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Why Gandhi still unsettles communal politics, 78 years after his death

By Ram Puniyani*  This year, on Martyrs’ Day (30 January 2026), as we remember Mahatma Gandhi, we are also conscious that sustained efforts are underway to weaken Gandhiji’s values and his legacy. The propaganda of communal forces is becoming sharper with each passing day, and the divisions within our society are deepening. Hindu–Muslim unity was the core mantra of Gandhiji’s life. Contemporary politics has caused immense harm to this mission of the great humanist. We cannot forget that the person who riddled Gandhiji’s chest with three bullets was a staunch supporter of the ideology of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). This ideology was completely opposed to that of the national movement.
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Uncomfortable truths: Reading Sardar Patel on Gandhi’s murder, 78 years later

By Shamsul Islam * The world marks the 78th anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, who was killed by Hindutva terrorists on January 30, 1948. The RSS—the most prominent flag-bearer of Hindutva politics, whose cadres occupy positions of power in India today—reacts angrily whenever the historical truth is stated: that those who assassinated Gandhiji shared the ideological worldview of the Hindu Mahasabha (led by V.D. Savarkar) and the RSS brand of Hindu nationalism, and were also connected with these organisations. Instead of expressing remorse for this heinous crime, the RSS resorts to denial and distortion—aptly captured by the proverb, the pot calling the kettle black.
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Death behind locked doors in East Kolkata: A fire that exposed systemic neglect

By Atanu Roy*  It was Sunday at midnight. Around 30 migrant workers were in deep sleep after a hard day’s work. A devastating fire engulfed the godown where they were sleeping. There was no escape route for the workers, as the door was locked and no firefighting system was installed. Rules of the land were violated as usual. The fire continued for days, despite the sincere efforts of fire brigade personnel. The bodies were charred in the intense heat and were beyond identification, not fit for immediate forensic examination. As a result, nobody knows the exact death toll; estimates are hovering around 21 as of now.
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From Mark Tully, BBC’s most credible voice, to Prime-Time noise: How journalism changed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The death of Mark Tully, former head of the BBC in India, marks the end of a kind of journalism that was deeply rooted in factual, on-the-ground reporting. I never met Mark Tully, but I followed his work closely from my growing-up years. We eagerly waited to listen to his dispatches from Delhi on the BBC. While the BBC’s Hindi service was extremely popular in rural India and many of us grew up listening to it, I also began tuning in to the BBC’s main services from London, which carried reports from correspondents across the world.
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'Health spending stuck at 1.15% of GDP': Calls for doubling of Union health budget for 2026

By A Representative   Addressing media in New Delhi, advocacy group Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) representatives have called for a substantial increase in public spending on health and urging the Union government to honour commitments made under the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017. The press conference, details of which were shared through a press note, a presentation and a publicly accessible video link , coincided with the release of a demand letter endorsed by around 350 organisations and individuals from across the country.
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Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative   The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.
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From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan   The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services. 
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An award beyond cinema? Mammootty’s Padma Bhushan and the politics of recognition

By Rosamma Thomas*  The announcement that veteran actor Mammootty has been awarded the Padma Bhushan—an award that recognises “distinguished service of high order”—was welcome. The question movie-watchers in Kerala were asking, though, was whether the award was actually for the actor or an olive branch held out to the people of Kerala by the Union government.
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Gram sabhas across states reject VB-GRAMG Act, seek restoration of MGNREGA

By A Representative   Gram Sabhas across several states used Republic Day observances on January 26 to register strong opposition to the VB-GRAMG Act and to demand the restoration and strengthening of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). MGNREGA workers and rural residents raised these demands through resolutions adopted in Gram Sabhas held in states including Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.
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When development undermines food security: The case against farmland acquisition

By N.S. Venkataraman*  In India, despite steady growth in industrial, infrastructure and service sectors—including the software industry—in recent years, the economy essentially remains agriculture-based. Agriculture continues to be a strong, sustainable and stabilising force in the Indian economy, and this reality is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Any policy approach that undermines this foundation, therefore, calls for serious scrutiny.
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