Mumbai-born law student Viraansh Bhanushali has gained significant attention after his speech at an Oxford Union debate went viral on social media, with clips accumulating millions of views.
The debate was held on the motion: “This House believes that India’s policy towards Pakistan is a populist disguise for security policy.” Bhanushali spoke against the motion, emphasizing that India’s stance has been guided by genuine security concerns rather than populist motives.
Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union is a student-run debating society at the University of Oxford, globally renowned for hosting debates with prominent political leaders and thinkers.
Participants and Context
The Pakistani side was led by Pakistan-born Oxford Union president Moosa Harraj, who supported the motion. Harraj is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj.
Other participants included Devarchan Banerjee, Siddhant Nagrath (former secretary and chief of staff of the Oxford Union), Israr Khan, and Ahmad Nawaz, former Oxford Union president representing Pakistan.
Opening With 26/11: Personal Account
Bhanushali opened his speech with a vivid recollection of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks:
“One of those targets was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), the very station that my aunt passed through almost every evening. By chance or by providence she took a different train home that night, narrowly escaping the fate of the 166 souls that did not...”
“I was a schoolboy then, glued to the television as my city burnt. I remember the fear in my mother’s voice on the phone, the tension in my father’s clenched jaw. For three nights, Mumbai did not sleep and neither did I.”
He noted that he shared this account not to darken the mood, but to ground the debate in reality.
Growing Up Amid Terror Attacks
Reflecting on the 1993 serial blasts, Bhanushali highlighted that a suburban railway station just 200 metres from his home was among the targets:
“I grew up under the shadows of these tragedies. So when someone claims that India’s tough stance towards Pakistan is merely populism masquerading as security policy, you might understand why I bristle.”
Challenging the Populism Argument
Bhanushali addressed claims that India’s responses were politically motivated:
“To win this debate, I do not need to use rhetoric. I simply need to use a calendar.”
He cited the March 1993 blasts to demonstrate that attacks occurred independently of elections:
“Was there an election in March 1993? No. That election was 3 years away... Terror did not come because we needed a vote. It came because Dawood and the ISI wanted to fracture India's financial spine. That was not populism. That was an act of war.”
India’s Response After 26/11
Bhanushali described the aftermath of 26/11:
“What would a populist government do after 26/11? The public rage was nuclear. A populist leader would have just launched the jets to win the next election.”
Instead, he said:
“The government of the day, the Congress party, chose strategic restraint. Did the non-populist approach buy us peace? No. It bought us Pathankot. It bought us Uri. It bought us Pulwama.”
Reference to Pahalgam Attack
He also referenced the April 22 attack in Pahalgam:
“They didn’t ask who they voted for. They executed them.”
Bhanushali emphasized that India’s general elections had already concluded, countering claims that military action was electoral populism.
Operation Sindoor and Military Restraint
Explaining the naming of Operation Sindoor, he said:
“The vermilion mark of a Hindu wife, was chosen for the widows left behind by that massacre. The operation involved a precise dismantling of nine launchpads. We punished the perpetrators. And then what? We stopped. We did not invade. We did not occupy. That is not populism. That is professionalism.”
Sharp Exchange on Terror and Accountability
Bhanushali addressed Pakistan’s actions directly:
“You cannot shame a state that has no shame,” referencing terror attacks including Pathankot, Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam.
“Defending your citizens from being murdered is popular? That does not make it a trick.”
Pak denies bread to its people, serves them war circus: Bhanushali
Bhanushali made a striking observation about populism in Pakistan:
“But if you want to see real populism dressed up as security, look across the Radcliffe Line. You cannot give your people bread, so you give them the circus. That is the alchemy of turning public poverty into private power with the spectre of war.”
He added:
“We want to be boring neighbours. We want to trade onions and electricity. But until the state that defends itself stops using terror as an instrument of foreign policy, we will keep our powder dry. If that is populism, then I am a populist.”
About Viraansh Bhanushali
Bhanushali is pursuing BA Jurisprudence (LLB), English Law with Law Studies in Europe at St Peter’s College, Oxford, as part of the 2026 batch. Originally from Mumbai, he completed his schooling at NES International School before moving to the UK for higher studies.
