Counterview

By Gajanan Khergamker  The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has once again demonstrated an extraordinary talent for mistaking administrative housekeeping for institutional achievement. At the very moment excavations at Gharapuri are yielding evidence that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of India's maritime past, the institution has chosen to celebrate the rollout of QR-enabled audio guides and GPS-supported navigation at its monuments. The contrast could not be starker. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The old nursery rhyme “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” has amused children for over three centuries. Its ancient Celtic origins may have helped shepherds count their flocks, but many believe it also mocks Richard Cromwell, the timid son of a mighty protector. Nicknamed “Tumbledown Dick” and “Hickory Dick,” Richard became a symbol of weak rule. Today, that allegory feels disturbingly current. Our leaders, across parties and institutions, often display the same cowardly cunning, hiding behind ideology while practicing authoritarianism in all but name.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Kedarnath Singh's poem 'Banaras' cannot be adequately understood merely as a cultural, historical, or urban meditation. The poem constructs an experiential structure in which place, time, memory, the body, language, and cultural consciousness together forge a comprehensive lived experience. Reading the poem through phenomenology proves particularly fitting for grasping its inner architecture.

By Harsh Thakor*  Graham Bradley, one of the most gifted and controversial jump jockeys of his generation, recently died at the age of 65 after a five-year battle with semantic dementia. The rider, affectionately known as 'Brad' to his peers, passed away peacefully with his wife Amanda and daughter Georgia May at his side. His career was a tapestry of extraordinary highs and damaging lows, but his talent in the saddle was never in question.

By Rajiv Shah   Away from my home (Ahmedabad) in the United States, I have been staying in Los Angeles for quite some time. "Los Angeles" is Spanish for "The Angels." Founded in 1781, the city was originally named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles , which translates as The Town of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels—a reference to the Virgin Mary.

By Vijay Prashad   On 20 July, thousands of young people attempted to march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament. They carried placards, shouted slogans, and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination irregularities, paper leaks, cancelled tests, and the government’s refusal to accept responsibility for the devastation inflicted upon students. The Delhi Police answered them with barricades, batons, and tear gas. Some protesters were detained, while others reorganised themselves into smaller groups and continued towards Parliament. The movement had crossed an important threshold: what began as satire on social media had entered the streets as a confrontation with state power.

By Vikas  Meshram*  When the numbers are examined closely, one conclusion is inescapable: Indian agriculture is passing through a deep and prolonged crisis. Farming is no longer a dependable source of livelihood, while public support remains inadequate to restore its viability. The Indian farmer, who once relied primarily on his land, is increasingly being pushed towards wage labour. Today, barely one-third of a farming household's monthly income comes from cultivation, while nearly two-thirds is earned through wage labour, salaried jobs, or small businesses. Farming alone is no longer sufficient to sustain a family.

By Rumaan Mecci*   Friends, we have finally reached an epochal moment in history. The media has now become worthy of ruling this country. I suggest we do away with the courts, the police, Parliament, and educational institutions altogether. The media has got it all covered.

By Vikas Meshram*  Directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, the Tamil thriller 'Maharaja' became a resounding success upon release, powered by the compelling performances of Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, and the rest of the cast, and it continues to be talked about today both for the success it earned and for the storytelling craft behind it. Released in theatres on June 14, 2024, the film drew positive responses from critics and won over audiences, going on to consistently perform well at the box office and cross the hundred-crore mark worldwide.

By Harsh Thakor*   The cricketing world mourns the loss of Sir Garfield Sobers , who passed away at his home in Barbados at the age of 89, just eleven days short of his 90th birthday. His departure marks the end of an era, leaving a void that can never be filled. Sobers was not merely a cricketer; he was the embodiment of sporting excellence, a prophet who descended upon the cricket pitch and redefined the very essence of the game. To watch Sobers play was to witness art in its purest form, a masterpiece crafted with bat and ball that transcended the boundaries of sport and entered the realm of the supernatural.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The rise of racism, xenophobia, anti-migrant mobilisation, and flag-waving nationalist movements proclaiming that "Britain is for the British, Europe for Europeans, and America for Americans" is no longer a fringe phenomenon confined to isolated communities. These reactionary movements increasingly influence mainstream political parties, encouraging an illiberal turn in electoral rhetoric, public policy, and governance across much of the Western world.

By Harsh Thakor*  Ben Stokes, the most defining English cricketer of his era – a man who could turn the complexion of a game from the direst straits and transform despair into delirium with a single swing of his bat – announced his retirement from international cricket on June 28, 2026, during the ongoing third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge . The decision, shared with the England squad ahead of play that day, brought the curtain down on a glittering 15-year international career . His announcement marks an irreparable loss to the game of cricket, a moment that leaves the sport poorer for his absence.

By Ravi Ranjan*   Shrikant Verma’s "Kosala Lacks Ideas" is a deceptively brief poem that unfolds into a dense meditation on power, language, history and the moral foundations of political life. Although framed as a courtly celebration of a king’s victory, the poem steadily dismantles the very idea of victory, exposing how political authority manufactures legitimacy through language, spectacle and selective memory. 

By Mohd Ziyauallah Khan  Public protests are the lifeblood of a democracy. They remind those in power that citizens are watching, questioning, and demanding accountability. In recent weeks, demonstrations against what critics have mockingly called the "Cockroach Janata Party" (CJP), along with expressions of support for environmentalist and activist Sonam Wangchuk, have attracted considerable public attention. Like many others, I feel sympathy for those taking to the streets and, at times, even a sense of guilt for not standing beside them.

By Osman Sher*  Historian Arnold Toynbee, in his book "Mankind and Mother Earth," observes: "In most periods of the history of the Indian subcontinent the Indians have felt more concern about religion than about politics and economics." A survey of history, beginning in the mid-sixth century BC, when recorded history emerged in the Indian subcontinent with the establishment of Bimbisara's rule in southern Bihar, confirms the truth of this observation. This phenomenon continued through the eras of the Mauryas, Kushanas, Guptas, Vardhanas, Muslim rulers, the British, and into the present day.

By Rufus Wiena   My phone buzzed. It was my girlfriend. ‘Get out of there,’ she said. Her voice was shaking. I was in Graz, Austria, at a European footvolley tournament. I had come to compete. I was leaving for my safety. Hours earlier, a four-time European champion with over 25,000 Instagram followers had posted a story asking his fans what should be done with me. The responses came in fast. One stood out: ‘Post a picture, and we'll take care of him.’ After our match, the same Israeli player thanked his followers for their ‘creative tips’ on things to do with me ‘outside the court.’ I bought a ticket home that night. I am the Swedish and Nordic footvolley champion of 2025. I am also, apparently, a legitimate target. My crime was standing in solidarity with Palestine. In the ecosystem of European footvolley, that is enough to make you prey. What happened to me in Graz is nothing compared to what my Greek colleague, Ioannis Tsiouris, has endured since July 2025. Yiannis ...

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  Raizada Trilok Chand, the Governor of Kashmir, ordered his forces to open fire on protesters on July 13, 1931, leaving 22 people dead. Their deaths marked the beginning of what came to be observed as Martyrs' Day in Kashmir. Every year on July 13, many Kashmiris remember those who lost their lives while resisting what they regarded as an oppressive and autocratic regime.

By Jeremy David Engels*  “Namaste,” a common greeting in India and South Asia, has become a global cultural phenomenon – the word appears everywhere, from wellness retreats to political events to pop culture.

Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan  He lived for only thirty‑two years, yet his life contained more drama, turbulence, and moral courage than many works of fiction. Some lives are so remarkable that they seem almost unbelievable, and the life of Shahid Azmi (1977–2010) belongs to that rare category. His journey moved through communal violence, radicalisation, wrongful imprisonment, intellectual rebirth, and finally an unshakeable commitment to justice.

By Harsh Thakor*  Ranking amongst the greatest fast bowlers, Ray Lindwall wasn't just that—he was poetry in motion, a craftsman who turned the brutal art of pace bowling into something beautiful and devastating in equal measure. With his low, slinging action and flowing, wave-like run-up, he redefined what it meant to be a fast bowler in the post-war era.