Mahanth is Editor

For 25 years, a whole quarter century, I have advocated passionately on these pages and elsewhere for a US-India mutual defense treaty to cultivate and protect a new peaceful world order. And break India’s longstanding non-aligned status since independence. As of spring 2026, I am doing that hardest of things to do: admit I was terribly wrong about one of my most dearly held, heartfelt core beliefs.

Indian leaders were wise not to ally with the United States militarily. The best relationships are built on trust and mutual respect. We can no longer in good conscience, even as proud Indian-Americans, advocate that the world’s largest democracy India agree to sign a NATO-type treaty with the oldest democracy, the United States. Look at how badly Europe’s NATO nations are being treated, which is destroying the entire Atlanticist alliance that has been the backbone of the free world system since 1945. Look at how cavalierly the lethal US military is wielded wildly like a child’s toy without proper debate or planning in Washington or coordination with allies overseas.

Worst of all from India’s perspective, the Iran War is threatening to starve a disturbingly large segment of its people and all its neighbors too through no fault of its own, at a time when global supply chains were already so brittle they could break. Even without a new Middle East War of choice. And for what?

While potential famine, fuel shortages and civil unrest are global concerns and one not unique to India, the utter lack of empathy by US leaders for the world’s most populous nation, and one so important to the rest of the world, is probably seen as utter madness in New Delhi.

By all of us.

Indian agriculture has its own problems to deal with on top of the geopolitical insanity playing out. This Think School video from India breaks it downs plainly for those of you nerds and disaster porn enthusiasts out there: