

48:05 - Tamil Cultural Media

51:46 - Anti-Hindu Politics in Tamil Nadu

55:58 - Story Behind ‘Guru’ Movie

58:51 - Ties with Ramnath Goenka

1:08:20 - Dhirubhai Ambani Investigations

1:10:35 - Advisory Role in Corporate Family Disputes

1:17:12 - Political Engagement Across Parties

1:24:28 - Congress’s Leadership Crisis

1:32:58 - West Asia Conflict

1:39:33 - BJP’s Outreach to Minorities

1:49:03 - Views on the Gandhi Family

1:54:21 - BJP-RSS Coordination