India, April 13 -- With the war in Iran grinding into its second month, kitchens in India are sputtering on the vapid vapours of media spin and fumes of fakery. The Economic Times calls the cooking-gas shortage "serious" and warns it could permanently reshape energy habits in the world's most populous nation. Yet the Modi-fied media machine churns out an endless loop of "All is well," complete with soothing graphics and official soundbites, while on the ground, reality bites the commoner (and woman) yet again.

The big cities are quietly shedding their unorganised workforce again, a silent lockdown playing out in reverse migration. YouTubers capture the grim procession: migrant workers trudging toward Delhi's Anand Vihar station, their me...