Counterview

By Sandeep Pandey*  U.S. federal prosecutors withdrew a criminal case involving allegations that Gautam Adani had bribed officials in India to secure solar energy projects, stating that they lacked sufficient evidence. Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani also settled a civil fraud case with the Securities and Exchange Commission by paying a fine of around ₹180 crore without admitting wrongdoing. In addition, Adani Enterprises reportedly deposited around ₹2,750 crore into the U.S. Treasury to resolve allegations that it had violated U.S. sanctions on Iran through purchases of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). 

By Bharat Dogra   The Hindustan Times, a leading newspaper, reported on May 20, 2026, that twice this season the country’s highest daily temperature has been recorded in the city of Banda , located close to the Ken river in Uttar Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region (which comprises 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh).

By Vikas Meshram   An invisible enemy has now made its home on farmlands across the world — and that enemy is the raging fury of rising temperatures. The picture painted by the joint report “ Extreme Heat and Agriculture ” from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is not merely alarming; it is directly linked to human existence itself. 

By Rajkumar Sinha*  According to recent studies, urban areas are witnessing a much sharper rise in temperatures than rural regions. The planet is currently heading toward an additional 1.9°C of warming — far beyond the target envisioned under the Paris Agreement . A team of climate scientists associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted that India’s average temperature increased by nearly 0.9°C during the decade between 2015 and 2024 compared to the early twentieth century (1901–1930). In western and northeastern India, the hottest day of the year has already become 1.5°C to 2°C warmer since the 1950s.

By Bharat Dogra   The National Alliance of People’s Movements has strongly criticized the arrests and repression of villagers and activists protesting against displacement linked to the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) in the Bundelkhand region . However, opposition to the controversial project has not been limited to grassroots groups. Since its inception, the project has faced criticism from government bodies, court-appointed authorities, retired officials and environmental experts.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In the churn of India’s cities, where construction cranes redraw skylines and familiar landmarks vanish overnight, the question of belonging has become urgent. Hindi poet Arun Kamal captured this disquiet decades ago in his deceptively simple poem Naye Ilāke Mein (In the New Locality). A man loses his way in a newly developing neighborhood. What seems like a minor inconvenience unfolds into a metaphor for the postmodern condition: the dissolution of stability, the unreliability of memory, and the fragility of identity in a world of relentless change.

By Biljana Vankovska  When law graduates and students (joined by participants from neighbouring Kosovo and Albania) marched through Skopje in recent days demanding the right to take the bar exam in Albanian, the protests quickly became something far larger than a dispute over a legal procedure. Alongside banners invoking language rights and the presence of only Albanian and US flags, the symbols of the UÇK also appeared prominently. It shifted the demonstration from a narrowly professional claim into a politically charged act of historical and regional symbolism. Namely, UÇK is the Albanian acronym for two intertwined paramilitary movements born of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. 

By A Representative   More than 100 prominent Adivasi leaders, indigenous representatives, academicians, traditional self-governance representatives and activists from Jharkhand have appealed to the state’s Adivasi communities to boycott the “ Janjati Sanskritik Samagam ” scheduled to be held in New Delhi on May 24.

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ   The Catholic Church observed the 60th World Day of Social Communications on 17 May 2025. In his first message for this significant occasion, Pope Leo XIV focused on the need to preserve “human voices and faces.” Written on the feast of St Francis de Sales, patron of communications (24 January 2026), the message is incisive and addresses some of the major challenges confronting modern communication today.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat   A few recent incidents have consumed most of the airtime of self-proclaimed national media and social media platforms. The first was the fiasco of the press conference in Oslo , which could have been handled better. Then came the Modi-Meloni "Melody moment," which only rubbed salt into the wounds of ordinary people suffering from energy price hikes and an uncertain future.

By A Representative   After years of persistent efforts by RTI activists and a citizen-led campaign, the Gujarat government has finally started connecting district and taluka-level offices of key departments to its online RTI portal . The development brings relief to thousands of citizens who previously faced significant hurdles in filing RTI applications for local bodies.

By Adnan Asrar*  In recent weeks, the issue of law students’ attendance in classrooms has received considerable public attention. Several colleges debarred students from appearing in the examination due to insufficient attendance, sparking an uproar on social media. Those criticising the college's actions relied heavily on the judgement delivered by the Delhi High Court in November last year. Challenging the Delhi HC judgement, the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) has filed a plea . In its last hearing, the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) and sought its response.

By A Representative   An open letter issued on May 22, 2026, by the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), comprising 71 retired civil servants from the All India and Central Services, has strongly criticized recent remarks made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) against environmental litigants. 

By Prof Hemantkumar Shah  Franz Kafka ’s 1915 masterpiece, The Metamorphosis , opens with one of the most jarring lines in world literature: Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. Samsa’s tragedy lies not just in his sudden physical grotesque form, but in his subsequent alienation. He becomes unemployed, a financial burden, and an object of deep disgust to his own family. He struggles to cling to his fading human memories before ultimately choosing to starve himself to death in isolation. 

By A Representative   A major controversy has erupted following oral observations made by the Chief Justice of India during a court hearing on May 15, in which he reportedly likened certain activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites of society."

By Mohd Ziyaullah Khan*  Something fascinating happened recently around the phrase Cockroach Janta Party . A Supreme Court judge reportedly referred to Gen Z graduates as "cockroaches." In another era, the remark would probably have triggered predictable outrage: angry debates, newspaper columns, TV shouting matches, and then gradual disappearance from public attention. But Gen Z responded differently. They did not merely react. They transformed.

By A Representative   A legal contempt notice has been issued to senior Gujarat government and police officials over allegations of custodial torture and public assault in connection with an incident reported from Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur area earlier this month.

By A Representative   Lawyers and legal professionals from across India have issued a collective appeal to the Chief Justice of India, warning that recent judicial remarks risk undermining decades of constitutional environmental jurisprudence . In an open letter dated May 21, 2026, more than 70 signatories affiliated with the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR) expressed concern over observations made during proceedings on the expansion of Gujarat’s Pipavav Port . 

By A Representative   The All India Secondary Education Council (AISEC) has sharply criticized the Union Government’s recent directive mandating a strict three-language formula in schools, calling it a veiled attempt to impose Hindi and Sanskrit on non-Hindi speaking populations.

By Prof. Kanu Khadadiya, Rimmi Vaghela, Prof. Hemantkumar Shah  We participated in a recent protest organized by the All India Save Education Committee outside Gujarat University against the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) system that has been introduced over the last few years for admissions to government colleges after Class 12.

By Ram Puniyani  After independence, India’s foreign policy was rooted in the principle of non-alignment . The country refused to submit to either of the two dominant Cold War blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union. Pakistan, by contrast, aligned itself closely with the United States from the beginning. American influence, combined with the role of the military and religious establishments, contributed to the weakening of democracy there and the rise of Muslim communal politics. Even today, religious extremism and military dominance continue to shape Pakistan’s political landscape.

By A Representative   Marking the World Breastfeeding Protection Day (May 21), the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) has raised an urgent alarm over the safety of powdered infant formula, calling on central health authorities to take immediate action following ongoing global recalls linked to bacterial contamination and infant deaths.

By Himadri Priya  Arunachal Pradesh is once again being pushed toward turmoil — not simply because Arunachal Scheduled Tribes Bachao Andolan Committee (ASTBAC) is preparing its 72-hour agitation , but because the state government has spent far too long underestimating the depth of public anger building across the state.

By Nava Thakuria   The Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victories in the recent assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam have triggered intense political debate both within India and internationally. The BJP’s performance in Bengal, where it secured more than 200 seats in the 294-member Assembly, and in Assam, where it won 82 seats in the 126-member House, has been interpreted in sharply different ways by supporters and critics alike.

By Vijay Prashad   The scenes unfolding in Beijing were carefully choreographed, yet politics can never be reduced to mere spectacle. When US President Donald Trump traveled to China for his summit meeting with Xi Jinping, Western media, as it often does, fixated on spectacle: lavish banquets, honor guards, theatrical gestures that were designed to flatter the US president. 

By A Representative   Amid the ongoing implementation of India's national Human Papillomavirus vaccination programme , a coalition of prominent public health and rights organisations has issued an urgent directive to the central and state governments, demanding a fundamental overhaul of the current immunization strategy. 

By A Representative   South Delhi ’s luxury housing market recorded strong price growth in the first quarter of 2026 despite a broader slowdown in the real estate sector, according to a report released by Golden Growth Fund (GGF). The report said luxury floor prices in South Delhi rose by up to 32 per cent year-on-year during the January–March quarter.

By Hassan El Biali*  When the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on 28 February 2026, the immediate destruction was impossible to ignore. Nuclear facilities were struck, air defence systems dismantled, and diplomatic conventions pushed aside in favour of military escalation. Yet beyond the visible devastation lay another casualty whose consequences may endure far longer: India’s energy security . As the Strait of Hormuz moved to the centre of a widening regional conflict, New Delhi’s much-invoked doctrine of “ strategic autonomy ” appeared increasingly less like independent statecraft and more like calculated hesitation.

By Vikas Meshram*  India’s groundwater crisis is becoming more severe with each passing year, yet it has long remained neglected in public policy and governance. In January 2026, the National Green Tribunal expressed strong dissatisfaction with a report submitted by the Central Ground Water Authority . The report failed to provide key information sought by the tribunal, avoided explaining the criteria used for granting permissions for projects in groundwater-stressed regions , and remained vague on several regulatory issues. 

By Ravi Ranjan*  Savita Singh has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Hindi poetry . Her work fuses women’s existence, the philosophy of time, and psychophysical sensations into a subtle yet powerful poetic language. In her verse, the woman is not merely a subject but the very foundation of creation, consciousness, and action.

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of a major work by an unwavering yet often overlooked exponent of Western Marxism, Alfred Sohn-Rethel, " Intellectual and Manual Labour: A Critique of Epistemology ". The German Marxist economist and philosopher died at the age of 91 in 1990, leaving behind a body of work that fused the deepest structures of capitalist exploitation with the rise of fascism . 

By Bharat Dogra   On May 18, in a highly welcome step, the Supreme Court of India expressed serious reservations about various aspects of its earlier judgment in January refusing bail to former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam, including the effective foreclosure of their right to seek bail for a year. At the time his bail plea was rejected, Umar Khalid had already spent over five years in prison as an undertrial.

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat has written to the Gujarat Director General of Police seeking implementation of Supreme Court guidelines to curb mob violence and alleged extortion targeting vehicles transporting cattle across the state.

By Rohit Patwardhan*  When Colombia and the Netherlands convened the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta at the end of April 2026, the intent was clear: to move beyond broad commitments and begin structuring pathways for implementation. Over five days, 57 countries — alongside a wide spectrum of stakeholders including representatives from subnational governments, academia, social movements, NGOs, trade unions, parliamentarians, the private sector, multilateral development banks, Indigenous Peoples, peoples of African descent, peasants, children and youth, and women and diversities — came together to focus on a question that has long remained politically fraught within formal climate negotiations: how to actually move away from fossil fuels.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  Despite the rise of nationalist rhetoric, anti-immigration politics, and increasingly polarised public discourse in the United States and the United Kingdom, growing numbers of people are choosing to leave these traditional centres of global capitalism . Recent reports suggest that more than 68 per cent of Americans would consider moving abroad permanently . The UK’s Office for National Statistics reported that around 257,000 British citizens left the country in December 2024, while reports indicate that more than 295,000 people left the United States in 2025.

By José Carlos Llerena Robles   For some time now, we have maintained that there are three fundamental categories for understanding the Peruvian situation, especially following the popular victory of rural teacher Pedro Castillo Terrones in the presidential elections of 2021. Now, in 2026, in light of the still-unresolved Peruvian electoral process held on 12 April, we can confirm that the categories of crisis, coup, and social conflict remain relevant for understanding the national situation.

By Laura Capote  This May, which began with International Workers’ Day, has seen us navigate one of the most defining moments in the regional landscape: the presidential elections in Colombia have entered their final phase. With four intense weeks shaping the scenario that will be fully unveiled on 31 May, when the elections take place, we will find out what the balance of power will really be in a country that today determines many of the paths in Latin America and the Caribbean.

By Harsh Thakor*  Mexican communist leader José Revueltas Sánchez , who died fifty years ago, remains one of the most principled and brilliant voices of the Mexican left. A playwright, novelist, and militant intellectual, Revueltas endured four prison terms under state repression, refusing both the shelter of patronage and the rigidity of party orthodoxy. His life embodied a dialectical struggle to uncover the authentic consciousness of the working class.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   The Last Tenant is a disturbing portrayal of the hidden violence embedded in everyday life under feudal, patriarchal, and capitalist structures. After 25 years, the rediscovered VHS tape of this 43‑minute short film, directed by Sarthak Dasgupta , stands as a fitting tribute to Irrfan Khan ’s artistry. Shot in 2000 but lost before release, it finally surfaced on 29 April 2026 through The Salt Inc and has already drawn 589,549 views. Its power of performance and storytelling ensures a lasting legacy.  

By Sandeep Pandey*  The Indian Wrestling Federation has barred Vinesh Phogat from competing. This raises a fundamental question: Does the Federation exist for the wrestlers, or do wrestlers exist for the Federation? The Federation was created for the welfare and support of athletes. Yet its male office-bearers—occupying posts on questionable grounds—are deciding the future of a talented woman wrestler, already an international medalist, merely through the power of their positions. 

By Vikas Meshram   Against the backdrop of the Gulf crisis and disruptions in the global supply chain, the Prime Minister appealed to citizens to use fuel sparingly and reduce gold purchases. This was the second such public appeal after the assembly election results, first from Telangana and now from Vadodara. While the falling rupee and rising crude oil prices have been putting pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves for months, an obvious question is being raised: why did this acknowledgement of economic stress come only after the state assembly elections concluded?

By A Representative   A recent audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed that ₹6,646 crore collected as Health Cess during the 2024-25 fiscal year was not transferred to the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN), prompting sharp criticism from the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India, which has demanded accountability from the Union government.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  In the timeless Greek canvas of Corfu, the sun bursts from behind mountains and sets along the picturesque shorelines of the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Forest-covered mountains and hilly landscapes bring life to the Ionian isle, with snaking coastal roads. The art, architecture, arcaded streets, tree-lined avenues, narrow lanes, and city squares of Corfu's city centre carry the diverse cultural heritage and architectural legacy of the Venetians. Bougainvillea blossoms from French-style balconies, absorbing the Ionian breeze, while waves greet the coastal landscape of Strongyli village in the southeast of the island — a place to retreat.

By Carmen Navas Reyes  The administration of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has given rise to a proposal we might call the 'Bukele Model,' in which, on the surface, has managed to politically seduce large majorities in our region to the point of making them prefer extreme authoritarianism in exchange for supposed public safety. 

By Ravi Ranjan*  Arun Kamal ’s poetry has long mirrored the shifting contours of Indian society. His work, spanning more than five decades, is celebrated not only for its aesthetic power but also for its sociological authenticity. The poem “Śrāddha Kā Anna” (“Food of the Funeral Rite”) exemplifies this duality, turning a traditional ritual into a lens on contemporary social reality.

By Martin Macwan*  India’s Prime Minister, after the assembly election results in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam, advised citizens—first from the soil of Telangana and later from Gujarat—to adopt a simpler lifestyle for a year or so. One of his suggestions was that those who can afford to buy gold should refrain from purchasing it for one year. Incidentally, there are no major elections due in the next nine months.

By A Representative  Tens of thousands of agricultural and rural workers took to the streets across the country on May 15, staging strikes, protests, and demonstrations against the dismantling of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) by the central government.

By A Representative   The civil rights group, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), along with the All-India Rivers Forum (AIRF) and the National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), has condemned what it described as illegal arrests and repression against Adivasi communities , farmers, women protesters and activists opposing the Ken–Betwa River Linking Project in Madhya Pradesh .

By A Representative   The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has expressed outrage over remarks reportedly made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant , who described unemployed youth as “cockroaches” and “parasites of society.” The comments, directed at a lawyer during court proceedings, suggested that jobless individuals who turn to media, social media , or activism are undermining the system.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The death of Mr. Ram Pal Rahi , president of the Federation of Ambedkarite Buddhist Organisations (FABO) UK and the Ambedkar Mission Society, Bedford , on May 8, 2026, has shocked his Ambedkarite Buddhist friends and admirers in India, Europe, and the UK. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons. Bedford is considered the “source” of the Ambedkarite movement in the United Kingdom, and Mr. Ram Pal Rahi continuously worked to strengthen the legacy of veteran Ambedkarite leader late Chanan Chahal , whose anti-caste work in the UK was widely respected.