Shiv Sena (UBT) firebrand Sanjay Raut has sparked a political firestorm with his ‘Saamana’ column, using poetry to lampoon the Modi government’s foreign policy flop as Pakistan emerges as the unlikely mediator in the high-stakes Iran-America truce. Invoking Wasim Barelvi, Raut portrayed America as a storm cowed by Iran’s ‘broken boat’ defiance, a narrative amplified post-ceasefire by poet Imran Pratapgarhi.
He lauded Iran’s nationalistic fervor: millions forming protective chains against Trump’s annihilation threats, with FM Araghchi vowing sacrifices to force talks – in terror hub Islamabad. Raut exposed Pakistan’s double game: sheltering Bin Laden, harboring India-attack plotters, yet now sanctified as ‘peacemaker’ by a Nobel-hungry Trump. ‘A beggar nation living on Chinese loans and US alms, squandering on army orgies and terror – yet outshining India’s diplomacy,’ Raut thundered.
India’s invisibility irked Raut most. While Middle East burned – Hormuz blocked, oil skyrocketing, Israel massacring Gaza kids and bombing 200 Tehran schoolgirls – where was Modi? ‘Endless world hugs aren’t policy. Inviting Sharif, Lahore cake stunt: all hype, no shine. Economy tanked, diplomacy absent,’ he slammed. A Sangh campaigner turned PM prioritizes rallies over leadership.
Raut’s piece is a masterclass in historical reminder: India’s peacemaking legacy shines from Korea 1953 Armistice chairmanship, 1954 Indochina commission lead, Suez mediation, Congo UN force, 1955 Austria-Soviet deal, to missions in Lebanon, Sudan, Cyprus et al. ‘We have the experience, but Modi’s ship drifts lost while tiny Iran triumphs and Pakistan grabs laurels. Ditch Vishwaguru pretensions or step up,’ Raut demanded, painting Modi’s era as one of global irrelevance.
