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By:

Parashram Patil

14 January 2026 at 8:49:45 pm

Crops of Conflict

As water and climate become instruments of geopolitical leverage, India has an opportunity to turn agricultural resilience into a new form of South-South diplomacy. Climate change is making an old truth harder to ignore: food security is national security. As water becomes scarcer, harvests more erratic and trade policies more protectionist, agriculture is moving from the margins of geopolitics to its centre. Nowhere is this clearer than in Africa, where fragile food systems intersect with...

Crops of Conflict

As water and climate become instruments of geopolitical leverage, India has an opportunity to turn agricultural resilience into a new form of South-South diplomacy. Climate change is making an old truth harder to ignore: food security is national security. As water becomes scarcer, harvests more erratic and trade policies more protectionist, agriculture is moving from the margins of geopolitics to its centre. Nowhere is this clearer than in Africa, where fragile food systems intersect with contested rivers, conflict and disrupted supply chains. For India, this presents not merely a humanitarian challenge but an opportunity to practise a more strategic form of food diplomacy. Clear Warning The Nile basin offers the clearest warning. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia depend heavily on the river, directly or indirectly, for agriculture and livelihoods. Egypt obtains roughly 90-95 percent of its water from the Nile, with most of its withdrawals going to agriculture. Wheat, rice, maize and cotton are therefore inseparable from the country's water security. Sudan is similarly dependent on the Main Nile and its Blue and White Nile tributaries for crops including sorghum, wheat, cotton and sugarcane. Ethiopia, by contrast, relies much more heavily on rain-fed agriculture, but the Blue Nile remains crucial to its plans for agricultural and economic expansion. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has transformed this already delicate equation. The Blue Nile supplies roughly 85 percent of the Nile's runoff, giving Ethiopia substantial geographical leverage upstream. Egypt and Sudan, downstream and more dependent on the river, have consequently viewed the dam through the prism of food and water security. The dispute has its roots partly in the 1959 agreement that allocated Nile waters between Egypt and Sudan, but the rise of Ethiopia as a major upstream power has altered the political balance. The stakes are enormous. A disruption to water availability is not simply an environmental problem when millions depend on irrigated agriculture. It can affect food prices, livelihoods, migration and political stability. Across the basin, the consequences potentially extend to hundreds of millions of people. The lesson is straightforward: rivers can become geopolitical infrastructure, and crops can become strategic assets. Critical Role This is where India can play a useful role. Its longstanding diplomatic, commercial and maritime links with Africa give it an established platform. Its experience in producing wheat, rice and millets, meanwhile, gives it something more tangible: the ability to contribute to food-supply resilience. Egypt, for instance, remains heavily dependent on imports and is projected to require around 13 million tonnes of wheat imports to bridge its consumption gap. Sudan’s agricultural crisis is still more acute. Conflict and climate stress have sharply reduced cereal production, leaving output well below recent historical averages. India could therefore build food diplomacy around two complementary tracks. The first is supply. Predictable grain arrangements and strategic food buffers could help vulnerable countries absorb shocks in international markets. The second is technology. India's experience with micro-irrigation, precision farming and water-use efficiency offers tools that may help African farmers produce more with less water. The Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana is one example. Drip irrigation, improved canal management, seepage reduction and precision agriculture cannot resolve a dispute over the Nile, but they can reduce the amount of water required to produce a given crop. For this to become a durable strategy, however, India will need to move beyond individual projects. Bilateral agricultural agreements with African countries could be converted into longer-term trade corridors and grain-supply arrangements. Multilateral platforms, including BRICS, could provide mechanisms for greater transparency in food distribution and market stabilisation. Seed exchanges could focus on drought-tolerant millets, biofortified wheat and heat-resistant maize suited to increasingly volatile climates. Indian private enterprise could be brought into this architecture. Agritech startups and Farmer-Producer Organisations could be encouraged to enter African markets through export-linked grants, incubation programmes and risk-sharing mechanisms. EXIM Bank credit lines and export guarantees could reduce the financial risks of deploying solar cold chains, irrigation systems and agricultural technologies in politically volatile markets. Public-private partnerships could also help Indian firms adapt AI-based crop advisory systems and IoT-enabled water sensors to African soils and farming practices. The larger opportunity is strategic. India’s relationship with Africa need not be confined to trade, infrastructure or diplomatic declarations. Agriculture offers a practical form of South-South cooperation in which food, technology and water efficiency reinforce one another. (The writer is a member of Maharashtra Agriculture Price Commission. Views personal.

‘Zakir Bhai was a bridge who connected generations, genres

Writer: Aditi Pai
Aditi Pai
Feb 13, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Feb 14, 2025

Pancham Nishad

There’s a treat awaiting music lovers on February 16 as 3 Sur 3 Taal – Sangeetmay Tihai will offer a day-long musical fiesta. Organised by Pancham Nishad and the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, it’s a celebration of Indian classical music and a tribute to the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain. In an interview with ‘The Perfect Voice’, Shashi Vyas, founder of Pancham Nishad, which organises music events across the city, talks about the event and whether classical music continues to enjoy popularity among the young audiences.


What is the concept of 3 Sur 3 Taal?

Teen Sur Teen Taal is a simple yet profound celebration of the essence of Indian classical music. The idea is to bring together three fundamental aspects—Kanthswars (vocal music), Swarvadyas (melodic instruments), and Taalvadyas (percussion)—and present them in a way that resonates with both seasoned listeners and new audiences.


Indian music has always been a confluence of melody, rhythm, and voice—each playing an integral role in shaping its beauty. This event is a heartfelt pranaam to Zakir Bhai, a musician who embodied the very soul of rhythm, yet always saw music as a seamless unity of all its elements. Through this, we wish to carry forward his vision—where the tradition remains strong, yet young talent is given the wings to take it forward.


It is believed that this idea was conceptualised by Zakir Husain and you.

The seed for 3 Sur 3 Taal was planted many years ago in one of my conversations with Zakir Bhai. We would often discuss the need for a space where emerging musicians could blossom while staying deeply connected to the roots of tradition. It was an idea we both cherished, but as life would have it, our schedules never allowed us to bring it to life together. Last year, when we lost Zakir Bhai, it left a void that can never truly be filled. But his music, his philosophy, his warmth—those remain. And so, I felt that this was the time to bring 3 Sur 3 Taal to fruition, not just remembering him, but as a continuation of his belief that young musicians are the future, and they must be nurtured with love and respect.


Who are the key artists performing in this day-long programme?

This event is a celebration of young musical brilliance, and we are blessed to have some of the most promising artists performing. Among the tabla soloists, we have Vivek Pandya, Ishaan Ghosh, and Yashwant Vaishnav—each one carrying forward the rich legacy of rhythm with incredible dedication. On the melodic side, we have the mesmerizing sitar of Mehtab Ali Niazi, the soulful flute of S. Akash, and the deeply evocative sarangi of Momin Khan, and in the vocal segment, we will be enchanted by the voices of Aniruddha Aithal, Armaan Khan, and Gandhar Deshpande, who are each bringing their own interpretation of our musical heritage. Guiding the spirit of this event, Yogesh Samsi will share his reflections on Zakir Bhai’s contributions, giving us all a deeper insight into not just the music, but the man behind it."


What was Ustad Zakir Hussain’s biggest contribution to Indian music?

Zakir Bhai was not just a tabla player—he was a bridge. He connected generations, genres, and geographies. He brought the tabla to the world stage, not by changing its essence, but by revealing its universality. His biggest contribution was his ability to make rhythm feel like a conversation—whether it was a complex tihai in a classical concert, a dynamic exchange with jazz legends, or a simple kaida that he would play with such joy that even a child would be drawn to it. But beyond the music, it was Zakir Bhai’s humility, his warmth, and his ability to make every artist—young or old—feel valued. That is his true legacy. He showed us that mastery is not about being the best, but about giving your best, with love and sincerity."*


How can we draw more young people to classical music?

The beauty of classical music is that it is timeless. The challenge is not in making it relevant, but in making it accessible. Zakir Bhai always believed that young minds must experience music, not just listen to it. If we create spaces where they can feel the energy of a live performance, interact with artists, and immerse themselves in the joy of sur and taal, they will naturally be drawn to it. We must also celebrate young talent, encourage new voices, and most importantly, present music in a way that speaks to today’s generation without compromising its depth. That is precisely what '3 Sur 3 Taal' – Sangeetmay Tihai aims to do—build a bridge where tradition and youth walk together, just as Zakir Bhai always envisioned.


The show starts at 9 AM on February 16 at the Yashwatrao Chavan Centre, Nariman Point and is free for all to attend.

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