Counterview Desk  Condemning four hours of "illegal detention and house search" of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) National Council and Chhattisgarh Unit Office Bearer Kaladas Dehariya, even as demanding dropping of "fabricated and false" proceedings under the anti-terror law UAPA immediately, PUCL  has said that the security agency NIA's conduct was "shocking", as during the operation, the "neighbours' houses were locked."

By Raj Shekhar*  The Right to Food Campaign has expressed its deep disappointment that in the budget announcement for 2024-25 rather than enhancing spending in the critical area of food security, the budget has either remained stagnant or has declined. 

By PK Sreemathi, Mariam Dhawale* The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has expressed its disappointment with the 2024-25 budget placed before the parliament today. The NDA government’s first full post-poll budget shows that it is in complete denial of the social reality faced by women today. 

By Umesh Babu*  The Union budget of the year 2024-25 is Rs. 48,20,512 crore out of which only Rs. 1,65,493 crore (3.43%) against the due Rs 7,95,384 crore is allocated for Scheduled Caste and only Rs. 1,32,214 crore (2.74 %) for Scheduled Tribes against the due amount of Rs. 3,95,281 crore as per Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) of 1975 and 1979. The Union budget grossly failed to allocate the budget as per the policy and it shows that the Union government is totally against the due empowerment of SCs and STs.

By Bezwada Wilson*  The Union Budget for the year 2024-2025, placed by the Finance Minister in Parliament has completely deceived the Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging in the entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped. 

By Kiran Vissa, Kavitha Kuruganti*   Calling out the continuously-lowered budgetary allocations for agriculture sector in the country by the Union government, and terming it as clearly anti-farmer, the Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA-Kisan Swaraj) network stated that the government has not obviously reformed its ways from the drubbing it received from rural voters in the recent general elections.  It also said that the lessons that the government ought to have picked up from the historic farmers’ movement and the commitments made to Samyukt Kisan Morcha are also being ignored. 

By Shankar Sharma*  National media houses have carried multiple headlines on the latest budgetary proposals for the energy sector.  They should indicate multiple concerns to the overall welfare of our people in the near term as well as in the long term: Union Budget 2024 | Govt to come out with document on energy transition pathway: Sitharaman Renewable power companies gain from pumped storage projects Push for research and development of new technology for nuclear energy in Budget 2024 Budget 2024: Nuclear energy to drive India’s Viksit Bharat's new power mix On an objective consideration of various statements in the budget speech, those of us who have been keen observers of the electricity/ energy sector, have to come to an unfortunate conclusion that the overall welfare of our country was not at the focus of those advisors, who might have persuaded you to  make budgetary provision for additional super critical thermal power plants, high voltage transmission lines, Pumped Storage

By NJ Thakuria*   After nearly two hundred people, mainly students, were killed by the government armed forces allegedly in liaison with the ruling party affiliates in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed the opposition political leaders for the violence that erupted across the nation. She argued that the government in Dhaka was compelled to impose a strict curfew with an aim to maintain the law and order situation and it will be lifted as the situation improves.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   On July 23, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget (2024-25) which highlights the priorities of Hindutva politics of economic growth sans human development. The Modi-led BJP government, along with its finance minister, continues to pursue failed and rejected neoliberal economic policies, including the reduction of corporate taxes, in an attempt to spur economic growth. 

By Gautam Mody*  Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the country on July 22 that the Union Budget for the ongoing financial year 2024-25 would lay the economic foundations for the next 5 years and the direction for the next 25, until we got to his goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’. Today’s Union Budget 2024-25 (BS) presented to parliament was so underwhelming that Modi felt the need to make a thirty-minute national broadcast, to explain to us what it was all about.

By Mujahid Nafees*  The budget of  Rs 48,20,512.08 crore for the year 2024-25 presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman  suggests an increase of about 1% compared to last year, yet the allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs is only Rs 3,183.24 crore, which is approximately 0.0660% of the total budget. In the year 2021-22, the budget of the Ministry of Minority Affairs was Rs 4810.77 crore, followed by Rs 5020.50 crore proposed for 2022-23, and Rs 3097.6 crore proposed for 2023-24.

By Rosamma Thomas*  Pala town in Kottayam district of Kerala is about 25 km from the district headquarters. St Thomas College in Pala is currently hosting a three-day workshop on knowledge systems, and gathered together are philosophers, sociologists, medical practitioners in homeopathy and Ayurveda, one of them from Nepal, and a few guests from Europe. The discussions on the first day focused on knowledge systems, power structures, and epistemic diversity. French researcher Jacquiline Descarpentries, who represents a unique cooperative of researchers, some of whom have no formal institutional affiliation, laid the ground, addressing the audience over the Internet.

By Gova Rathod*  The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, organised an event in Ahmedabad entitled “Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy in Today’s Challenging Reality” in the memory of Fr. Stan Swamy on his third death anniversary.  The event included a discussion of the new criminal laws enforced since July 1, 2024.

By Jitendra Parmar*  As many as 17 faith leaders, together for an interfaith dialogue on child marriage in New Delhi, unanimously have agreed that no faith allows or endorses child marriage. The faith leaders advocated that all religious places should display information on child marriage.

By Bharat Dogra*   Aasmeen is a domestic worker who lives in Haiderpur hut colony in Delhi. Her day starts at 5 am when she still has a lot of sleep left in her eyes but must somehow raise herself from her bed. After all she has to leave for work at 9.

By Sudhansu R Das  Over the years badminton has become the second most popular game in the world after soccer.  Today, nearly 220 million people across the world play badminton.  The game has become very popular in urban India after India won medals in various international badminton tournaments.  One will come across a badminton court in every one kilometer radius of Hyderabad.  

By Harsh Thakor* On July 18th the cricket world celebrated the 75th birthday of Dennis Lillee.The very sight of him running in to the bowling mark was one of cricket’s most captivating sights. Dennis Lillee pumped adrenalin or never say die spirit to an unparalleled height in his era and was an epitome of perfection in the art of fast bowling. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Homelessness is on the rise in both urban and rural areas of Odisha, exacerbating the struggles of its inhabitants. Currently, 11.07 percent of the population in the state lives in poverty, reflecting widespread economic hardship. Hunger and malnutrition continue to be pressing concerns, with many families unable to access sufficient food, safe drinking water and nutrients. 

By Kirity Roy*   Despite the fact that India and Bangladesh are friendly countries, the Indo-Bangladesh border is one of the most vulnerable and violent borders in the world, registering severe bloodshed on a daily basis. On an average a person is  killed or  involuntarily disappears every two days along the border.

By Vikas Parsaram Meshram*  Data indicating a reduction in India's groundwater levels by 450 cubic kilometres is alarming. This decline over the past two decades could lead to severe water shortages for agriculture and livelihood in the future. A study conducted by the Vikram Sarabhai Chair of Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar states that this reduction in groundwater is 37 times -- the total water storage capacity of the Indira Sagar Dam, India's largest reservoir. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The messiah of Hindutva politics, Narendra Modi, assumed office as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014. He pledged to transform the Indian economy and deliver a developed nation with prosperous citizens. However, despite Modi's continued tenure as the Prime Minister, his ambitious electoral promises seem increasingly elusive. 

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey*  Probably even the British, who introduced railways in India, would not have done what the Bhartiya Janata Party government is doing. The number of Sleeper and General class coaches in various trains are surreptitiously and ominously disappearing accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Air Conditioned coaches. In the characteristic style of BJP government there was no discussion or debate on this move by the Indian Railways either in the Parliament or outside of it. 

By Bharat Dogra*  All over the world several villages, particularly remote villages or villages facing some persistent problems or scarcity, are getting abandoned. Once population falls below a certain level, depopulation itself becomes a cause of further depopulation and it takes only a short time then to get more or less abandoned, involving a huge waste of all the farms and orchards, homes and gardens, wells and ponds, schools and other community buildings that could have been used in much better and productive ways.  At the same time some efforts to revive abandoned or near abandoned villages provide a source of hope. A poignant and  moving portrayal of an (almost) abandoned village in Tamil Nadu in a recent report raises questions and regrets regarding why more cannot done be at the right time to prevent the decline of a village ( or a cluster of villages) towards increasing difficulties, depopulation and eventual abandonment. This report by C. Palanivel Rajan has been published

By Harsh Thakor*  Despite being a banned and designated as terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 2009, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is said to have successfully implemented a one-day bandh across Kolhan division in Jharkhand on July 10th, with repurcussions in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The bandh was called to protest against alleged police brutality in the Kolhan-Saranda region.

By Mike Ghouse*  If you can shed the bias towards others, you'll love the connections with every human that God or his systems have created. This gives a sense of freedom and brings meaning and joy to life. Embracing and respecting how people dress, eat, and practice their beliefs becomes an enriching experience.

By Our Representative  The high profile Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmdabad (IIM-A) has revealed that About 54% of the firms are still reporting ‘somewhat less than normal’ or lower sales, even as pointing out that overall, the profit margins expectations have remained subdued.  

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Historically, markets were established by working people to serve their everyday needs and desires. These markets were grounded in the local communities they served, reflecting the economic and social realities of the time. People would come together in these markets to trade goods and services, fostering a sense of community and mutual dependence.

Counterview Desk  Condemning what it calls "the horrific spree of mob lynchings across the country after the Lok Sabha election results", India's premier civil society network, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has called for "united resistance" against "hateful communal politics, mob lynching of religious minorities and caste-based oppression".

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The recent decline in the BJP’s seat numbers in the Indian parliament, along with their electoral losses in the latest bypolls, indicates a diminishing marginal utility of Hindutva politics. The defeats in significant temple towns such as Badrinath and Ayodhya suggest that Hindutva is losing its political currency.

By Ram Puniyani*  In Hathras in Uttar Pradesh in a stampede nearly 121 people died. Most of these were women, mostly Dalit and poor. It was at the Satsang (Holy Discourse), organized for Bhole Baba, or Narayan Sakar Hari. He was earlier in the police force. It is alleged that he had charges of rape against him. Later he took voluntary retirement 28 years ago and turned to preaching. 

By Rajiv Shah Rating India's civic space as repressed , Civicus, a global civil society alliance, in its new report submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on the state of civic space in the country has said that the use of sedition law against the Modi government’s critics continues. "Under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sedition cases have increased by 28 per cent with over 500 cases against more than 7,000 people", it says.

By NS Venkataraman*  Mukesh  Ambani,   a renowned Indian industrialist who is said to be the richest person in India and  one of the richest persons in the world,   has just now conducted the wedding celebration of  his son in Mumbai,   with unheard level of lavishness in India.

By Harsh Thakor*  The results of the parliamentary elections in France created a major setback to the aspirations of victory for the extreme right. The Left-wing New Popular Front coalition upset the polls and knocked the neo-fascist Rassemblement National party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella out of first place in the final round of parliamentary elections.  It was the result of broad unity, organization and mass mobilization. Through following a popular front approach, they have enlarged the space for escalating democratic struggle. 

By Lobsang Tenzin*  On July 12, US President Joe Biden signed the Resolve Tibet Act, and Tibetans cheered for it, believing that the law promotes a resolution of the dispute between Tibet and China. Is this true? First, let's look at the issue of the ownership of Tibet. 

By Ozair Islam*  On July 10, Bangladesh's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, concluded her three-day official visit to China from July 08-10. The leader of Bangladesh made a successful maiden trip to China after being re-elected in January. Following two trips to India in June, Sheikh Hasina's journey to China might be characterized as a balancing act. 

By Arafat Islam Joy*   Bangladesh and China have enjoyed friendly relations since establishing diplomatic ties in January 1976. Since then, associations between China and Bangladesh have risen exponentially. Bilateral ties between the two countries started solidifying, identifying each other’s interests and priorities. The relationship has undergone a tremendous transformation to the extent that China is now considered by many in Bangladesh as an ‘all-weather friend.’ 

Counterview Desk  The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Maharashtra, strongly objecting to what it calls “repressive and unconstitutional” Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024, has demanded the proposed law be scrapped in its entirety. In its Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Bill, PUCL noted,  the broad and non-descript label of ‘urban naxal’ has been used, which is actually a “common slur used for any citizen who expresses their opposition to state policy or is not aligned with right-wing majoritarian views."

Counterview Desk Following the non-payment of wages for two months and the refusal of employment to 55 ward attendants from Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru on May 8th, 2024, and the subsequent protest waged by these workers, a fact-finding team was constituted to investigate potential labour rights violations at the hospital. 

By Harsh Thakor*  On July 12th a section of the Indian Left commemorated the 40th death anniversary of Devulapalli Venkatestwara Rao or DV, who expired from heart attack in 1984. He was one of those who sought to integrate the Mao Tse Tung thought with the peculiarities of the Indian conditions with the aim of enriching the theory of the massline and agrarian revolution in order to offer a new dimension to the Indian Communist movement. 

By Rosamma Thomas*  Kishan Meena lives on the edges of Lake Chandlai, about 30 km from Rajasthan capital Jaipur. He is well known to wildlife and nature enthusiasts, since he spends much time outdoors, on the fringes of the lake, taking note of the large number of birds that arrive at the lake or breed there. When he sets eyes on a bird he has not seen before, he alerts other birder friends and sets about learning more about his new acquaintance. 

By Rupali Soni*  In a collaborative effort, the India Animal Fund and Dasra have unveiled their report , "Our Shared Future | Securing Animal Welfare, Human Wellbeing, and Sustainability in India." This landscape report provides a thorough overview of animal welfare and underscores its indispensable role within India's socio-economic and ecological frameworks. It also illustrates how animal welfare is intricately intertwined with public health, labor welfare, and climate resilience.

By Bharat Dogra*  Nearly sixty villagers are sitting on an open floor covered by a roof for shade but otherwise open on all sides. Women and men are present in equal numbers but the visibility of women is higher because of their colorful dresses.

By Rajiv Shah  In a surprise move, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has cancelled the foreign funding license of the well-known advocacy group, Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA), known for critically examining India's finance and banking sectors from human rights and environmental angle.

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  On 1 July 2024, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court in a bizarre comment said:  “If this process (religious conversion) is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where the conversion is taking place and changing religion of citizen of India.” 

By Adv Mohan Dixit, others*  In August 2023, 18 year old Dalit youth, Nitin Ahirwar, was lynched by the dominant "lambardars" (upper caste, landed elites - in this case, Thakurs) of Barodiya Naunagir in Sagar, MP. When his mother tried to save him, she too was beaten, her hand was broken and her sari was stripped off. Their home was smashed as was that of Nitin’s uncle Rajendra Ahirwar. Just 9 months after Nitin's murder, his uncle, 26 year old Rajendra Ahirwar, a key witness in his murder was also murdered on 25 May, 2024. 

By Our Representative  The Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPI) in its new report “50 Shades of Food Advertising” has sought to expose how seductive, luring, manipulative or deceptive these advertisements can be. Consequences of such advertising are increased intake of unhealthy food products that is associated with obesity and diabetes, it says. 

By Our Representative A recent general body meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the top farmers' organisation, stated hat "there is no need for any illusion of change in the pro-corporate policies of the BJP-NDA government" following the recent elections in which BJP failed to achieve even simple majority. It insisted,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi "is hell bent" to continue 'business as usual' policies.

Counterview Desk  In a statement, the civil rights network* Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) has alleged a fake encounter in which four Adivasi peasants were killed in the Ghamandi forest, following which there were arrests of 90 Adivasi peasants in Usur, Bijapur. The Adivasi peasants are being equated with the Maoists, ensuring their criminalisation, FACAM said, calling it similar to the McCarthyian tactic of 1950s in the US. Text: With the beginning of this month, the state yet again unleashed its attack on the Adivasi peasantry with the killing of 4 Adivasi peasants and arrested of about 90 Adivasi peasants after red tagging them. It continued its genocidal attack on Adivasi.  On 3rd of July, as part of the “Maad Bachao Andolan” operation of the paramilitary, ironically the name used by mass movements in Abujhmad to oppose genocidal military operation, big combing operations have been launched to displace the Maoists from the hills of Chhattisgarh where they

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  More than one hundred and twenty-one people died recently in a stampede at a religious gathering in the Pulrai village of Hathras district, located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This tragic incident highlights the deeper economic, social, cultural, and spiritual crises that India faces today. 

By Our Representative  The civil rights network Forum Against Corporatisation and Militarisation (FACAM), along with the Foundation The London Story, Netherlands, International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India, India Justice Project, Germany and London Mining Network, UK, in a submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has complained of "genocidal violence" allegedly being unleashed on the Adivasi peasants in Bastar. Stating that the violence has intensified in 2024 since the Indian state launched the draconian Surajkund Scheme, the representation said, as of now, close to 200 individuals have been killed in Bastar. Along with this, multiple human rights defenders, ground activists and peasant leaders such as Surju Tekam, and Suneeta Pottem, have been arrested in Chhattisgarh based on falsified charges of being associated with the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) under anti-terror and sedition law, it added. Seeking periodic review of th