By Bharat Dogra*  A wake-up call before it is too late—the most important food crops—staple food of billions of people—rice and wheat are being targeted by GM crop promoting big business interests and the researchers allied to them. Their most important although undeclared goal is not just to increase profits but in addition to gain control and dominance over the world food and farming system.

By Our Representative  The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has announced its unequivocal support for the Ladakhi people's ongoing struggle for constitutional rights and environmental protection. In a statement released on Saturday, NAPM condemned the central government for failing to deliver on its promises and demanded urgent dialogue with Ladakhi leaders to address their concerns, including granting Ladakh Sixth Schedule Status under the Indian Constitution.

By Our Representative  In the predawn hours of October 1, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) executed raids at 12 locations throughout West Bengal, targeting the residences of several activists in connection with alleged “Maoist links.” The agency confiscated mobile phones and laptops belonging to numerous individuals during these searches, which reportedly resulted in significant property damage. 

By Shankar Sharma*  In light of the public objections and suggestions regarding the draft of the Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) notification S.O. 3060(E), dated July 31, 2024, environmentalists have expressed deep concerns over what they perceive as yet another inadequate initiative by the Union government to safeguard one of India's two primary biodiversity hotspots, alongside the Eastern Himalayas. 

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan has called on political parties committed to communal harmony and constitutional values to integrate the demands articulated in their manifesto, "Abua Jharkhand, Abua Raj," into their electoral platforms. The manifesto was announced at a press conference where the achievements and shortcomings of the Hemant Soren coalition government over the past five years were summarized. 

Counterview Desk  A coalition of women's organizations* in Rajasthan has issued a joint statement demanding that the state government file an appeal against the recent acquittal of accused in the Glorification of Sati cases of 1987. The organizations, which have been working on the Sati (Bride Burning) case since the tragic death of Roop Kanwar, expressed their disappointment and concern over the judiciary's decision.

By Rajiv Shah  In a joint submission to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' (GANHRI's) Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA), two civil society groups -- All India Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (AiNNI) and Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) --  have said that the  National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC's) accreditation, deferred in  2016, 2023, and 2024, fails to find space on its website.

By Osman Sher*  It is strikingly ironic that the current climate of prevalent hate in India is fostered not by a disruptive fringe of society, but by those in power—individuals entrusted by the citizens to promote their welfare and foster peace and harmony. It is their responsibility to guide and nurture the populace as if they were their flock. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Issues highlighted by Sonam Wangchuk are of critical importance, particularly the push to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This measure is essential to shield the region from the encroachment of opportunistic outsiders driven solely by profit motives. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  In the international sphere, an orgy of imperialist violence and wars on multiple fronts is unleashed on the world's population to divide people on religious and nationalist lines, destabilise peace, deepen crises, and control resources in the name of nationalism and religion. Under the guise of fighting Islamic terrorism and exporting the so-called market-led Western democracy, imperialist powers are ghettoising Muslims to control natural resources in various parts of Asia, as well as in Arab and Middle Eastern countries. 

By Vikas Meshram*  Water is the fundamental element of life. It is essential for all living beings on Earth. However, due to increasing population and uncontrolled development, water scarcity has become a serious issue. In such circumstances, the concept of proper rainwater management and water sovereignty becomes highly significant. India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of water resources, yet it faces a severe water crisis. 

By Our Representative  A coalition of non-governmental organizations has condemned the Odisha government's decision to abruptly end a vital nutrition program for children of Primitive Tribal Groups (PVTG) communities. The program, which provided community-based creches and feeding centers, has been a lifeline for thousands of young children in the state.

Counterview Desk  All India Health Rights Campaign (Rashtriy Swasthya Adhikar Abhiyan), opposing the decision of Government of Odisha to close down creches and nutritional feeding centres in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) villages of the state, has written a letter to Antar Sing Arya, Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) demanding continuation of these centers for improvement of nutritional status of children and mother from PVTG communities. 

By Our Representative  A high level Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-sponsored meeting, held in Dresden, Germany, October 2-6, 2024, has kicked off with a new approach to draft prioritization, where member countries and observers assessed the potential effects of upcoming standards on global trade, public health, and food safety.

By Harsh Thakor*  Alan Border epitomized resilience and determination, becoming the quintessential player to rely on in dire situations. Time and again, he resurrected the Australian cricket team, demonstrating remarkable tenacity against formidable bowling attacks. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* After independence, India became the architect of the  Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which refused to join the warmongering, imperialist, and colonial power blocs in both their regressive and progressive forms. The idealism of the NAM revolves around principles of egalitarian coexistence, solidarity, peace, and harmony. 

By Vikas Meshram*  The news that 53 medicines claiming to relieve ailments such as fever, pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., have failed to meet quality standards during trials is concerning. The inclusion of Paracetamol, a widely used medicine in the country, among these is ironic. It is astonishing that these medicines are being sold openly under the nose of the government. The Central Drug Regulator has released a list of medicines that do not meet quality standards. 

By Himanshu Kumar*  Columbus was a Christian, but the occupation of America by him and the massacre of the Native Americans are not called a Christian attack or killings by Christians. The British, Dutch, Portuguese, and French came to India, but we never said that Christians ruled India. However, when the Mughals came to India and ruled, we call it a Muslim invasion of Hindus and say that Muslims imposed slavery on Hindus. 

By Madhumita Pandey*  Twelve years ago, in 2012, people around the world read with horror as details emerged of how a 22-year-old woman named Jyoti Singh was raped on a bus in New Delhi by six men. She died from her injuries in hospital less than two weeks later.

Counterview Desk The Universal Health Organisation (UHO), a forum seeking to offer "impartial, truthful, unbiased and relevant information on health" so as to ensure that every citizen makes informed choices pertaining to health, has said that the NITI Aayog’s Report on Future Pandemic Preparedness , though labelled as prepared by an “expert” group, "falls flat" for "even a layperson". 

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  In the politically charged atmosphere of Jammu and Kashmir, election slogans resonated deeply: "Jail Ka Badla, Vote Sa" (Jail’s Revenge, Vote) and "Article 370 Ka Badla, Vote Sa" (Article 370’s Revenge, Vote). These catchphrases dominated the assembly election campaigns, particularly across Kashmir. 

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  Laddu, a popular spherical sweet enjoyed throughout India, is often presented as prasad—a form of religious offering in temples. While this delightful treat usually brings joy to those who taste it, recent events surrounding the laddu from the famous Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh have generated frustration among devotees. The controversy centers around claims that the laddu contains fat from cows and pigs. 

By Harsh Thakor*  Standing tall at 6 feet 7 inches, Curtly Ambrose was a fearsome sight on the cricket field, reminiscent of a tsunami in full force. While there have been faster and more versatile pace bowlers throughout history, few matched Ambrose's combination of aggression and accuracy. 

By Ram Puniyani*  During a recent visit to the United States, Rahul Gandhi engaged in various discussions with audiences, one of which included an interaction with a Sikh individual present. In this conversation, he referenced the polarized political landscape in India, emphasizing the increasing assertiveness of sectarian politics. 

By Our Representative  The Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) has vocally condemned the financial support provided by the US Government to what it calls questionable public relations firms aimed at undermining the efforts of activists opposed to pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in India. 

By Bharat Dogra*  Nearly 100 civil society representatives, farmer organizations, scientists and academics of Nigeria recently issued a statement calling upon their government to discontinue plans to introduce GM potatoes and to reject all GM crops. These critics drew attention to similar plans to introduce GM potatoes elsewhere in Africa too and said that potato farmers would be devastated if these plans went ahead. This statement was made after some reports stated that GM potatoes may be introduced in Nigeria next year in 2025.

By Garbhit Naik, Mansee Bal Bhargava*  In Indian villages, traditional kutcha houses have been more than just a place to live. A house, the heart of rural life, carry with it the stories, values, and skills of generations. Built from locally available materials and local techniques, each house is a product of a connection with the surrounding environment and thus creating a strong sense of community. Each house, crafted through shared efforts, reflects climate and geography besides the needs and aspirations of its resident. The personalized details of every house clustered together brought the village a unique of a life in harmony with nature and tradition.

By Rajiv Shah  Is the Narendra Modi government, in its third but  what would appear to be a weaker avatar, seeking to show that it would keep a distance, albeit temporarily, from its most favorite business house, the Adanis? It would seem so if the latest move of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) latest to "defer" the Adani Energy’s application for 1500 MW Warasgaon-Warangi Pump Storage Project is any indication.

By Shankar Sharma*  The South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People has highlighted a concerning narrative regarding the detrimental effects of Pumped Storage Plants (PSPs) on the environment, particularly within the Western Ghats. The alarming proliferation of such projects reflects the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Authority's (CEA) pervasive drive to establish numerous PSPs across the country, often at the expense of ecological integrity and community well-being. 

By Parag Jyoti Saikia*  “Hey Rupam, open the door. Take this fish,” a woman yelled from outside. I was sitting in the kitchen at my friend Rupam’s house in rural northeast India. It was the heart of monsoon season, and rain had been falling since morning. The woman must have been shouting because the noise of the rain on the tin roof muted everything else.

By Sandeep Pandey*  The violence which shows no sign of abating in the ongoing Meitei-Kuki conflict in Manipur is a matter of concern. The alienation of the two communities and hatred generated for each other is unprecedented. The Meiteis cannot leave Manipur by road because the next district North on the way to Kohima in Nagaland is Kangpokpi, a Kuki dominated area where the young Kuki men and women are guarding the district borders and would not let any Meitei pass through the national highway. 

By Kritischer Konsum*    105,000 people have signed a petition calling on Nestlé to stop adding sugar to its baby food products marketed in lower-income countries. It was handed over today at the multinational’s headquarters in Vevey, where the NGOs Public Eye, IBFAN and EKO dumped the symbolic equivalent of 10 million sugar cubes, representing the added sugar consumed each day by babies fed with Cerelac cereals. In Switzerland, such products are sold with no added sugar. The leading baby food corporation must put an end to this harmful double standard.

By Bharat Dogra*  The Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has rendered a great public service by very recently publishing a report titled ‘Bayer’s Toxic Trails’ which reveals how the German agrochemical giant Bayer has been lobbying hard to promote glyphosate and GMOs, or trying to “capture public policy to pursue its private interests.” This report, written by Joao Camargo and Hans Van Scharen, follows Bayer’s toxic trail as “it maintains monopolistic control of the seed and pesticides markets, fights off regulatory challenges to its toxic products, tries to limit legal liability, and exercises political influence.” 

By Our Representative  A significant icefield in Alaska is melting faster than previously believed, and it may eventually hit an irreversible tipping point sooner than expected, according to a research carried out in the Newcastle University.

Counterview Desk  In an excerpt from their book, Izabella Scott and Skye Arundhati Thomas contextualize  how the occupation of Palestine informs the occupation of Kashmir. The authors point towards why the relationship between Israel and India is more complex than is generally though, pointing out how, to many in India, Israel presents an internationally sanctioned model for alleged exterminating Muslims. 

By Tapan Sen*  The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has voiced robust support for the striking employees of Ferro Scrap Nigam Limited (FSNL), who have embarked on an indefinite strike starting September 28, 2024. This action stems from the workers' concerns over the NDA government's aggressive efforts to privatize FSNL, undermining the legal framework established in India. 

By Bharat Dogra*  Addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation represents one of the foremost challenges of our era, affecting all nations and communities. However, the strategies we employ must consider the livelihoods and needs of people to avoid negatively impacting small farmers, workers, and vulnerable populations, especially in developing regions.  My research indicates that it is indeed feasible to align the vital goals of safeguarding the livelihoods of small farmers while also addressing climate change collaboratively. These objectives can evolve simultaneously. 

By Harsh Thakor*  As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, it is essential to reflect on the legacy of Edgar Snow, the first journalist to enter the northwest region known as Red China in 1936. His groundbreaking work brought the narratives of Mao Zedong and his followers to the global stage. A prominent figure in China, Snow was an American journalist celebrated for his 1937 book , "Red Star Over China." 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The reactionary, regressive, and right-wing cultures promoted by authoritarian politics have managed to undermine democracy, constitutional, and liberal traditions in order to uphold the interests of various forms of capitalism and its imperialist foundations.  The propaganda of these forces has been very successful in creating, sustaining, and expanding differences between people and communities, resulting in atomised and antagonistic individuals who are unable to fight for their rights as individuals or communities. This project is accelerated by market forces, which seek to create competing consumers by expanding mass consumerism for profit.  Such a project dismantles the diversity of production, consumption, and local markets that facilitate interaction between consumers and producers in a social setting, with collective foundations of economic activities based on needs. Capitalism and its social, political, religious, and cultural forces create national

Counterview Desk  The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), condemning the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and about 150 Ladakhi Padyatris by the Delhi police and the "arbitrary imposition" of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) by the Delhi Police Commissioner, has demanded that the  Padyatris should be released immediately and allowed to continue their democratic and peaceful ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’ towards Rajghat for raising their "legitimate demands" for environmental protections and constitutional safeguards in the Ladakh region.

Counterview Desk  National Alliance for Justice, Accountability & Rights (NAJAR), an initiative of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), collectivizing "progressive legal professionals for democratic causes", has sought inquiry and legal action against vice chancellor of the  Rajiv Gandhi National Law University (RGNUL), for "objectionable actions" against the students protesting against his patriarchal stance.  Seeking an end to gendered discrimination in the university, NAJAR said, the VC violated the principle of equality through his patriarchal and conservative thoughts and decisions, directed against women students studying law, pointed out, he "entered the girls’ hostel without any prior notice, and commented on the woman students' clothes", even reportedly made "sexist remarks." Text:  National Alliance for Justice, Accountability, and Rights (NAJAR), a pan-Indian collective of progressive legal professionals for

By Shankar Sharma*  In light of recent reports regarding the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, it has been announced that the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has successfully met its 100-day target for enhancing wildlife habitats. While the media celebrates this milestone, and the Ministry may take pride in their achievement, environmental advocates across the country have reason to approach such claims with skepticism. 

By Proshakha Maitra, Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Rivers since their existence have a tendency to flow freely uninterrupted, as a saying often used by Jal Satyagrahi pertaining to river pollution -- Aviralta mei hee nirmalta (flow will ensure clean river). Since the emergence of dams along with the invention of cement-concrete in civilisational and technological evolution, we have come too far in taming the rivers as per the aspirations and needs. The latest in the riverscape in India is the riverfront designs and development besides many small streams filled up as lands from designate wastelands. This has changed the ecosystem of the river besides and importantly our association with it from ritualistic in spiritual sense to recreational in socio-economic sense. 

By Our Representative  On the International Safe Abortion Day, 28 September, the global advocacy group SHE & Rights Media Initiative held a session   on decriminalising abortion and making safe abortion accessible to all-in-need globally, with speakers insisting that it is critical to deliver on promises enshrined in SDGs. It was celebrated as the Global Day of Action to demand access to safe and legal abortions everywhere and for all women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals.

By Bharat Dogra*  In recent years the right to information campaign has made big strides in several countries. However a special feature of this campaign in India which has captured international attention is the inspiring start it got at the grass roots level. It is the simple peasants and workers of Rajasthan who first emphasised the   importance of this right and took the message of its importance to the educated elites. This struggle was spearheaded by an organisation of workers and peasants called the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathna (MKSS).