Counterview

By Padala Shiva, Mansee Bal Bhargava   The media has largely written off the resistance of the indigenous people of Hasdeo forest , who are fighting for their rights to land, water, life, and livelihood. Worse, it is actively spreading misinformation — local news reports have even used photographs of afforestation drives unrelated to Hasdeo to misrepresent the situation. Yet the resistance of those who have inherited and managed this forest for centuries continues.

By Palla Trinadha Rao   Nearly two decades after the enactment of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, the promise of the legislation remains only partially fulfilled. Conceived to remedy the “historical injustice” suffered by forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, the Forest Rights Act (FRA) marked a decisive departure from the centralized model of forest governance inherited from the colonial era. It sought to transform the relationship between the State and indigenous communities by recognizing customary rights, empowering Gram Sabhas and promoting community stewardship of forests.

By Rezgar Akrawi   During the recent assault on Gaza, thousands of activists witnessed their posts deleted or their accounts restricted simply for documenting Israeli occupation crimes or expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. This is far from an isolated phenomenon. In India, the government issued emergency orders to block dozens of accounts during the farmers' protests, while human rights organizations documented the suspension of accounts belonging to large numbers of journalists and activists merely for criticizing government policies. Many felt helpless and furious, as their voices seemed to be deliberately pushed to the margins. These cases offer a clear illustration of what can today be called ‘soft digital repression.’

By Molly Dhlamini   South Africa witnessed a historic Conference of the Left convened by the South African Communist Party (SACP) from 29–31 May 2026. The gathering brought together communist parties, socialist organisations, trade unions, community formations, women’s organisations, youth movements, progressive intellectuals and academics, progressive traditional leadership, faith based organisations and international solidarity partners in what can confidently be described as the most significant gathering of the South African Left in the democratic era.

By Harsh Thakor*  No name has been more synonymous with the game of cricket than John Arlott. For 34 years, from 1946 to 1980, Arlott was the BBC’s “voice of cricket” as a member of the Test Match Special team. From Lord’s to Lahore, his powerful, soul‑capturing rural accent and deep love for the game made him a uniquely popular figure until his retirement in 1980. Arlott summed up cricket as though he were conversing with a close friend on the boundary edge. A humble and generous man, he was appointed OBE in 1970 and awarded Honorary Life Membership of the MCC upon his retirement. Arguably, Arlott was the finest of all cricket commentators, setting a benchmark for generations to follow.

By Ravi Ranjan   Savita Singh’s Main Kiski Aurat Hoon stands today as one of the most intellectually expansive works in contemporary Hindi poetry—a poem that begins with a seemingly simple question of women’s identity but unfolds into a profound meditation on selfhood, history, language, and human freedom. When read alongside Kishwar Naheed’s Hum Gunahgaar Auratein and Adrienne Rich’s Diving into the Wreck , Singh’s poem becomes part of a global feminist conversation that interrogates how identities are constructed, imposed, resisted, and ultimately re‑imagined.