Counterview

By A Representative   The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to disclose its correspondence with the United States government over India’s imports of Russian oil, despite senior officials publicly admitting that New Delhi acted on Washington’s advice. The refusal has triggered fresh concerns about transparency in India’s foreign and energy policy.

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has strongly condemned the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and demanded its immediate repeal, terming it a discriminatory move aimed at disenfranchising India’s Muslim community.

By A Representative   A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey  visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification. 

By Prof. Ravi Ranjan*  “There was no need to be ashamed of tears, because tears testified that a man had the greatest courage, the courage to suffer.”   — Viktor E. Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning” “There are some values that keep pricking us like thorns throughout our lives… we learn to live with those pricking thorns.”   — Garima Srivastava, “Auschwitz: A Love Story” (p. 182)

By A Representative  With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Several countries that “experienced” Donald Trump during his first term as President of the United States kept their fingers crossed when he was re-elected for a second term. Since assuming office again, he has been focusing on his “Make America Great Again” agenda and positioning himself as a “global peace maker.” Perhaps, there is also the ambition of being hailed as a Nobel laureate. Certainly, he cannot be faulted for aspiring to such lofty goals.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

By Sanjay Parate  After being nominated as the INDIA bloc’s candidate for the post of Vice President, Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy has come under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is accused of being responsible for Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh because he was part of the Supreme Court bench that banned the state-sponsored Salwa Judum movement. 

By Sunil Kumar  On 2 September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bihar State Jeevika Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation Limited through video conferencing. As feared, during the launch he did exactly what many had anticipated. Referring to an incident a week earlier, the Prime Minister said, “A mother is our world, a mother is our pride. What happened in Bihar a few days ago, I could never have imagined. From the RJD-Congress platform in Bihar, my mother was abused. These abuses are not just an insult to my mother, they are an insult to every mother, sister, and daughter of this nation.”

By Ram Puniyani   On 2 October 2025, the RSS will complete 100 years since its founding. The RSS has consistently pursued a Hindutva-oriented politics with the goal of establishing a Hindu nation. The oath that its volunteers take commits them to loyalty toward the Hindu nation. The RSS has rapidly expanded its basic unit, the shakha. In these shakhas, initially only young boys and youth participated, but now people of all ages gather to play Indian games like kabaddi and kho-kho. Alongside, they receive ideological training, referred to as shakha bauddhik. This training program is extensive and of varying durations. 

By Rumaan Mecci, Sandeep Pandey  Palestine’s history has been that of nakbas (read: catastrophe), naksas (read: setback) and overall negation (read: pure evil done to them by vile Israel). The Palestinians’ struggle for basic survival has now even overtaken their struggle for a political identity — for political identity depends on the existence of the personhood of those demanding it, and this existence is dragging itself by its sore, blistered feet on the tightrope of death.

By Azmat Ali   For the first time in history, famine has been declared in Gaza City and its surrounding areas. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed that the most extreme thresholds of hunger, malnutrition, and death have been met. More than half a million people—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are enduring catastrophic conditions, with the toll expected to rise further by September. This makes Gaza the first IPC-classified famine outside Africa. It is not only a humanitarian catastrophe—it is a devastating indictment of global failure.

By A Representative   A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat,  has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

By Harsh Thakor*   Subhashchandra Pandharinath "Fergie" Gupte, born in Bombay on December 11, 1929, was arguably one of the greatest leg-spin bowlers to grace a cricket field. For nearly a decade, he was India’s premier wrecker-in-chief, a bowler whose craft went beyond the ordinary and touched the transcendental.

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ   It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Bhojpuri cinema is expanding rapidly. Songs from new films are eagerly awaited, and the industry is hailed for its booming business. Yet, big money and mass popularity do not automatically translate into quality cinema or meaningful content. The market has compelled us to celebrate numbers, even when what is being produced is deeply troubling.

By A Representative   The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has issued an urgent appeal to the Chief Minister of Kerala, urging the state to uphold its public-health legacy and meet the demands of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).

By Azmat Ali   The question of Muslim education and social reform in India has long been a subject of debate, policy intervention, and community introspection. In Uttar Pradesh (UP), home to the largest Muslim population of any Indian state, the issue assumes even greater significance. According to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh was 3.85 crore (19.26 percent) of the state’s total 19.98 crore. Muslims thus form a significant minority, and their role in the state’s progress cannot be overlooked.

By Vikash Meshram  The foundation of a nation’s progress rests upon education; yet, millions of girls in India’s rural and marginalized communities remain deprived of it. Poverty, gender discrimination, rigid social norms, child marriage, lack of schools, and safety concerns force countless girls to abandon their educational journey. In such a landscape, the recognition of the Foundation to Educate Girls Globally with this year’s prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award is both historic and symbolic. Known as the “Nobel Prize of Asia,” this honor not only celebrates the tireless efforts of the organization but also places India’s social innovations and educational reforms on the global stage. The foundation was established in 2007 by Safeena Husain with a vision to bring tribal, rural, and marginalized girls into the mainstream of education. Its mission extends beyond mere school enrollment; it seeks to free girls from restrictive social barriers and empower them to become sel...

By Vijay Prashad   Suddenly, out of nowhere, the United States government agencies began to repeat the name “Tren de Aragu”’ as if it were the new al-Qaeda. In January 2025, the White House designated Tren de Aragua as a “foreign terrorist organisation”, and in March, the administration of US President Donald Trump evoked the Alien Enemies Act (1789) to warn against the ‘invasion of the United States by Tren de Aragua’. 

By Bharat Dogra   The unjust tariffs recently imposed by the USA are likely to inflict serious damage on India’s garment industry. Thousands of workers, especially women, face the prospect of losing their livelihoods. While efforts to find alternative export markets must certainly continue, it is equally important to think in new directions. One such option could be a large-scale program of supplying garments to the poorest sections of society. There is no doubt that large numbers of families in India still lack adequate clothing for different seasons. The bustling trade in second-hand clothes testifies to this reality.

By Harsh Thakor*  In 1974, Ethiopia experienced a popular revolution that toppled Emperor Haile Selassie and ushered in a new political order. Ian Scott Horst’s book Like Ho Chi Minh – Like Che Guevara: The Revolutionary Left in Ethiopia, 1966–79 provides a detailed account of this turbulent period, situating it within the wider currents of global revolutionary movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

By A Representative   The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to impose a 60-day ban on 11 pesticides commonly used in Basmati rice cultivation has been hailed as a landmark move for public safety and sustainable agriculture. The order, issued on August 17, 2025, covers 30 Basmati-growing districts and targets chemicals such as tricyclazole, buprofezin, acephate, chlorpyrifos, tebuconazole, propiconazole, thiamethoxam, profenofos, imidacloprid, carbendazim, and carbofuran. 

By Prof. Hamentkumar Shah*   Since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, despite India’s many efforts, China has always remained a political adversary. Yet, trade with this adversary has never stopped. Even during times when China intruded into Galwan Valley in Ladakh, built settlements in Arunachal Pradesh, or pushed into Doklam in Sikkim, India’s trade with China kept increasing. For the common Indian, China is viewed much like Pakistan—an enemy. But the Indian government, at least in terms of trade, does not treat China as an enemy. That is the undeniable reality.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Many opinion makers argue that in international relations there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. They point to the current strain in India–U.S. ties, noting that only a few years ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then U.S. President Donald Trump went out of their way to display personal warmth and friendship. 

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The 50 percent tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump on Indian exports are set to impact India’s economy severely. They are likely to shut down many enterprises and cause widespread job losses in sectors such as garments, gems and jewellery, furniture, chemicals, footwear and fisheries.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  Students are among the most idealistic members of society. Their youthful pursuit of ideals, fuelled by passion, innocence, and creativity, represents limitless potential that society can harness for progressive transformation. Throughout history, students have not only participated in but also shaped progressive movements. What defines them is their selfless sacrifice for the greater good of society. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The judiciary today is not so much denying bail to undertrials languishing in jail for five years—it is reinforcing a far more dangerous belief: that the state can incarcerate anyone without reason, and without consequence. Accountability is absent. Bail is granted selectively, often justified with lofty references to "human rights" and "personal liberty." But these rights, it seems, are reserved for the powerful—those with expansive legal teams and deep pockets.

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has criticised what it described as attempts to silence civil society groups highlighting alleged unconstitutional evictions and detentions in Assam. The organisation has demanded the withdrawal of criminal cases filed against Syeda Hameed, a member of the “People’s Tribunal on Assam: Evictions, Detentions and the Right to Belong.”

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, someone very close to me took me to a sub-office of the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Services (AMTS), where I filled out a form for what has been loudly advertised as a free pass for senior citizens aged 65 and above.

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has written to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, urging him to immediately reopen the Seventh Day Adventist School in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, where classes have been suspended for nearly two weeks. The MCC claims that the suspension, following a violent incident, violates the constitutional right to education of thousands of children.

By Maju Varghese*  The climate crisis has triggered multiple crises across the world. One of the worst impacts on the frontlines is being faced by fishing communities, with increasing climate extremes leading to loss of livelihood, destruction of coasts, homes, and basic infrastructure. In Kerala, the shorelines are battered each year by sea surges and erosion, displacing thousands. In the Sundarbans, rising sea waters are redrawing the maps. This story, however, is about the struggle of fisherpeople from a tiny island called Pari Island in Indonesia, which has become the face of one of the most important climate justice struggles of our time.

By A Representative   Civil society voices have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to resist United States pressure over agricultural tariffs, warning that any concession could devastate Indian farming and food sovereignty. In a letter dated August 31, 2025, public policy expert Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi and Supreme Court petitioner Aruna Rodrigues argued that U.S. demands for greater access to India’s agricultural market are based on a false notion of “comparative advantage.”

By A Representative  When Jahlma Nallah starts roaring, “we cannot sleep,” said 80-year-old Devi Singhji of Himachal Pradesh last October. His fears came true this monsoon, as the Himalayan rivulet once again flooded catastrophically, blocking the Chenab and adding to the devastation across the region.

By A Representative   A new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology has revealed alarmingly high levels of toxic metals, particularly lead, among tribal fishermen in the Pichavaram mangrove region of Tamil Nadu.

By A Representative   Shankar Sharma, power and climate policy analyst from Sagara in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, has strongly objected to the in-principle approval of the proposed 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project (PSP) within the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary. In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, with a copy marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sharma warned that the clearance process appears compromised and urged an indefinite postponement of the scheduled public hearings in Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts.

By Alejandra Amor, Mansee Bal Bhargava  The concept of water as a commons has been fundamental to human understanding for centuries. Yet it faces unprecedented challenges in today’s rapidly changing world—not only due to increasing water crises but, more importantly, because of growing social disparities over who gets access to water, when, where, and how much.

By Rajiv Shah  Following my blog "AAP’s rising star in Gujarat or guardian of patriarchy? The Gopal Italia dilemma", I received an interesting comment from social activist Sudhir Kariyar, who works among tribal workers in Gujarat. The blog discusses how Italia, who won a by-election, wrote a letter to the Gujarat chief minister claiming that, on getting involved in love affair, young girls are being "lured" and "trapped" by wedding mafias across the state, urging the authorities to take legal action against this.

By Prof. Hementkumar Shah*  The Indian rupee has once again fallen sharply against major foreign currencies, with the exchange rate touching around ₹88.15 to a U.S. dollar and ₹119.25 to a British pound last week. This decline is not unprecedented—the rupee has been losing value against foreign currencies since India gained independence. The question, however, is how fast and why it is falling this time.

By Gagan Sethi*  The Ahmedabad-based legal rights voluntary organisation, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), has led a long and sustained struggle to legitimize the role of paralegals in India’s justice delivery system, advocating for their recognition as indispensable actors, particularly in supporting marginalized communities ( CSJ LinkedIn , Education Times , IDR ). This struggle reached a milestone, as the Supreme Court formally requested that the Election Commission appoint volunteer paralegals to assist citizens in obtaining their voter ID cards, recognizing them as essential facilitators in India’s democratic process ( Bar & Bench , The Leaflet , LiveLaw ).

By Steven Jeb, Avyaan Sharma  In the heart of Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang River flows not just as a source of water but as a sacred lifeline—revered by the Adi tribe as “Aane Siang,” the Mother River. Today, this river stands at the center of a fierce and growing resistance against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a hydroelectric mega-dam that threatens to submerge ancestral lands, displace entire communities, and irreversibly alter the fragile ecosystem of the eastern Himalayas.

By A Representative   A broad coalition of over twenty community organisations, Gram Sabhas and civil society groups from across Himachal Pradesh has submitted a memorandum to key state and central authorities, urging immediate action to uphold the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 in response to recent High Court eviction orders. Addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary (Tribal Development), Tribal Development Minister Shri Jagat Singh Negi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh, the memorandum asserts that the FRA, as a central law, supersedes older legislations and must be invoked to protect eligible claimants from unlawful displacement.

By Prof. Ravi Ranjan*   “ Kimasti kashchidasaviyati loke, yasya nirvikaram yauvanamatikrantam.” —"Kadambari"   (“Is there anyone in this world whose youth passed without a single blemish?”) “I am doing a work which has never been done before. I want to show the whole truth about myself. I am a person who is not like anyone else.”    —Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "Confessions" *** Premkumar Mani, a distinguished Hindi writer, thinker, and politician, has crafted a remarkable oeuvre that includes five short-story collections, a novel titled "Dhalan", and five compilations of essays. His autobiography, " Akath Kahani " (The Untellable Story), published in 2023 by Vani Prakashan, stands as a profound socio-political narrative that transcends the personal to reflect the collective consciousness of marginalized and oppressed communities in India, particularly in Bihar. Spanning 368 pages, this work chronicles Mani’s life from childhood to old age...

By Harsh Thakor  On August 25, 45-year-old Avinash Thadani from Mumbai pulled off one of the most stunning feats in the history of English Channel swimming. For 22 hours, he battled the stormy and gruelling waters of the Channel, symbolising relentless spirit, endurance, and boundless courage in a sporting domain rarely transcended. At moments, the quest seemed futile, but his never-say-die attitude powered him through the gravest adversity. 

By Harsh Thakor  On August 25th, we commemorated the 150th anniversary of Captain Matthew Webb’s historic crossing of the English Channel, a feat that set a timeless benchmark for endurance swimming and physical endeavor. Webb’s achievement, once deemed impossible, ignited a global wave of inspiration, urging countless others to pursue the seemingly unattainable. His swim symbolizes the relentless human spirit, pushing the boundaries of what the body and mind can achieve. Sports historians should delve into the biochemical and psychological transformations that fueled Webb’s groundbreaking journey, exploring the forces that shaped his extraordinary life.

By Prof. K. S. Chalam*  S. V. Rajadurai and Vidya Bhushan Rawat’s joint effort in bringing out a book on the most original iconoclast of South Asia, Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, titled Periyar: Caste, Nation and Socialism, published by People’s Literature Publication, Mumbai, is now available on Amazon and Flipkart . This volume presents an innovative method of documenting the pioneering contributions of a leader like Periyar, and it reflects the scholarship of Rajadurai, who has played a pivotal role in popularizing Periyar in English. 

By A Representative   In a landmark achievement for India's non-profit sector, Educate Girls has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as Asia's highest honor. This makes them the first Indian organization to ever receive the award, which recognizes "greatness of spirit and transformative leadership."

By Shiran Illanperuma  China’s modernisation has been one of the most remarkable processes of the 21st century and one that has sparked endless academic debate. Meng Jie (孟捷), a distinguished professor from the School of Marxism at Fudan University in Shanghai, has spent the better part of his career unpacking this process to better understand what has taken place.

By Bharat Dogra   Baal Singh, a respected elder of the Bhil Adivasi community in Rajasthan’s Banswara district, is a wealth of knowledge on his community's traditional farming practices. When I recently visited him at his home in Nisnawat village, he spoke passionately about the need to protect the diverse, time-honored crops that form the foundation of tribal agriculture. He was equally firm in his belief that the growing reliance on market-purchased hybrid seeds has been detrimental to farmers.

By Bharat Dogra   For as long as anyone in Jhikali village can remember, a traditional pond has been the lifeblood of farming. Located in the Banswara district of Rajasthan, the Bhil Adivasi (tribal) community relies on its water for sustenance. Without it, farming would be nearly impossible.