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Showing posts from May, 2021

How Ramdev got fixed into RSS scheme of things by raising 'false' sense of pride

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Ram Kishan Yadav or Ramdev is a product of grand Hindutva package that works through raising 'cultural' issues. He has indeed succeeded in reaching Indian households, even outside, through his yoga. As we wait for miracles in India, he seemed to be the 'miracle' man. All those who didn't want to put their bodies to trouble felt that his miracles were boon for them. The business started once he became a brand.

Extent of BJP's 'dependence' on RSS for communal polity as it turns into mass party

By Anand K Sahay* Recent observations on India’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic emanating from the highest levels of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) -- praised by many as a selfless, nationalist outfit given to social service, and denounced as a “fascist” or “militarist” body by a range of critics -- have left the country mystified. This is because the RSS is the inspiration behind the founding of the BJP.

Why hasn't Govt of India responded to US critique of freedom of religion under Modi?

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* About two weeks ago, on May 12, 2021, the US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken released in Washington the ‘2020 International Religious Freedom Report.’ This official annual report of the US Government details the status of religious freedom in nearly 200 foreign countries and territories and describes US actions to support religious freedom worldwide. Mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, this report highlights the fact that ‘religious freedom is both a core American value and a universal human right’.

Resist govt move against cultural identity, civil rights of Lakshadweep people: PFI

By Our Representative  Popular Front of India (PFI), a civil society rights organisation, has called upon democratic forces to come forward to resist the Central government move seeking to endanger religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the civil rights of the indigenous people of Lakshadweep Islands.

Despite SC interim stay, corporate houses, govt 'seeking to implement' farm laws

Counterview Desk India's premier civil rights network, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has begun an extended programme of action in more than 100 districts in support of Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s call for nation-wide resistance, which began on May 26, marking six months of farmers' struggle against "authoritarianism and anti-corporatisation."

Restore biodiversity, remove unauthorised structures: NGT on Vishwamitri riverfront

By Our Representative Seeking demarcation of the entire flood plain zone of Vishwamitri river, which passes through Gujarat's cultural capital, Vadodara, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), in its order has insisted that not only steps are required for plantation and maintaining the integrity of the river in totality but plans should be undertaken to implement the Vishwamitri River Action Plan by seeking the removal of unauthorised structures.

Used by US to break Soviet Empire once, Talibans now 'backed' by Russia against US

By Haider Abbas*  The Afghan-Taliban (AT) had been camping around 40 kms to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan since from quite sometime. But, now AT is gaining its foothold to almost the border of Kabul. AT is now engaged into fighting right at the gateway of Kabul. 

Covid fear? Cremation rituals gone upside down, Dalits asked to do Brahminical rituals

By Abhay Jain, Sandeep Pandey*  As Covid consumes human life in a very conspicuous way we are confronted with additional problem of disposing of human corpses. Cremation grounds are lit with continuous pyres, graveyards are running out of land and now Ganga has become a mass grave potentially polluting its water.

Rooted in mistrust? Covid-19’s march into rural India is a very different ball game

By Sudhir Katiyar* As the Covid-19 virus penetrates rural India, the rural communities are responding very differently from their urban counterparts who rushed to the hospitals. The rural communities are avoiding the public health facilities and any mention of the disease. The note argues that this supposedly irrational response is based on a deep-seated mistrust of the state by the rural communities. It can not be resolved with routine Information, Education and Communication (IEC) measures suggested in the Government of India SOP for tackling Covid-19 in rural areas.

Illegal sand mining 'destroying' environment in Bhavnagar despite Green Tribunal order

Counterview Desk  Senior activists Rohit Prajapati Krishnakant of the environmental NGO Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS) have asked the Central government authorities to tell the Gujarat government to take immediate steps to stop illegal sand mining which is contaminating and degrading ground water, rivers, lakes, check dams, other water resources in the state's Bhavnagar distict.

Relief to street vendors, daily wagers: Gujarat told to follow UP, Maharashtra, Delhi

Counterview Desk  Gujarat's senior human rights and environmental activists Krishnakant Chauhan and Rohit Prajapati of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) have urgently sought relief policy, which should include a sustenance allowance of at least Rs 5,000 for the state's street vendors and other daily wagers till the current "blanket restrictions without considering impacts of ongoing economic despair situation and health crisis".

Uncomfortable query: Positivity in landscape of Heritage Architecture of Central Vista?

By Mansee Bal Bhargava* For May 18, the World Museum Day, a tribute goes to the historical and heritage buildings of the country that are the living Museums apart from the designated Museums that archive the history, art, and culture of India. The existing 800 plus Museums in the country have not been that integral to the modern everyday living as it is in Europe and the US, where Museums are highly active public realms to emulate, archive and exchange evolution of civilization. 

A brief history 'Atma Nirbhar' Bharat's vaccination drive... Or rather lack of it

By Koko Singh* From the very onset of the Covid pandemic, it was apparent to all and sundry that the only sustainable check would be vaccine-induced protection. As early as July 2020, vaccine R&D went into overdrive globally, with Phase 1&2 trials being conducted in tandem. Even a covid idiot like Donald Trump committed millions for development and speculative production.

US 'promise' to replenish Israeli defense: Palestinians left to fend for themselves?

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey*  Without consulting anybody from the Arab population, which outnumbered the Jews by about ten times, the British made public their intent to create a national home for Jewish people in Palestine on 2 November, 1917 through the Balfour declaration. Then on November 29, 1947 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recommending creation of independent Arab and Jewish states with a special status for Jerusalem. The UN Partition Plan for Palestine was opposed by the Arab world. Today whereas Israel, after being admitted to the UN as a member state in 1949, enjoys recognition as a country by 164 of the 193 member states of UN, Palestine has got a non-member observer status at UN in 2012. The demographics changed dramatically in 1948 during what is termed by Palestinians as Nakba (catastrophe) and since then Jews have been dominating the Arabs in all respects including population. Most of the Arab population was killed or made to f

How protesters forced 'stubborn' Modi government, refusing criticism, to the table

Counterview Desk  On 26 May, global civil society alliance CIVICUS launched its annual “State of Civil Society Report 2021”, which shows that protests matter – even during a pandemic. “Our report describes the massive people’s mobilisations that swept Asia this past year, leading to breakthroughs in democracy and human rights. It features the creativity of protesters in Thailand, the resilience of activists in Myanmar and the determination of farmers in India, among others”, a CIVICUS spokesperson said in an email alert to Counterview.

Russia, China to call the shots in Middle East, as Muslim nations turn into house of cards

By Haider Abbas* Only a naive would buy that the ‘situation of ceasefire’ between the State of Israel and Hamas would continue, as if the foiled attempt to demolish Al Aqsa this time, is not be repeated, if not in any near future then in sometime to come. Israel already has spurned the ‘ceasefire’ by storming Al Aqsa after the Friday prayers on May 21.

Universal vaccination? At proposed price, single dose will be 'higher' than poverty line

By Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay*  If we must keep the serious repercussions of the third wave away we absolutely need to treat Covid vaccination as Fun Free, Universal and Now! It is just not ethical, but good economics. It is puzzling as to why the government is contemplating a complicated multi-party negotiation, differential pricing, market intervention in something where market economics will only cause more damage.

Why no action against Vedanta directors, cops for Thoothukudi 'massacre'?: NAPM

Counterview Desk  Recallig the third anniversary of Thoothukudi "massacre" in Tamil Nadu, in which 15 people were gunned down for resisting Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper Plant, India’s civil society network, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has called for the ending corporate impunity by carrying forward the global campaign launched on May 14 by the Anti-Sterlite People’s Movement and other organisations. In a statement, NAPM said, “While the protestors faced legal charges, no police officer has been charged and convicted till date under appropriate sections of the law, for the murders and injuries.” “Similarly”, it regretted, “Vedanta whose Sterlite Copper Plant was shut down due to fraudulent and unlicensed operation and expansion for over 20 years, gas leaks and pollution, still hasn't been prosecuted for any of its crimes.” Text: National Alliance of People’s Movements remembers with anger and pain the 15 people of Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu who were brutally

2nd wave in Gujarat-R'sthan: 67% workers got less than 20 day work, 29% couldn't get ration

Average work over the last one month during the second wave By Rajiv Shah  A recent civil society survey, conducted to analyse the impact of the second Covid wave among informal sector workers of Gujarat and Rajasthan has, found that they were able to get work for just about 18 days in a month on an average. “In Ahmedabad construction workers at the nakas reported getting work for just eight days in a month”, the survey report, forwarded by the by the Centre for Labour Research and Action (CLRA) to Counterview, said, adding, “The basti residents of Ahmedabad reported just seven days of work.”

Why ailing Fr Stan said he be given bail, allowed to go to Ranchi, or be in Taloja jail

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It was quintessential Stan! In a manner which has come to characterize him Jesuit Fr Stan Swamy told the Bombay High Court during a hearing on 21 May 2021, “I want to go to Ranchi to be with my friends… Whatever happens to me I would like to be with my own.”

Whither Vaccine Utsav? How India lost 4 precious months in self-congratulatory mode

By Harshavardhan Purandare, Sandeep Pandey*  India has been advertised as ‘the country with a great future’ ever since we globalised in the 1990s, but now this narrative of the future has become empty rhetoric to hide our weaknesses. At present, we paint a pathetic picture of ourselves. 

Ex-babus ask Modi to remove foreign funding curb on NGOs, accelerate Covid relief

Counterview Desk  As many as 116 former civil servants , belonging to the Constitutional Conduct Group, in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the “approach of the Government of India to the Covid pandemic" and suggesting measures "urgently needed to provide relief to the people of India”, have said, “Your government seems to be more concerned with managing the narrative of ‘efficient’ management of the Covid crisis rather than addressing the crucial issues at stake.”

We've reached a point where we may die due to starvation: Marginalised families testify

By Our Representative  Delhi-based civil rights organisation, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM), along with the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM), Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG) and the Magadha Foundation, during recent interactions with “worst affected” waste pickers’ and sewer sanitation workers’ families, has said, during the second wave of Covid-19, their condition “deteriorated” with families “forced to live in a very pathetic condition due to the lockdown.”

Will popular, efficient Shailaja, who contrasts Harsh Vardhan, quit CPM, as Gauri Amma?

KK Shialaja, Harsh Vardhan By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  India's political culture is deeply disappointing and depressing. Even those who wish to counter the BJP and Hindutva suffer from the same mindset and sometimes worse. After 'building' a brand, we sideline some to create our own monopolies. A few days back, one of its greatest Left leaders, KR Gouri Amma, who should have been the chief minister of the state at some point of time, passed away.

Chitrakoot Jail episode: Stage-managed police encounter, one of 5,000 under Yogi?

By Haider Abbas* When the news on May 14 arrived that three gangsters inside Chitrakoot Jail, UP, were killed, the movie “Pataal Lok” splashed before my eyes as a large part of it revolved around Chitrakoot’s crime world. Perhaps, what its director could not have perceived was how murders even inside the safe-premises of Chitrakoot Jail can happen. This is real time UP. The reel-time can take a gasp!

8 pharma billionaires increase wealth by $32 billion, 'enough' to vaccinate all in India

Cyrus Poonwalla, Pankaj Patel By Our Representative  At least nine people have become new billionaires since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, thanks to the excessive profits pharmaceutical corporations with monopolies on Covid vaccines are making, the People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA), a global alliance advocating its availability free of charge to all people in all countries, has revealed ahead of the G20 leaders Global Health Summit.

Modi-led regime 'contributed' 60% to rise of global poverty, yet Hindutva is intact

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* In recent years, the Hindutva politics has caused long term damage to India and Indians. The so called 56-inch macho PM, the propaganda master manufactures and survives all political crisis including the current mismanagement of the Coronavirus pandemic in India. In spite of deaths and destitutions, the social, cultural, economic and religious base of Hindutva is intact.

Big push for global vaccination? Why excess stocks may be 'dumped' in India

By Rosamma Thomas*  My highest educational qualification is an MA in Sociology. I did not study science beyond Class 10. This I write, because what I intend to deal with here is a matter that someone trained in science might be better equipped to do. Since there are gaps in our public discourse on the need for the vaccine to contain the coronavirus pandemic, I intend to leap right in. Stay with me if you have the patience to hear out a non-expert.

US Swaminarayan network 'responsible' for deadly silicosis at Rajasthan mining site

Counterview Desk  Top civil rights network, Occupational and Environmental Health Network India (OEHNI), which is known to work for occupational safety and health (OSH) rights, has said that not only are the Swaminarayan temple owners in New Jersey responsible for “violating” the labour law of the US by paying a meagre $1 per hour to its workers, it is should also take the responsibility for high level of silicosis in Sirohi, Rajasthan, where stand stone for the temple is mined.

Uncomfortable question: More power to Centre, or empower States for Covid care?

By Mansee Bal Bhargava* The responsibility of healthcare in the Corona time is hanging between the Centre and the States, with the virus as well as the masses being footballed by both the Centre and the States to put in the other’s court. The changing goalpost of who, what, when, how Covid care has gone too far, making things murkier to dump the matter in the waters.

India's vaccination policy 'to cost' poorest 20% households 43-86% of monthly income

Counterview Desk Insisting on a time-bound, equitable vaccine policy to ensure universal access to a free vaccine before it is too late, public health practitioners and civil society members, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have said that India’s current pace Covid-19 vaccination drive will take 2.4 years to complete, warning, global epidemiologists feel it could take under a year before the virus may mutate making it difficult for current vaccines to contain the spread.

A non-BJP govt in Bihar? Chinks in Nitish Kumar-led coalition may soon gain in size

By Haider Abbas*  The day, since the West Bengal (WB) polls ended, the Union Home Minister is totally invisible! BJP, despite its most robust campaign, peppered with heavy communalism, could not even smell victory, as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) under Mamta Banerjee romped with her third time tenure in a row. It did not come late to political pundits that had Election Commission (EC) not played to the gallery of BJP, as it did in Bihar lately, BJP was not to cross even the 20 figure in WB.

'Absurd' to say 18 elephants killed due to lightning: Assam engineer body seeks probe

By Our Representative  The All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA), a Guwahati-based organisation, has said that the “tragic death of 18 wild Asiatic elephants due to electrocution by lightning within seconds”, as claimed by the State government, “can be justified only with an absurd argument.”

Urgently shift 'very fragile' Fr Stan to a good hospital, demands Jharkhand NGO

By Our Representative  In a letter addressed to Dilip Walse Patil, Maharashtra home minister, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) has demanded that 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy should be immediately shifted to a good hospital in view of his fragile health.

Second wave: Migrants fear dying without food, money amidst 'abysmal' social security

By Arjun Kumar, Ritika Gupta, Sakshi Sharda With the exodus of millions of migrant workers returning to their villages during second wave of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the Central government has relinquished its role in the governance. The state governments are now parenting the city governance for their ignored migrants.

Munmun Dutta's utterance part of savarnas' 'rampant' feudal, casteist mindset

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  A TV actress, more known for her flirting ways than acting, recently exposed her caste mindset when she said: “Lip tint ko halka sa blush ki tarah laga liya hai because main YouTube pe aane wali hoon aur main achha dikhna chahti hoon. Bhangi ki tarah nahi dikhna chahti hoon..." Simple translation: I am planning to speak to you through my YouTube channel and hence I want to look beautiful and not like the 'Bhangis'.

Have Catholic Communicators taken stand against 'callous, complacent' Govt of India?

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* Pope Francis has once again thrown a challenge to Catholic Communicators in his annual message for World Communications Day which this year falls on Sunday 16 May. In his typically direct yet profound way, he focuses his message on the theme ‘Come and See (Jn 1:46). Communicating by Encountering People Where and as They Are.’

Unable to read popular sentiment, Congress 'failed' to do a Mamata in Assam, defeat BJP

By Sandeep Pandey, Divesh Ranjan*  In the recently concluded elections in Assam, it turns out that if the votes of Mahajot alliance led by Congress Party and the alliance of Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal are combined then they would have been in a position to prevent Bhartiya Janata Party from forming a government in Assam. If 14 seats where Mahajot alliance and AJP-RD votes are together greater than Mitrajot alliance led by BJP votes are subtracted from 75 seats won by Mitrajot and added to the Mahajot and AJP-RD combine strength of 51, it yields a different result.

Security forces used to 'forcibly' implement Assam solar power plant, 'suppress' protesters

Counterview Desk  More than 150 academics, activists, students, lawyers, filmmakers and concerned citizens from Assam, North-East and across the country have taken strong exception to the deployment of security forces in the midst of a raging pandemic in Mikir Bamuni Grant, Nagaon district, Assam, to push forward the construction of Azure Power's solar power plant.

Shifting responsibility? How world’s vaccine capital ‘failed’ its citizens so blatantly

Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury*  Covid infection has reached an inflection point in India which is now the Corona capital of the world, and the citizens need a warlike initiative to vaccinate the entire nation, of which just 14 crore out of 140 crores population has been vaccinated till now.

SC order: Eight crore migrant, stranded, needy workers get 'much needed' relief

By Our Representative  Senior civil rights leaders Harsh Mander, Anjali Bhardwaj and Jagdeep Chhokar have welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) order in the suo motu matter regarding the problems and distress being faced by migrant workers, calling it “a positive first step towards providing much needed relief to migrant workers, who are the worst hit by the lockdowns and restrictions imposed by several states to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Demand to release 15 top activists: Families, friends wonder Maharashtra CM will act

By Our Representative Will Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray act following a letter (see text below) written by family members and friends of 15 undertrial activists, currently in Maharashtra jails, and ensure bail to them bail? An online media conference addressed by them revealed that Thackeray, who was sent the letter two days ago, has so far only acted to ensure that, so far, only one of the activists, Dr Hany Babu, has got the "relief" of being shifted to a hospital as he has tested Covid positive.

Covid 2 & governance deficit-2: Wallowing in fault finding: Whither accountability?

By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury* While the second surge of Covid is ravaging India, it is important to dwell upon the reasons of its lethality, for posterity and delineate good governance in public health, hopefully in future. Carrying forward from the first part on this theme, we look into the other issues compounding the crisis.

As poverty, unemployment rise, India’s 'poor' fiscal response to Covid at 1.5 of GDP

By Kingshuk Sarkar*  India’s labour market is characterized by incidences of very high level of informalization and precariousness. A study has revealed that the pandemic-induced lockdown led to further deterioration in quality of works and earnings.

Covid mismanagement? Modi govt in 'denial mode' even as 10 High Courts sound alert

By Haider Abbas*  It has always been found that whenever there is a government of brute majority, the executive succumbs and the tremors very often reach the judiciary. There have been countless examples of this over the last 70 years, notwithstanding the Keshavananda Bharti case . But, with the outbreak of Covid-19, the Modi government as also several State governments, mainly those under BJP, have had a share of a ‘rap-on-the-knuckles’ by their respective courts.

Despite crisis, Modi's Hindutva strategy 'increased' mass base in society and polity

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Narendra Modi and his RSS brethren can qualify as masters of fake claims. There is a long lists of lies spread by RSS, BJP and their IT cell workers. It is not a personality disorder or lying with fear. They are trained to defend Modi and his government’s decisions in whatever possible way. They defended demonetisation by arguing that it is “an important step” in his fight against black money and corruption.

Footprints of fascism in India? Encouraging violence, hatred, 'igniting' civil unrest

By Anhad Team*  A webinar, attended by close to 300 people on Zoom and Facebook, organized by  Anhad  to observe May 9, the day Hitler’s forces surrendered, focused on the current state of the country, which is quite worrisome and tragic. The atmosphere is filled with rage, despair and loss, and yet in these difficult times, it was felt, critical conversations must be had to remember the context within which we are living. The webinar was chaired by Prof Mridula Mukherjee, the former chairperson of the Centre of Historical Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and panelists included Prof Prabhat Patnaik, eminent economist and political commentator; Charanjit Singh, retired professor at the Centre of Russian Studies, JNU; Prof Ram Puniyani, formerly from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an ardent social activist; Vani Subramaniam, a documentary filmmaker and a member of the Saheli Trust; and Gauhar Raza, scientist by profession but also a poet and social activist. T

Covid 2 & governance deficit-1: 'Callous' decision making, management collapse

By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury*  When the ongoing Covid mayhem in India hopefully ends, the questions that will remain: Was it largely a manmade disaster? Could this be avoided or impact lessened? On May 7, India's coronavirus cases hit a grim global record with 4,12,262 fresh infections in the last 24 hours. And 3,919 deaths were reported. India recorded over 4 lakh cases for the first time on May 1, after reporting 3 lakh daily infection for nine straight days. The country -- hit by a deadly second wave -- logged 1 lakh cases in a day for the first time about three weeks ago. While the total case-load has crossed 2.1 crores, the active cases are above 35 lacs, and deaths have crossed 2.3 lacs in total, as per government figures.

As Covid fear grips rural Gujarat, NGOs spread out to 1,000 villages, educate people

By Our Representative  Several Gujarat-based NGOs, including Janvikas, Navsarjan Trust and the Centre for Social Justice, are in the midst of a successful experiment in 1,000 villages of Gujarat, providing health-related education to the rural folk on how to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, even as pointing towards a simmering atmosphere of fear among the people.