This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by senior journalist Nirupama Subramaniam and lawyer and author Prashant Reddy. 

The discussion begins with Abhinandan asking Nirupama Subramaniam to decode the growing geopolitical churn in the region – from the complex India-China dynamic and Pakistan’s shifting stance after its recent bonhomie with the US, to Trump’s unpredictable sanctions targeting companies linked to Iran.

She responds, “This whole idea of strategic autonomy that India has often cited over the last four or five years to justify its balancing act on various issues – from the Russia-Ukraine war to the Israeli offensive on Gaza – is being tested like never before.”

Nirupama adds that despite India’s active participation in forums like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and its seemingly warm ties with the Biden administration, what has now come to light is that “there are clear limits to this so-called autonomy. At some point, strategic autonomy seems to have become merely a photo opportunity.” 

The discussion then moves to the recent cough tragedy in Madhya Pradesh, which claimed the lives of at least 22 kids. 

Speaking on this, Prashant explains, “It is the ninth such tragedy we've seen in India linked to contaminated medicine. These incidents trace back to the use of diethylene glycol in cough syrups, a chemical that is an industrial solvent. Pharma companies use it to dissolve medicines into syrup form, which makes administration to children easier.” 

However, the problem arises because companies are supposed to use pharmaceutical-grade diethylene glycol, which is safe for consumption, and test it for contamination, he adds. “Diethylene glycol, when industrial-grade, is highly toxic, used in antifreeze and brake fluids, and is deadly for humans, especially children.”

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