Counterview

By Rosamma Thomas*  “VVPAT machine is totally opaque,” messaged one voter who voted in Kanniyakumari constituency on April 19, when polling began for the Lok Sabha elections. The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Election Commission, on a petition seeking the counting of all Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail slips cast in the 2024 elections, instead of only verifying five randomly selected Electronic Voting Machines in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency.

By Parineeta Dandekar*  The recently-concluded World Fisheries Congress in Seattle in March 2024  discussed several themes relating to the health of our rivers, dependent communities and fish. Of the several interesting sessions, the  symposium on ‘Dam Removal as a River Restoration Tool at the Water-Energy-Food Nexus’ was of particular interest.   I was simultaneously at two parallel sessions and hence was unable to attend some of the presentations but have tried to provide an overview of the presentations and discussions, in addition to the session where I presented a paper.

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  Ken is lifeline of Bundelkhand and among key tributaries of Lower Yamuna basin. The river is relatively clean and free of industrial pollution. However, its existence is under threat due to catchment degradation and the proposed Ken-Betwa interlinking proposal. Apart from this, the river eco-system and dependent people have been at receiving end of large scale mechanized and unsustainable, mostly illegal mining practices for the past many years.

By By Justin Podur*  If there is a single false claim to “nonviolent” struggle that has most powerfully captured the imagination of the world, it is the claim that India, under Gandhi’s leadership, defeated the mighty British Empire and won her independence through the nonviolent method.

By Sukla Sen*  ["Tum use chhinane ki baat kar rahe ho apne manifesto mein. Gold le lenge, aur sabko vitrit kar denge. Aur pehele jab unki sarkar thi to unhone kaha tha, ki desh ki sampatti par pehela adhikar Musalmano ka hai. Iska matlab, ye sampatti ikhatti karke kisko batenge…..jinke jyada bacche hai unko batenge…Ghuspaithiyo ko batenge. Kya apki mehenat ki kamayi ka paisa ghuspaithiyo ko diya jayega….Apko manzur hai ye… Ye congress ka manifesto ke raha hai ki wo matao aur beheno ka sone ka hisab karenge, uski jadti karenge, jankari lenge aur phir uss sampatti ko baat denge. Aur unko batenge…jinko Manmohan Singhji ki sarkar ne kaha tha ki sampatti par pehela adhikar musalmano ka hai. Bhaiyo beheno.. ye urban naxal ki soch.. mere matao aur beheno ye apka mangal sutra bhi bachne nahi denge”. (Re: video above, 28.39 to 29.54 mins.)

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Narendra Damodardas Modi, serving as the 14th Prime Minister of India, has successfully completed two terms in office and is now seeking re-election for a third term in the forthcoming 18th Lok Sabha elections.  Widely recognised as a prominent figure in Hindutva politics, Modi is often viewed as the face of a political ideology marked by division and animosity. 

Counterview Desk In an open letter to the Election Commission Of India, the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), which constitutes former bureaucrats as its members, have endorsed the letter written by Prof Jagdeep S Chhokar of the civil rights group Association for Democratic Reforms, and former dean of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, regarding what it calls “outrageously communal speech given by the Prime Minister on April 21, 2024”.

Counterview Deak  The civil rights groups, People’s Union for Civil Liberties and  Rajasthan Election Watch*, in a complaint filed with the CEO, Election Commission of India, Rajasthan, demanding action against what it called the Banswara hate speech of Narendra Modi, star BJP campaigner, has said that  Modi not only lies but sought to promote hate and enmity on the grounds of religion and community with the intention of procuring votes from the citizens on communal lines.

By Our Representative  The Mumbai-based civil rights group All India Secular Forum (AISF) has said that the suspension of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) PhD student Ramadas Prini Sivanandan (30) for two years for allegedly indulging in activities which were "not in the interest of the nation" is meant to send out the message that students and educational institutes will be targeted if they don’t align with the agenda and ideology of the ruling regime.  TISS in a notice served to Ramadas has cited that his role in screening the documentary 'Ram Ke Naam' on January 26 as a "mark of dishonour and protest" against the Ram Mandir idol consecration in Ayodhya.  Another incident cited in the notice was Ramadas’ participation in the protest against unfair government policies in Delhi under the banner of the Progressive Students' Forum (PSF)-TISS. TISS alleges the institute's name was "misused", which wrongfully created an impression that