Editorial

Christmas is that time of year when everywhere you look there are lights, decorations, sales, and people rushing around buying gifts. It’s fun, no doubt—family get-togethers, good food, and holiday cheer. But for Christians, the real meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. That’s why it’s called Christmas—Christ’s mass, or celebration of Christ.

The story is simple and beautiful. It’s told in the Bible, in the books of Luke and Matthew. Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem because the Roman ruler wanted a count of everyone. When they got there, all the inns were full, so Mary had to give birth to baby Jesus in a stable, laying him in a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

That same night, angels appeared to some shepherds watching their sheep. The angels said a Savior had been born, and to go see him. The shepherds went and found the baby, then told everyone about it. Later, some wise men from far away saw a special star and followed it to Jesus. They brought expensive gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Nobody knows the exact day Jesus was born. It probably wasn’t December 25th, and maybe not even in winter. Christians started celebrating on that date hundreds of years later, around the 4th century. Some say it was to replace old Roman festivals around the winter solstice. Anyway, that’s how we got the date we use now.

Over time, Christmas picked up all kinds of traditions. Christmas trees came from Germany, carols and songs we sing, nativity scenes with the stable and animals. In the old days, there were big feasts and plays about the birth story. Then in the 1800s, stories like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol made it more about family, kindness, and helping the poor.

Today, though, a lot of Christmas is about shopping, Santa Claus, and presents. That’s okay—it’s enjoyable—but many people try to remember the main point: “Keep Christ in Christmas.” That means going to church, reading the Bible story with your family, and doing good things for others, like Jesus taught. Christmas reminds us that God loved the world so much he sent his Son as a baby to save us. Jesus is called “God with us.” He’s the reason for real peace and joy, not just during the holidays but all year round.

So this Christmas, while you’re enjoying the food, gifts, and fun, take a moment to think about that little baby in the manger who grew up to change the world.

In the churning landscape of contemporary geopolitics, few nations occupy a space as complex and consequential as India. The burning issue defining this moment is not merely a single conflict or alliance, but the fundamental challenge of navigating a fractured world order. As US-China rivalry intensifies and the West confronts a resurgent Russia, India is tasked with a high-wire act: advancing its vital national interests while upholding its founding principles.

The Ukraine war crystallized this dilemma. India’s refusal to outright condemn Russia, relying on a call for dialogue, drew criticism from Western partners. Yet, this position was not an endorsement of aggression, but a cold-eyed calculation of dependency on Russian military hardware and a historical strategic relationship. It underscored a core tenet of India’s foreign policy: strategic autonomy. This is not neutrality, but the sovereign right to assess each issue through the prism of its own security and development needs.

The true litmus test, however, lies to the east. China’s assertive actions along the Himalayan border and its expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean present an existential challenge. Here, India’s interests converge powerfully with the Indo-Pacific strategies of the US, Japan, and Australia, as evidenced by the robust Quad partnership. This alignment is pragmatic and necessary to counterbalance coercive hegemony.

The path forward demands dexterity. India must simultaneously deepen engagement with the West for technology, investment, and security cooperation, while managing its legacy ties with Moscow and leading the voice of the Global South on issues like climate justice and equitable growth. It must build domestic military and economic strength to back its diplomatic choices.

The world is watching how the world’s largest democracy manages this balance. India’s success will prove that in a multipolar era, a nation can be a pivotal partner without being a satellite, advocating for a rules-based order while fiercely guarding its own right to judge. The tightrope is perilous, but walking it with strategic clarity is India’s great geopolitical imperative. Its choices will not only shape its own rise but also influence the character of the emerging world order.

• SAS Kirmani