Counterview

By Shamsul Islam  Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has taken a momentous step by demanding that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh register as an organization. The move carries profound implications for India’s democratic and secular future and poses an unprecedented challenge to an entity that, while claiming to be merely a “cultural” body, functions today as the de facto power center of the Indian state. Kharge’s action is not an impulsive gesture but the outcome of deliberate political reasoning within the Congress leadership, which appears to have concluded that the RSS—now an omnipresent, extra‑constitutional authority—must finally be confronted.

By A Representative   Workers’ organisations, trade unions and grassroots activists have sharply criticised the proposed Village-Based Guaranteed Rural Employment and Asset Generation Mission (VBGRAMG), alleging that it dismantles the rights-based framework of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replaces it with a centralized, underfunded and technology-driven system that threatens rural livelihoods.

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan  The COVID-19 pandemic presented India with one of the gravest crises in its modern history. As healthcare systems struggled under unprecedented pressure and millions faced economic and social hardship, the Government of India announced the creation of the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund in March 2020. Conceived as a mechanism to mobilize resources quickly during emergencies, the fund received an overwhelming response from citizens, corporations, celebrities, public sector enterprises and institutions across the country.

By Vikas Meshram   When the word “farmer” is spoken, what image comes to mind? For most people, it is a man holding a plough, gazing hopefully at the sky. This image is so deeply ingrained that even when a woman works tirelessly in the fields from dawn to dusk, she is rarely called a farmer. 

By Bharat Dogra   At a recent meeting in Rohtak, the Haryana State Committee of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) drew attention to what it described as a “drastic decline” in cotton cultivation across the state's cotton-growing belt. Among the factors identified, AIKS National Vice-President Inderjit Singh pointed to severe infestations of pink bollworm that have devastated Bt cotton farms, despite the seeds having been marketed as pest-resistant.

By Dr. Jayant Kumar   For many years, while working with communities and reflecting on the challenges of development, a question has stayed with me: can genuine human development take place without engaging with spirituality? We speak frequently about economic growth, infrastructure, education, livelihoods, technology, governance, and social welfare. These are undoubtedly important and have contributed significantly to improving human lives. Yet, despite remarkable progress in many of these areas, societies across the world continue to struggle with inequality, violence, environmental degradation, corruption, social fragmentation, and growing mental distress.