India Today from 1995-2005: A look back on Pokhran-II, Kargil War, IC814 hijack

In this special retrospective looking back at India Today magazine's 50 years, senior editors, including Aroon Purie, Raj Chengappa, and Harinder Baweja, revisit the defining events of the turbulent decade from 1995 to 2005. The discussion navigates India's political landscape, from the instability of the United Front years to the rise of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Inside stories from this era are revealed, covering the Pokhran nuclear tests, the Kargil War, and the IC814 hijacking. Raj Chengappa provides an account of the high-stakes failure of the Agra Summit, citing General Pervez Musharraf’s rigid stance on Kashmir.

Harinder Baweja shares an anecdote from the Lahore Bus Diplomacy involving Nawaz Sharif. The retrospective also examines the 2002 Godhra riots, the political miscalculation of the 'India Shining' campaign, the cricket match-fixing scandal, and how Sourav Ganguly’s leadership rebuilt Team India's credibility.