Popular geopolitics of ‘nuclear India’: tracing the evolution of India’s ‘regional’ and ‘global’ identities in the English daily The Hindu from 2011–2020

Figures & data

Table 1. The Hindu Editorial Nuclear Discourse 2011–2020.

Nuclear India Discursive Structure	No. of times cited
Iran’s nuclear policy: West Asia	61
North Korean nuclear stand: Korean Peninsula	33
India-Pakistan nuclear tensions: Cross-border terrorism, Kashmir and South Asia	31
Environmental and safety concerns: Post-Fukushima disaster	19
US-India strategic partnership	14
India’s entry into global non-proliferation clubs: Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Australia Group, Wassenaar Arrangement, MTCR	13
India-Japan relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	12
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in opposition to India’s nuclear plants	08
Indian bureaucracy: Nuclear infrastructure	07
India’s scientific and military technology	06
Global nuclear disarmament	06
India-France relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	05
US domestic politics	04
Indian figures of national importance in the nuclear domain	04
US-Russia relations	03
India-Russia relations: Strategic and nuclear	03
Indian Civil Nuclear Liability Law	03
India-Sri Lanka relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	02
India-Australia relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	02
US-Japan relations	01
UK domestic politics	01
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)	01
India’s economy and ease of doing business	01
EU-Russia: Germany’s search for renewables	01
India-UK relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	01
India-Canada relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	01
India-Bangladesh relations: Strategic, economic and nuclear	01

Table 2. India and its approach towards the Iranian nuclear posture.

	Geopolitical Cultural Signifiers		Geospatial Mythologies		Identity Markers				Temporal Change
Article topics (61)	Autonomy, multilateralism, and global community	Occupied territories, Cold War-like, and unilateralism	Central and West Asia – Regional focus	Global non-proliferation regime – Global focus	Gender – masculine and feminine	Economy – developing and underdeveloped	Democracy – strong mandate and weak mandate	Culture/Religion – Shia-Sunni divide and the Muslim world	Progress	Regress
US/Western sanctions on Iran (24)	P5 + 1/big powers’ multilateralism (13) Global community and international diplomacy (3)	Regime change in Tehran (1) Undercutting détente (1) Discriminatory NPT (1) American exceptionalism (1) Unilateralism (5)	West Asia (13) The Middle East (1) Strait of Hormuz (2) The Gulf (3)	Repercussion for global non-proliferation goals (12)	Irresponsible (1) Curmudgeonly (1) Cautious step (1) JCPOA pragmatism (3) Obama’s able guidance (1) JCPOA visionary determination (1) Trump’s unrealistic assessment (1) European firmness required (1) Reckless act (2) Iran a powerful neighbour (1) Iran’s calculated strikes (1) Iran a formidable rival (1)	Iran’s economy suffering due to sanctions (12) Iran’s re-integration into global economy (1)	Yearning for greater progress and freedom (1)	Shia-Sunni divide (3) Jihadists (1) The Muslim world (1) Islamic Regime/Republic (2) Houthi rebels (1)	8	16
US-Israel-Saudi-Iran (13)	P5 + 1 multilateralism (6) International community (1)	Occupied territories (4) US-Soviet Union ideological divide (1) Containment (1) Unilateralism (1)	The Middle East political space (2) West Asia (7) The Gulf (2)	Repercussion for global non-proliferation goals (5)	Israeli manipulation of US and EU (1) Unrealistic Israeli demands (1) Iran’s responsible role in stabilising the region (1) Obama’s political realism, far-sightedness and pragmatism (1) Biden needs to reassert himself (1)	Economic stranglehold on Iranian economy (4) Economic reprieve for Iran (3)	Rouhani’s unquestionable democratic legitimacy (1)	Palestinians-Jews divide (1) Zionist influence (2) Arab leaders/countries (2) Shia-Sunni tensions (4) Islamic Republic (3)	4	9
Iran’s democracy (10)	P5 + 1 multilateralism (2) Six world/global powers (3)	Regime change in Tehran (1) US-Iran détente has ended (1)	West Asia (4) States in the Gulf (1)	Lifting of nuclear sanctions and pervasive engagement (1) Signing of historic civil nuclear deal and its collapse (5)	Rouhani needs political guile to withstand hardliners (1) Rouhani must act boldly (1) Pragmatic reformist agenda domestically and a realistic foreign policy (1)	Iranian moderates/reformists withheld due to Western economic sanctions (2) Moderates/reformists want to improve Iranian economy (4) Non-nuclear economic sanctions scaring of investors (1) Imposition and re-imposition of sanctions a blow to Iranian economy (2)	Pluralism of Iranian political system (1) Moderates /reformists reform agenda vs. hardliners (6) Pre and post-revolutionary Iran (1) Ahmadinejad firebrand populist (1) Iran to rethink approach towards dissent and personal freedoms (3)	From a rigid Islamist theocracy to a religious democracy (1) Islamic Republic (3) Shia-Sunni divide (1)	3	7
India’s strategy for Iran (14)	NAM – appeasement of Washington not an option/India to be guided by national interests/strategic autonomy (7) NAM’s equitable global governance (1) P5 + 1 multilateralism (5) India’s bid for UNSC (2) Global position on terrorism (1) Global powers (1)	Regime change in Syria (1) US diktat (1)	South Asian countries (1) Persian Gulf (1) The Gulf and West Asian regions (1) The Gulf states (2) West Asia – India’s near neighbourhood (5) The Central Asian region (3) WANA (1) South and Central Asia (1) Chabahar – golden gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing the China-Pakistan arc (2)	Conflict over WMD in the region (1) Repercussions for global non-proliferation regime (1)	Tame and meek attitude vs. responsibility (1) Passivity vs aggressive (1) India-Iran tough statements on terrorism (1) India cannot remain a mute spectator (1)	Sanctions undermining India’s economic, energy and strategic interests (10) Economic, energy and strategic momentum via Chabahar route and increased bilateral trade (6)		Islamic Republic (1) Untouchability (1) Sunni (1) Living museum of religious diversity (1)	7	7