Counterview

By Rosamma Thomas*  Siddarth Varadarajan, founder editor of The Wire website tweeted on August 27 that of the 56 retired judges who had reportedly signed a statement in defence of Union Minister Amit Shah, two that he personally knew – Justice RV Raveendran, former Supreme Court judge, and Justice Suresh Kaith, who served as chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, told him that they had no notion how their names appeared on that statement, when they had not consented to the inclusion of their names. This is a matter that needs some investigation – who included their names?

By A Representative   National Award-winning filmmaker Abhishek Shah has commenced shooting his highly anticipated Gujarati film, Dhabkaaro, featuring a stellar cast led by veteran actor Deven Bhojani and talented performer Aarjav Trivedi. The film, currently in production at various locations across Gujarat, is poised to be a heartwarming entertainer, exploring themes of humor, liberation, and forgiveness against the backdrop of Gujarat’s rich cultural and spiritual tapestry.

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur*  For the past several days, Punjab has been facing a severe flood crisis. Relentless downpours in the hilly states have led to an overflow in the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, triggering catastrophic flooding in eight districts—Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, and Ferozepur. The sudden surge in the Ghaggar River has also placed Mohali, Patiala, and Sangrur districts on high alert. More than 1,018 villages and 300 government schools are reeling under the impact, and 24 lives have already been lost. In response, the Punjab government has declared a state of emergency and announced holidays in all schools until August 30.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The massive destruction in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab due to heavy rains is not just a seasonal tragedy—it is nature’s warning. Yet, the enormity of the crisis has barely found space in mainstream media. The silence is troubling. What is unfolding across these states calls for nothing less than the declaration of a national emergency, an immediate halt to reckless so-called “developmental” projects, and a wider democratic debate about the future of our mountains. Sadly, our political class, across party lines, shows no inclination to engage with such fundamental questions.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   The Indian judiciary did not emerge overnight. It is the product of centuries of legal evolution shaped by religious traditions, colonial impositions, and post-colonial constitutional reforms. At its core, it was meant to uphold the rule of law, ensure accountability, and protect citizens from exploitation. By preventing crime and guaranteeing justice, the courts were entrusted with the task of sustaining peace and harmony in society.

By A Representative   A group of former bureaucrats, academics, civil society leaders and activists have written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking a judicial inquiry into what they describe as “serious concerns” over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). In their appeal, for which the group has sought wider support through an online petition , they urged the Rashtrapati to intervene, saying:

By N.S. Venkataraman *  The Chairman of the State Bank of India recently stated that the corporate sector in India is holding significant cash balances. Internal estimates of the bank put this at Rs. 13.5 trillion, suggesting that corporates have enough internal resources to fund capital expenditure and project investments. With investors showing enthusiasm for subscribing to public issues, there appears to be no shortage of funds for new manufacturing ventures.

By Deepika, Bhaskaran Raman   “Stray dog menace” is the buzzword on social media and certain sections of the media. It was recently reported in the media that the Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of “stray dog menace”, although the cognisance order did not use the word. But the final order on 11 Aug 2025 did mention “menace of dog bites”. Regardless, are stray dogs really a menace?

By Ram Puniyani   Across the world, mythological tales are filled with flights of imagination. As children, when we hear them, they enchant us and remain alive in our memories. But in the end, they are only stories. In recent decades, however, a new trend has emerged. The right-wing rulers of our country have begun presenting mythological stories as if they were factual. This began on public platforms when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded doctors and the nation that ancient India must have had plastic surgeons, otherwise how could the head of an elephant have been placed on Lord Ganesha’s body?

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  The controversy over the functioning of the Madhya Pradesh State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has now reached the Supreme Court. In May 2025, SEIAA approved as many as 450 projects in a single day—without convening the mandatory collective meeting required under law. Files were deliberately kept pending, and once deadlines lapsed, approvals were deemed to have been granted automatically, a direct violation of the rules.

By A Representative   A nationwide survey has exposed the growing debt crisis faced by women borrowers in India’s microfinance sector. The study, conducted by the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) across 15 states and covering 6,685 women, reveals how non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) have become sources of distress rather than relief.

By Bharat Dogra  Anita Damor, a farmer from Amlipara village in Kushalgarh block of Banswara district, Rajasthan, has become a striking example of ecologically protective farming and village self-reliance. When she spoke about her work at a national conference on village self-reliance, her presentation was highly appreciated.

By Bharat Dogra   There are two aspects of Monica’s life that strike you immediately, even in a brief interaction. She works very hard, and she is very happy while doing so. This happiness, however, is a recent arrival. Earlier, her life was filled with exhausting drudgery and the constant risk of injury. Development literature often speaks of drudgery, but Monica has lived it in its harshest form. Her story illustrates the stark difference between hard work that brings joy and dignity, and hard work that breeds stress and despair.

By Harsh Thakor*  Peruvian intellectual José Carlos Mariátegui made a distinctive contribution to Latin American political and social thought. His writings demonstrated that Marxism could not be treated as a mechanical formula but had to be examined in relation to local realities. He emphasized that the peasantry, particularly Indigenous communities, would play a central role in social transformation in Latin America, and that the question of national development was of critical importance. 

By Rajiv Shah  The recent ghastly incident in Ahmedabad's sprawling Maninagar (East) area, in which a 10th-class student of the Seventh Day Adventist School was stabbed to death by a boy from the 9th (or 8th?) standard, made me look up what kind of school it is. I found it to be part of the larger Adventist movement, which began in the United States in the 19th century within the Protestant Christian framework.

By A Representative   The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-Indian initiative of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has strongly condemned the clearance granted by the Chhattisgarh Forest Department for the diversion of over 1,740 hectares of dense Hasdeo Arand forest land for the Kente Extension coal block. The block, allocated to the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) with Adani Enterprises as the mine operator, has become the latest flashpoint in the long-running battle between forest conservation, tribal rights, and coal mining interests.

By Anand Mathew IMS*  What triggered the Kuki-Meitei violence in Manipur? Is there a possibility of returning to peaceful coexistence? These are questions that weigh heavily on many minds. A small group of us visited refugee camps in the Kangpokpi area, speaking with displaced families and various stakeholders. Based on those grassroots interactions and subsequent study, this is a modest attempt to present facts and perspectives that remain little known to the wider world. To understand Manipur’s present tragedy, one must first know something of its geography, history, and ethnic and religious diversity.

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has issued a comprehensive response to the concerns raised by Inner Manipur MP Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (photo) regarding the “Independent People’s Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur” report . In their statement dated August 28, 2025, PUCL President Kavita Srivastava and General Secretary Dr. V. Suresh welcomed the parliamentarian’s call for dialogue, while firmly rejecting allegations that the Tribunal’s findings were biased.

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur*  These days, almost all districts of Himachal Pradesh are severely affected by natural disasters such as heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, landslides, land subsidence, mudslides, and flash floods. Due to frequent landslides and falling debris, major highways, including the Chandigarh–Manali and Manali–Leh routes, as well as several other roads, have been closed to traffic. Although this devastation is triggered by natural events such as heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, and flash floods, it is not entirely a natural phenomenon. The destruction in Himachal Pradesh is largely the result of climate change and excessive human interference with the state’s fragile environment.

By Sunil Kumar*    India is preparing for the election of its next Vice-President. On August 22, 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a gathering organized by the Manorama group, launched a personal attack on the opposition’s candidate, Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy. Shah declared: “The opposition’s candidate Sudarshan Reddy is the one who gave the Salwa Judum judgment to help Left-Wing Extremism. Had this judgment not been delivered, Naxalism would have ended by 2020. This gentleman delivered the Salwa Judum judgment out of ideological conviction.”

By Bharat Dogra  Jemli Bai lives in the Borikhera hamlet of the Bhil tribal community, located in the Kushalgarh block of the Banswara district in Rajasthan. Until about a decade ago, she and her husband toiled as migrant workers in various cities across Gujarat.

By A Representative   Former civil servants grouped under the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) have strongly opposed the Punjab government’s proposed legislation, The Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Act, 2025. In a detailed submission to the Select Committee of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, the signatories described the Bill as “an assault on India’s democratic and constitutional foundations” and urged that it be withdrawn in its entirety.

By Sudhansu R Das   Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, while delivering a lecture at the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) in Nagpur, said that research centers, IITs, and engineering colleges should conduct research in line with the country’s needs. He added that sustained efforts in this direction could significantly enhance the growth rate of the Indian economy and strengthen its position globally.

By Yanis Iqbal  Talha Mannan’s article “How (not) to talk about Aligarh Muslim University” critiques what he calls the “secular-liberal” narrative on AMU’s protests against the fee hike, identifying me as one of its proponents. According to him, this narrative regards the public offering of Friday prayer on August 8, 2025, at the Bab-e-Syed gate as an “Islamist,” “communal,” or “right-wing” act. Since I am among those explicitly addressed in his piece, I believe a response is warranted.

By Mike Mohamed Ghouse*    Farrukh Shaikh, a citizen who lives in  Dallas, has said, “This is a warning to all Muslims in this forum that Mike Ghouse’s religion is not Islam; he is Ismaili and a misguided person. If anyone needs more information about his religion, please let me know.”

By Bharat Dogra   For the first time in years, there are faint signs that US-Russia relations may improve, or at least be prevented from sinking further into a dangerous spiral. Even modest progress, such as recent top-level talks, matters because the decline in ties between the two largest nuclear powers has been one of the gravest threats to world peace. This moment offers an opportunity not only for cautious optimism but also for remembering the many voices within the United States that tried, often against great odds, to warn their country away from a path of escalating hostility. These were not fringe voices. They included some of the most respected diplomats, scholars, and even retired officials deeply familiar with US strategic interests. Their warnings stretched back decades. Long before the Ukraine war erupted, they had argued that the eastward expansion of NATO ignored Russia’s legitimate security concerns and endangered the fragile stability achieved at the e...

By Jorge Coulon  Europe calls itself the cradle of democracy and freedom. And yet it is also the continent that still preserves monarchies as if they were part of the natural landscape, unquestioned relics of a lineage believed to be immutable. This contradiction reveals a profound orphanhood: Europe has not known how to live without a parent to submit to, without an empire to order it, without a guardian figure to dictate the destiny of its peoples.

By Prof. Hemantkumar Shah*  After the Lok Sabha elections in 1996, the BJP-led coalition government was formed for the first time under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. At that time, Shankar Dayal Sharma was the President. He invited Vajpayee to form the government because the BJP had emerged as the single-largest party in the Lok Sabha elections. Sharma had asked Vajpayee to prove his majority in the Lok Sabha.

By Harsh Thakor*  Carl von Clausewitz remains one of history’s most original military thinkers. His writings extend beyond particular conflicts and elevate the study of warfare to a broader theoretical level. By examining the relationship between war and politics, the interaction between governments, military leadership, and society, and the dynamics that drive escalation, he created a body of work that has continued to shape discussions of strategy since the 19th century. 

By Bharat Dogra   It was once hoped that with scientific progress the tendency to misuse religion in regressive ways—spreading intolerance, hostility and violence, or obstructing the progress of women and weaker sections—would diminish, if not disappear. Unfortunately, this has not happened. Religion continues to be misused in ways that obstruct peace and progress, often more insidiously than is openly admitted. Leaders and communities may not declare it, but many hostilities and violent actions still have their roots in religious intolerance and prejudice.

By A Representative   The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Secretary of Gujarat regarding the death of two sanitation workers from asphyxiation three years ago while cleaning a sewer in Mirzapar, Bhuj. Acting on the notice, the state government paid ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased workers.

By A Representative   The Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a group of doctors, public health experts, and nutrition advocates, has written to Union Finance Minister and GST Council Chairperson Nirmala Sitharaman seeking the classification of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as “demerit goods” under the Goods and Services Tax regime. In a letter ahead of the GST Council meeting scheduled for September 3–4, 2025, the group recommended placing HFSS and UPFs in the highest GST slab of 28 percent or more, citing their established links to obesity, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

By A Representative   A coalition of over 150 tribal rights organizations, people’s movements, researchers, and activists has submitted a strongly worded representation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) accusing it of undermining the constitutional and statutory framework of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. In a joint statement dated August 21, 2025, the groups alleged that MoTA has been systematically subverting the democratic authority of Gram Sabhas in the governance and conservation of community forest resources (CFRs) by issuing new guidelines and joint advisories that hand over powers to bureaucratic structures, particularly the forest department.

By Yanis Iqbal  Ahmad Musa Jibril is a Detroit-based cleric whose career exemplifies the collapse of religious authority into criminality and extremist propaganda. In 2005, he was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison on 42 counts of fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering, with the court also citing his possession of weapons and false identities. Upon his release, Jibril shifted his influence to the digital sphere, where he gained notoriety as one of the most frequently cited online preachers among foreign fighters who joined ISIS in Syria. His lectures are filled with invective against Shia Muslims, calls for violent struggle, and a systematic denigration of women’s independence. To describe him as a “scholar” is misleading: his record is a mix of criminal misconduct, hate speech, and theological justifications for authoritarian domination.

By Bharat Dogra   The tariff policies of the Trump administration have been marked by arbitrariness and unfairness. Nowhere is this more evident than in its treatment of countries such as India and Brazil. The calculations behind the tariffs imposed are devoid of scientific basis or economic logic. In fact, in the case of India and Brazil, the reasoning borders on the bizarre. India has been singled out for purchasing Russian oil—an unjustified intrusion into the trade sovereignty and economic decision-making of a friendly nation. This move has been further linked, absurdly, to the prolongation of the Ukraine war. Yet, if we look closely at the long history of US involvement in Ukraine—from 2014 to 2025—it is clear that American policies have been among the biggest contributors to the continuation and escalation of the conflict, often at the cost of sacrificing more and more Ukrainian lives in the pursuit of weakening Russia.

By A Representative   Social activist Kantilal Parmar has submitted a formal representation to the District Collector and District Development Officer of Amreli, highlighting the need for dedicated cremation ground land and improved facilities for the Scheduled Caste population in Babra taluka.

By Rajiv Shah  For some strange reason, I closely followed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during its formative years in Gujarat . I personally knew several of those who had initiated themselves into the new party in the state. These included child rights activist Sukhdev Patel , who was appointed as convener; well-known danseuse and cultural personality Mallika Sarabhai ; senior journalist Nachiketa Desai ; former BJP MLA Kanu Kalsaria ; and Dalit rights leader Jignesh Mevani . My interactions with a few of them suggested that they were all driven by a strong yearning to create an alternative to the BJP, particularly at a time when the Congress appeared to be losing political grip in Gujarat. All of them—except perhaps Kalsaria, who seemed more of a grassroots campaigner for environmental protection—had strong left-of-centre leanings, and were not politicians as we know them today. Having such ideological leanings, they often didn’t even agree with each other on different issues. Not ...

By Gaurang Jani*  "બાળલગ્ન નહિ થાય, સ્વયંવરથી પરણાશે; સમજુ સ્ત્રીથી બાળ, સુઘડ રીતે ઉછેરાશે. જાતિ બંધનો તૂટે, પરસ્પર જમવું થાશે; મૈત્રી વધશે તેમ, સંપથી બહુ રહેવાશે. જશે જન પરદેશ, નવું ત્યાં જઇને જોશે; આવીને નિજ દેશ, શોભતો કરશે હોંશે. જાતિભેદ ટળી જશે, પંથ પાખંડી ઘટશે; એક ધર્મના સર્વ, હિન્દુઓ તારે બનશે." ("Child marriage will end, and marriages will be by free choice; A wise woman will raise her child with care and poise. Caste barriers will break, people will dine side by side; Friendship will grow, and prosperity will abide. People will travel abroad, see new lands and ways; Returning home, they will bring glory and praise. Caste prejudice will vanish, hypocrisy will fall away; All Hindus shall unite, as one faith one day.")

By Prof. Hemantkumar Shah*  When U.S. President Donald Trump recently imposed a steep 50% tariff on imports from India starting August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that Indian farmers’ interests would not be compromised. The External Affairs Minister too echoed the same concern. Such assurances are welcome, but the real question remains: how much will Indian farmers actually be affected by Trump’s tariff, and which groups of farmers are at risk?

By Manolo De Los Santos  The US government has revived its campaign to label Venezuela a "narco-state", accusing its top leadership of drug trafficking and slapping hefty bounties on their heads for capture. This campaign, which only momentarily took a backseat, is a strategic fabrication, not a factual assessment. This accusation, particularly amplified under the Trump Administration, is a calculated smokescreen to justify a long-standing agenda: the overthrow of the Venezuelan government and the seizure of its vast oil and mineral resources. A closer examination of the facts reveals a country that has actively fought drug trafficking on its own terms and a US government with a clear and consistent history of destabilizing independent countries in Latin America.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The much-hyped Alaska Summit, touted by US President Donald Trump as a diplomatic breakthrough and a step toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, has fizzled out into yet another round of military confrontation. Trump arrived at the meeting without a concrete proposal or a clear pathway to peace, leaving Russian President Vladimir Putin to set both the tone and the contours of the dialogue.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  The Supreme Court has announced that sand mining projects cannot be granted environmental clearance if a study assessing the river's annual natural recharge capacity is not available. A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar stated that recharge data, along with the District Survey Report, is a mandatory prerequisite for environmental clearance.

By Grieve Chelwa, Vijay Prashad   When will the International Monetary Fund (IMF) learn to think? Over its eighty-one year history, the IMF has published over fifteen thousand reports. Yet, if you download any one of the reports from its website, it is likely that you will know what is being said before you have even read it. The reports are so generic that you do not even need to ask ChatGPT to create a template: each document is a template for the next. They are that regurgitative.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  The Constitution of India entrusts every citizen with the duty “to develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform,” as stated in Article 51A(h) of Part IVA on Fundamental Duties. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment of 1976 gave formal recognition to these ideals, yet governments since then have not adequately fostered scientific education or created policies that encourage scientific consciousness. Religious, social, cultural, and political conservative forces, often reinforced by electoral strategies, continue to weaken these constitutional commitments.

By Bharat Dogra   One of the most inspiring struggles I have covered in nearly five decades of development journalism was the movement to save Himalayan forests in Tehri Garhwal during the late 1970s.

By A Representative   The 20th edition of the International Conference on Public Policy & Management, hosted by the Centre for Public Policy (CPP) at IIM Bangalore from August 19 to 21, concluded with a strong call for deeper collaboration between researchers, policymakers and communities to build robust state capacity and ensure citizens’ wellbeing. Themed “Rethinking State Capacity in Delivering Public Policy”, the three-day event coincided with the silver jubilee celebrations of CPP and featured a series of plenaries, lectures, workshops, paper presentations and panel discussions.

By Harsh Thakor*  Joven Obrero’s Warriors, Poets, Friends: My Life in the Mindanao Mountains is a deeply personal and literary account of life within the revolutionary movement in the Philippines, particularly in the Mindanao mountains. Through a mix of poems, letters, and vignettes collected over decades, the book offers a window into the everyday struggles, sacrifices, and aspirations of those who chose to live and fight among the rural communities.

By Dae-Han Song   If you look at the news, the media treats the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum more like a gala than a policy forum about regional economic policies. Despite high level meetings having occurred between the government and business interests (i.e., the APEC Business Advisory Committee), despite two senior official meetings having taken place, the media has done a negligible job of bringing the agenda and discussions in these meetings to public consciousness or debate. Instead, it has mostly focused on who will be there — K-pop megastar G-Dragon was named APEC Ambassador — or whether the accommodations and infrastructure are adequate . 

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  When US President Donald Trump, following his assumption of the presidency for the second time in the Oval Office, began tightening trade screws against China, he quickly started to back down more than expected in the face of Chinese retaliation, given Beijing’s economic resilience, reserves of rare earths and magnets, and its control over key supply chains. The administration now appears to be softening its stance on China regarding Taiwan and, more broadly, the Indo-Pacific theatre, while moving ahead with trade talks with China. 

By A Representative   India is witnessing a sharp surge in consumer interest for solar energy solutions, mirroring the country’s accelerated renewable energy transition. Data from Justdial, India’s leading local search engine, shows a significant rise in searches for solar panel dealers and cleaning services between April–June 2025 (AMJ), compared with both the previous quarter (JFM’25) and the same period last year (AMJ’24).