Counterview

By Giovani Vastida, Steven Lee*  If Trump’s tariff war can be interpreted as the US flexing its economic power, it can also be seen as a tacit acknowledgment of the global shift towards a multipolar world: the vision of US hegemony is no longer expansive and global but is shrinking into entrenched interests and spheres of influence more suitable for dealing with a multipolar order. Yet, if Trump is accelerating this shift, he is neither the one who started it nor the only one to contribute to it.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Around the world, policy makers and scientists agree that the long-term solution to environmental degradation and the climate crisis lies in scaling up renewable energy and launching eco-friendly projects such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, and green methanol. These initiatives are seen as vital in reducing harmful emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrous oxide by moving away from fossil fuels. On paper, the idea is flawless. In practice, however, the future of these projects is clouded with uncertainties.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  Before coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the strongest critics of the Congress-led government’s encouragement of beef exports, often referring to it as the “Pink Revolution.” He had accused the Manmohan Singh administration of promoting the trade for political reasons and promised to curb it if elected. More than a decade later, however, India’s beef export industry has not only continued but also expanded under his tenure. Since 2014, exports have risen by about 16 percent.

By A Representative   The Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat has reportedly witnessed major losses after continuous rains for over 10 days, leading to large salt stockpiles being washed away. Reports from Santalpur suggest that around 300 salt producers (agariyas) and more than one lakh tonnes of stored salt have been submerged or damaged by floodwaters, resulting in losses worth crores of rupees. The region has been badly affected as water entered storage yards and salt pans. Large heaps of harvested salt dissolved in rainwater, leaving producers in despair. “This is not the first time,” local salt workers are quoted as saying. They point out that monsoon and untimely rains often damage stored salt. However, no permanent measures or compensation frameworks are in place to protect small producers from recurring losses. Despite repeated appeals, agariyas claim they have not received any financial assistance. “Nearly 300 salt farmers have lost their entire season’s hard work...

By Harsh Thakor*  Andrew Smith’s Which East is Red? The Maoist Presence in the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc Europe, 1956–1980, is a rigorously researched study that challenges the popular belief in a uniform and monolithic Marxism across Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It explores how Maoist ideas, despite the obstacles of authoritarian control and heavy surveillance, penetrated the Soviet Union and its satellite states and offered an alternative revolutionary path to many disillusioned with Moscow’s direction after the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956.

By Nidheesh J. Villatt  I vividly remember reading Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's classic Malayalam novel Randidangazhi in high school. Set in 1940s Kuttanad, Alappuzha—Kerala's rice bowl—it depicts the brutal socio-economic conditions of Dalit agricultural workers and impoverished tenant peasants, alongside communist-led resistance against imperialism and landlords. For my generation, the novel's portrayal of extreme exploitation and violence—like normalized sexual abuse of peasants—was unimaginable. Yet by 1999, when I read it, Kerala's class relations had transformed so significantly through communists' "agrarian revolution," that those events seem foreign to us. This shift echoed the strategy in the Communist International's Fourth Congress resolution on 5 December 1922, "Theses on the Eastern Question," overseen by Lenin: “The communist workers’ parties of the colonial and semi-colonial countries have a double task: both to fi...

By Dilip Patel*  The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Bhupendra Patel-led BJP government in Gujarat for turning the state’s Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board into a tool that benefits builders and contractors while neglecting the welfare of labourers. According to the CAG’s findings, successive BJP governments since 2004 have violated laws, ignored accountability, and diverted workers’ funds, leaving thousands of labourers without safety, health care, or basic welfare schemes.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  In democratic countries across the world, a growing impression is that politicians are much the same everywhere. They are expected to frame policies in line with national, social and economic interests, yet too often these lofty objectives are intertwined with self-interest, nepotism, and corruption. The result is that even in functioning democracies with electoral systems in place, the political sphere is seen as compromised.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The Goods and Services Tax (GST) underwent rationalization and democratization in the first week of September this year, but its journey began much earlier. Introduced in July 2017 by the BJP-led NDA government, GST was hailed as the most significant indirect tax reform since independence—an outcome of years of discussions, negotiations, compromises, and eventual all-party consensus. It replaced multiple state and central taxes with the idea of “One Nation, One Tax.” 

By A Representative   The Dalit Shakti Kendra (DSK), a technical school dedicated to Dalit empowerment and training teenagers in vocational skills near Sanand town in Ahmedabad district, has launched a solidarity initiative for the people of Palestine. In response to the mounting humanitarian crisis, where more than 65,000 lives have been lost in military action and many children are dying from hunger due to obstructed food supplies, DSK is calling upon individuals and organisations to express support and compassion.

By Nava Thakuria*  Nepal, sandwiched between India and Tibet (China), has returned to normalcy after two days of political unrest, during which young people took to the streets of Kathmandu and other major urban centers with various demands, including greater government accountability. The Himalayan nation, home to over 30 million people, remained under the control of government armed forces until an interim regime was formed on the evening of 12 September 2025.  Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sushila Karki, was sworn in as interim Prime Minister, with President Ramchandra Paudel administering the oath in the presence of dignitaries. An alumna of Banaras Hindu University in India, Ms. Karki now bears the primary responsibility of conducting national elections within six months.

By A Representative   The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Surat Police Commissioner regarding an incident of alleged police brutality reported in Surat last year. The hearing of the case has been scheduled after four weeks.

By Harsh Thakor*  Ten Maoists, including Manoj alias Modem Balakrishna (photo) , a central committee member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband district on September 11, 2025. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Manoj carried a bounty of ₹1 crore.

By Trinadha Rao    The intellectual tradition of socialism, particularly in its Marxist form, has long emphasized the role of economic structures and productive forces in shaping human history. Yet, as critical voices have pointed out, this approach often reduces complex human realities to economic determinism, neglecting the moral, cultural, and psychological dimensions of human existence.

By A Representative   The Bastar Adhikar Mukti Morcha has strongly condemned the Chhattisgarh State Women’s Commission for failing to deliver justice to three tribal women who had approached it after their ordeal in the controversial “Durg Nun case.” On July 25, 2025, Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were arrested at Durg railway station following a complaint by a Bajrang Dal functionary alleging forced conversions and trafficking. The tribal women from Narayanpur district—Sukhmati Mandavi, Kamleshwari Pradhan and Lalita Usendi—later sought intervention from the Women’s Commission, accusing Bajrang Dal members of harassment.

By Vikas Meshram  The uprising of Nepal’s youth is a serious warning for democracy, unfolding at a time when South Asia is experiencing an unusual wave of turbulence. Three of India’s key neighbors—Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal—have recently slipped into grave crises, each witnessing political instability and widespread anger. Within just a few years, these countries have faced events that have shaken their stability and peace.

By A Representative   The recent extension of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between Kuki National Organisation and United Peoples Front, both Kuki-Zo organisations, and the Government of India has drawn mixed responses in Manipur. Signed on September 4, 2025, the agreement continues an arrangement first reached in 2008, requiring Kuki militants to remain in designated camps with their arms locked, while receiving government stipends.

By Ram Puniyani   Communal violence has long been a tragic aspect of Indian politics. It forms the foundation of communal politics, whose aim is to divide society along religious lines. The British sowed the seeds of this hatred through their “divide and rule” policy, beginning with presenting history from a communal perspective. The growth of communal politics was encouraged by two parallel yet opposite streams: on one side, the Muslim League, and on the other, the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS. This laid the foundation for communal violence, which kept intensifying. To deepen hatred toward the other community, distorted history was combined with emotional issues, leading to an escalation of violence that ultimately culminated in Partition.

By Rajkumar Sinha*  Madhya Pradesh has once again made headlines for corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS). In Jabalpur, government officials and shopkeepers colluded in a ₹25-crore scam, misusing the Food Commissioner’s ID to siphon off rations meant for the poor. In Shivpuri, police seized a truck carrying 412 quintals of PDS rice worth ₹11.2 lakh on its way to Gujarat. These are not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern of black-marketing.

By Rosamma Thomas*  Andreas Konig only came to live in Delhi in 2024; by 2025, he won the Delhiite Lifestyle Award. This pianist, originally from Germany, has been teaching students at the Delhi Music Society. He has a following on YouTube, and it is clear he is an inspiration to students. Harsh Sharma, one of his students, explains that he was keen to just get his examination over with, and had planned to practice rigorously and take it. Andreas, however, was keener for the young musician to enjoy his music, perform well and take the examination at a more relaxed pace – after all, “getting the exam out of the way” was not really required. And when Harsh Sharma thought about that advice, he felt it made sound sense – and he is now glad that he did not race to just finish his examination.

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan, has strongly condemned the passage of the anti-conversion bill in the State Assembly on September 9, 2025, calling it a draconian law that violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The rights group said the bill, pushed through without debate as the opposition staged a walkout over the Speaker’s handling of the session, represents a dangerous erosion of democratic norms. The PUCL announced that it would lobby the Governor and, if required, the President to withhold assent to the legislation, as it had successfully done in 2005 and 2008.

By Sanjay Parate*  Like every year, farmers across the country are once again facing an acute shortage of fertilizers, and Chhattisgarh is no exception. This year too, urea and DAP fertilizers are in short supply in the cooperative societies of the state. Poor farmers, after standing in queues for two days without food and water, are being forced to return empty-handed. The government continues to assure them that there is sufficient stock and that they should not worry.

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is ‘nine-eleven’ once again—a day heavy with memories. Memories of violence and suffering, of hate and division. Yet, it is also a day of promise—of truth and nonviolence, of justice and peace, of hope for new beginnings and a new dawn. Our world today is gripped by hate and violence, wars and conflicts, discrimination and division, prejudice and racism, corruption and communalism. One sees this everywhere. In neighbouring Nepal, for instance, a youth uprising challenges a corrupt regime—reminiscent of what took place in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh not too long ago. It is also a warning for the corrupt and communal regime in India.

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the first elected Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, occupies a central but contested place in the political history of the Valley. Born in Soura in 1905, his early life was marked by hardship, with his father passing away within weeks of his birth. He studied at Islamia College, Lahore, and later completed a Master’s degree in Chemistry at Aligarh Muslim University. From the outset, he combined education with political ambition, entering public life through the Reading Room Party in the 1920s, when political associations were still restricted under Dogra rule.

By Rajiv Shah   A new report , "Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth", prepared by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, approvingly quotes Access Now, which has named India the “world’s internet shutdown leader,” with at least 116 recorded shutdowns in 2024.

By A Representative   A new Commonwealth research report has delivered a damning indictment of the state of press freedom and freedom of expression across member states, warning that punitive laws are being used to intimidate journalists, human rights defenders, and government critics. The report, "Who Controls the Narrative? Legal Restrictions on Freedom of Expression in the Commonwealth", was released on 9 September 2025 by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

By Atul Chandra, Pramesh Pokharel   Kathmandu is on edge not because of “apps,” but because a generation raised on the promise of democracy and mobility has collided with an economy and political order that keep shutting every door. The proximate trigger was regulatory: the government ordered 26 major social-media platforms to register locally and began blocking those deemed non-compliant, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, X and others. 

By Vikas  Meshram  Youth is a beautiful, enchanting, delicate, and fluid phase of life—an age that faces a thousand new challenges. The wings of youth hold the strength to conquer the skies, which is why it is considered the most powerful stage of life. In truth, all dreams of tomorrow and the seeds of imagination are born in this phase. Youth is that intoxicated, restless moment when one seeks to glimpse the rising sun of the future.

By Rajkumar Sinha*  In India, dams are considered vital for irrigation, power generation, and flood control, but recent experiences have revealed their limitations. Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir forced the release of water from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, flooding large parts of Punjab. Mismanagement and unplanned development deepened the disaster.

By Bharat Dogra    Photo by Kamlesh Sharma When I reached Udaipur, a friend remarked, “You must be enjoying the cool weather of our city.”   True—the cool breeze, lush greenery, and waterfalls suddenly appearing in the surrounding hills were uplifting. However, as I soon discovered while visiting several villages in Udaipur and neighboring Salumbar districts of Rajasthan and speaking with farmers and social activists, the outward appearance of pleasant weather was highly deceptive. Excessive late-season rain, sometimes accompanied by strong winds during the ripening of kharif crops, has caused severe damage to farmers. Manna Lal, a tribal farmer from Rawach village, said that over 50% of his crop—including corn and a local legume called savla—had been ruined.  

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat unit, has strongly criticized the Delhi High Court’s recent decision denying bail to several activists arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. 

By A Representative   A group of 189 prominent citizens, including retired bureaucrats, academics, activists, journalists, and former parliamentarians, has written to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to order a judicial enquiry into the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The appeal questions whether the Commission has been impartial in maintaining the integrity of electoral rolls and election processes.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China has underscored the shifting direction of global politics. Efforts to isolate Russia have failed, and Europe’s Russophobia has backfired, pushing Moscow to deepen ties with China and the Global South. Russia–China energy cooperation, in particular, will have long-term consequences for Europe, once heavily dependent on Russian gas.

By Matthew Phillips, Rory Ainsworthx   Understanding our current political conjuncture requires an understanding of the neoliberalist trajectory that nurtured global value chains and how it triggered the current backlash culminating in Trump’s tariff extortion. Contrary to the claims of its proponents, neoliberal globalization was never about free markets. It always involved state intervention on behalf of corporations and investors. Through the IMF, WTO, and World Bank, the US-led global north empowered multinational corporations to exploit workers and resources in the global south by shielding them from democratic control, while dismantling the post-World War II social welfare gains within its own borders.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  The politics of abstention is an established strategy in both national and international parliamentary traditions. In Westminster practice, abstention refers to the deliberate refusal to vote either for or against a motion. Political leaders, parties, interest groups, trade unions, and members of assemblies often adopt this tactic for varied reasons, choosing not to take a clear position on political, ideological, or policy questions. Abstention has been employed as a tool for progressive, regressive, opportunistic, and apathetic ends depending on the context.

By A Representative   The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  Fr Cyril Desbruslais SJ is no more. He was called to his eternal reward last night (8 September 2025) in Pune. He was 84 years old and sixty years a Jesuit. Yet, Cyril remains “fully young, fully alive,” for he will continue to live in the hearts and minds of many forever.

By Harsh Thakor*  On September 9 we remembered the birth of Avtar Singh Sandhu, better known as Pash, who would have turned seventy-five this year. His poetry continues to resonate as a voice of defiance, courage, and hope, giving him a permanent place among the most cherished poets of the subcontinent. Even in the darkest of times, Pash’s words carried light, lifting despair and awakening resilience.

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, P. Sainath was in Ahmedabad to deliver a lecture on the "Role of Media in Democracy: Prospects and Retrospect." An excellent speaker, he is not just a left-wing rural journalist but also an erudite scholar . This was the second time I listened to him in Ahmedabad. The last time I attended his lecture was in 2017, when he told me , on the sidelines of a function organised by an NGO, that he “differed” from Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s view that rural-to-urban Dalit migration would help annihilate casteism.

By Atul Chandra   At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on 1 September 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met and publicly framed the relationship as “ partners, not rivals .” Their readouts stressed dialogue on differences and cooperation on development—language that marks the clearest thaw since the 2020 Ladakh crisis.

By Rajkumar Sinha*  The people of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, who have somehow survived the onslaught of reckless development so far, are crying out in despair that within the next ten to fifteen years their very existence will vanish. If one carefully follows the news coming from these two Himalayan states these days, this painful cry does not appear exaggerated. How did these prosperous and peaceful states reach such a tragic condition? What feats of our policymakers and politicians pushed these states to the brink of destruction?

By A Representative   The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-Indian forum of the National Alliance of People’s Movements comprising grassroots activists, ecologists, climate scientists, environmental researchers and lawyers, has urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Haryana government to immediately abandon the proposed Aravalli Zoo Safari Park project. 

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has strongly opposed what it described as an “ill-conceived, undemocratic and unconstitutional” attempt by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, warning that the exercise threatens to disenfranchise millions of voters just months before the state assembly elections. 

By Mohan Guruswamy*  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Telangana BJP have once again demanded that the state government celebrate the "liberation" of Hyderabad from the Nizam’s rule, something in which the RSS had no role. It is like them wanting to celebrate August 8 as Quit India Day, a movement the RSS had opposed. Amit Shah was the chief guest at the BJP’s celebration last year.

By A Representative   The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur is being planned amid his scheduled visits to Assam and Mizoram on September 13. The visit is significant given his long silence since the ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur in May 2023. Except for rare occasions when pressed by the opposition in Parliament, the Prime Minister has chosen not to speak on the crisis. His party, the BJP, along with its affiliates, has long been accused of being soft on the Meitei community, which constitutes the majority in Manipur. Many observers hold the party’s majoritarian politics responsible for inciting violence against the Kuki community, the second-largest group in the state. The project of bringing ethnic majorities into the Hindu fold in pursuit of a Hindu nation has added fuel to the fire. The Meiteis, once largely animist and even secessionist, now claim Hindu nationalist identity as the “original inhabitants” of Manipur, while branding Kukis as illegal immigrants...

By A Representative   The flood crisis in Punjab has deepened, with tens of deaths and nearly two thousand villages submerged. Official data shows that 3.84 lakh people have been affected, with over 21,000 evacuated and crops spread across 1.72 lakh hectares destroyed. While heavy and unprecedented rainfall during the southwest monsoon has been the immediate cause, questions are mounting over the role of major reservoirs—Bhakra on the Sutlej, Pong on the Beas and Ranjit Sagar on the Ravi—in aggravating the situation due to poor operational decisions.

By Azmat Ali   In Indian culture, the saree is more than clothing. It is history worn on the body, a textile archive of heritage, artistry and identity. Among India’s many weaving clusters, Mubarakpur in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, holds a distinguished place. For centuries, its artisans have woven fine silk brocades—often grouped under the wider Banarasi label—producing heirlooms for weddings, festivals and rituals. Their work is both cultural pride and living tradition.

By A Representative   The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   Older generations in many societies often describe the young with labels such as “lazy, unproductive, lost, anxious, depoliticised, unpatriotic or wayward.” Others see them as “social media, mobile phone and porn addicts.” Such judgments arise from a generational anxiety rooted in fears of losing control and from distorted perceptions about youth, especially in the context of economic crises, conflicts, and wars in which many young lives are lost.