By A Representative   Ahmedabad: More than 62 lakh voters have been deleted from Gujarat’s electoral rolls since January 2025, according to data compiled from official records, prompting concerns from election transparency advocates.

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat has written to the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat seeking detailed disclosures regarding the final Special Intensive Revision (SIR) list of voters published on February 17, raising concerns over additions, deletions and alleged irregularities in Form 7 submissions.

By A Representative   A new report from the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) reveals a 47% drop in documented hate speeches targeting religious minorities in India last year, yet warns that the phenomenon persists as a deliberate strategy to fuel Islamophobia and majoritarian narratives. Authored by Irfan Engineer, Neha Dabhade, and Diya Padalkar, the study – titled Hate Speeches in 2025: A Weapon to Legitimize Divisive Narratives – analyzed reports from five major Mumbai-based newspapers and found 65 instances of hate speech, down from 122 in 2024.

By Dr. Palla Trinadha Rao  A few days ago, Dr. J. Purnachandra Rao, former Director General of Police (Andhra Pradesh), turned political activist and currently serving as National Coordinator of the BSP, approached me to discuss the key concerns of Adivasis in the Fifth Schedule areas of the country, particularly in the Telugu states. During our discussions, he focused on political reservations and caste-based politics in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This article is based on those discussions.

By Prem Singh   Kahan to tay tha chiragan har ghar ke liye Kahan chrag mayassar nahin shahar ke liye Yahan darakhton ke saaye mein dhoop lagti hai Chalo yahan se chalen aur umr bhar ke liye. (Once it was decided: light for every home / Now not a lamp for the entire city. / Here, in the very shade of trees, the sun still scorches / Let us walk away from this place, once and for all, for a lifetime.)

By Harsh Thakor*  Suguna, life partner of Malla Rajireddy, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist), is no more. For nearly twenty-five years she remained deeply involved in the movement. Neither long spells of detention nor recurring illness were able to extinguish her determination. Yet the end of her life unfolded in loneliness, uncertainty and quiet despair. Her death is tragic and remains shrouded in mystery.

By Bharat Dogra  Despite the persistence of many-sided injustices and problems in unequal societies, democracy opens several windows of opportunity that can be used by committed social activists, working with the guidance of respected mentors, to secure significant rights for workers. This brings new hope to workers, and the possibility of replicating such efforts leads to further initiatives and greater optimism. In turn, this strengthens democracy and the provisions of social justice in India’s Constitution, making them more meaningful for workers and reinforcing constitutional values at the grassroots.

By Mohd Ziyaullah Khan*  This Republic Day , the Rang De Basanti , starring Aamir Khan , completed 20 years since its release. I first watched it in a single-screen theatre in my city—at a time when multiplexes were only just beginning to appear and our town was still waiting for one. It remains my favourite film, and I often revisit it on OTT platforms or television around Independence Day or Republic Day, when the air is thick with rehearsed patriotism. A few days ago, I noticed it streaming again on Jio Hotstar . Released in 2006, it is a film I have watched many times over the years. Yet, like all powerful cinema, returning to it at different stages of life offers a different experience. Twenty years ago, I found it deeply inspiring. In 2026, watching it again felt suffocating. At its core, the film follows a group of Delhi University friends who challenge the might of the central government after one of their own, a flight lieutenant, is killed in a MiG aircraft crash alleged...

By A Representative   In a direct response to the rising polarization surrounding India’s street dog population, a high-level coalition of parliamentarians, legal experts, and civil society leaders gathered in the capital to propose a unified national framework for humane animal management. The emergency deliberations were sparked by a recent Suo Moto judgment that has significantly deepened the divide between animal welfare advocates and those calling for the removal of community dogs, a tension that has recently escalated into reported violence against both animals and their caretakers in states like Telangana.