By NS Venkataraman* The murder of George Floyd in USA by a policeman in open area, which was approvingly witnessed by a few other policemen caused concern not only in USA but the entire world. While some politicians and activists in USA and elsewhere interpret this murder scene as due to racial conflict, the discerning observers view it as an incident reflecting the behavioural pattern of policemen.

By Our Representative
Making a major intervention at a webinar organized by Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi, Ambassador Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India, who has served as Indian Ambassador to China, the US and Sri Lanka, has said that China has used India’s infrastructure development and excuse of India violating the border commitments along the borders as an interpretation to stir up tensions, though they themselves have engaged in expansion of their own infrastructure along the borders.

By Sandeep Pandey, Kushagra Kumar*
One of the writers of this article is reminded of an incident, when he was teaching at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar which was then functioning from a campus in Chandkheda in Ahmedabad. On December 16, 2011, a dog picked up a two months old boy child Akash who was lying on ground while parents were busy cooking or eating dinner at 10 pm.

By Anand K Sahay*
One can perceive some important similarities between the border situation with China under Prime Minister Narendra Modi now, and the one that obtained in the tenure of the country’s first leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, leading eventually to the month-long clash in 1962 in which the Indian forces were routed, though they showed determination in icy conditions, and rare courage.

By RK Misra*
Rahul Gandhi is a ‘pappu’ and Priyanka Gandhi is ‘babli’, but every time the two open their mouth, why does the BJP get verbal diarrhoea?
Cold derision to deep embedded antagonism has marked the targeting of the two along with their mother Sonia Gandhi, the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was the victim of a terrorist attack as was his mother, late prime minister Indira Gandhi gunned down.

By NS Venkataraman*
As time passes by, the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to increasingly have feet firmly on the ground. Under the leadership of Modi, seen as charismatic and honest by large sections, the country’s opposition leaders seem pygmies. In the process, the BJP government is becoming very powerful, though some people call it authoritarian, too.

By Sandeep Pandey*
Nagland governor RN Ravi has written a scathing letter to chief minister Neiphiu Rio alleging complete collapse of law and order and unwillingness of the elected government to resist several armed groups indulging in extortion and violence.

By Gazala Paul*
Parbat Bijal Koli and Shantiben Bala Koli live 63 kms apart in two different villages of two administrative blocks in Gujarat's most inhospitable region -- the Greater Rann of Kutch. And at a time when Gujarat is among the worst hit Covid-19 states in India, Parbat and Shantiben are battling two different challenges compounded by the blistering heat of the Rann -- a near-total lack of drinking water in the case of the former and severe shortage of food grain as far as the latter is concerned.

Counterview Desk
Among many “defining challenges” India’s top policy makers need to address midst Covid-type health emergency is overcoming huge gaps that exist between what India’s CityMakers need and what the government offers. A recent survey has revealed only one out of 10 respondents were covered under the Government of India’s flagship public health as well as life insurance schemes -- Ayushman Bharat, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima and PM Suraksha Bima Yojna.