Counterview

By Trinadha Rao    The intellectual tradition of socialism, particularly in its Marxist form, has long emphasized the role of economic structures and productive forces in shaping human history. Yet, as critical voices have pointed out, this approach often reduces complex human realities to economic determinism, neglecting the moral, cultural, and psychological dimensions of human existence.

By A Representative   The recent extension of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between Kuki National Organisation and United Peoples Front, both Kuki-Zo organisations, and the Government of India has drawn mixed responses in Manipur. Signed on September 4, 2025, the agreement continues an arrangement first reached in 2008, requiring Kuki militants to remain in designated camps with their arms locked, while receiving government stipends.

By Sanjay Parate*  Like every year, farmers across the country are once again facing an acute shortage of fertilizers, and Chhattisgarh is no exception. This year too, urea and DAP fertilizers are in short supply in the cooperative societies of the state. Poor farmers, after standing in queues for two days without food and water, are being forced to return empty-handed. The government continues to assure them that there is sufficient stock and that they should not worry.

By Rajkumar Sinha*  In India, dams are considered vital for irrigation, power generation, and flood control, but recent experiences have revealed their limitations. Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir forced the release of water from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, flooding large parts of Punjab. Mismanagement and unplanned development deepened the disaster.

By Bharat Dogra    Photo by Kamlesh Sharma When I reached Udaipur, a friend remarked, “You must be enjoying the cool weather of our city.”   True—the cool breeze, lush greenery, and waterfalls suddenly appearing in the surrounding hills were uplifting. However, as I soon discovered while visiting several villages in Udaipur and neighboring Salumbar districts of Rajasthan and speaking with farmers and social activists, the outward appearance of pleasant weather was highly deceptive. Excessive late-season rain, sometimes accompanied by strong winds during the ripening of kharif crops, has caused severe damage to farmers. Manna Lal, a tribal farmer from Rawach village, said that over 50% of his crop—including corn and a local legume called savla—had been ruined.  

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China has underscored the shifting direction of global politics. Efforts to isolate Russia have failed, and Europe’s Russophobia has backfired, pushing Moscow to deepen ties with China and the Global South. Russia–China energy cooperation, in particular, will have long-term consequences for Europe, once heavily dependent on Russian gas.

By Rajkumar Sinha*  The people of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, who have somehow survived the onslaught of reckless development so far, are crying out in despair that within the next ten to fifteen years their very existence will vanish. If one carefully follows the news coming from these two Himalayan states these days, this painful cry does not appear exaggerated. How did these prosperous and peaceful states reach such a tragic condition? What feats of our policymakers and politicians pushed these states to the brink of destruction?

By A Representative   The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-Indian forum of the National Alliance of People’s Movements comprising grassroots activists, ecologists, climate scientists, environmental researchers and lawyers, has urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Haryana government to immediately abandon the proposed Aravalli Zoo Safari Park project. 

By A Representative   The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

By A Representative   The flood crisis in Punjab has deepened, with tens of deaths and nearly two thousand villages submerged. Official data shows that 3.84 lakh people have been affected, with over 21,000 evacuated and crops spread across 1.72 lakh hectares destroyed. While heavy and unprecedented rainfall during the southwest monsoon has been the immediate cause, questions are mounting over the role of major reservoirs—Bhakra on the Sutlej, Pong on the Beas and Ranjit Sagar on the Ravi—in aggravating the situation due to poor operational decisions.

By Azmat Ali   In Indian culture, the saree is more than clothing. It is history worn on the body, a textile archive of heritage, artistry and identity. Among India’s many weaving clusters, Mubarakpur in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, holds a distinguished place. For centuries, its artisans have woven fine silk brocades—often grouped under the wider Banarasi label—producing heirlooms for weddings, festivals and rituals. Their work is both cultural pride and living tradition.

By Vikas Meshram   The world is heating at an alarming pace. Climate change, compounded by rising levels of air pollution, has brought humanity to the brink of a crisis unlike anything witnessed before. Weather cycles once predictable are now dangerously disrupted, while storms, floods, and fires strike with a frequency and ferocity that leave little room for recovery. The Earth, once a secure home for life, is turning into a place of uncertainty and fear.

By A Representative   The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to disclose its correspondence with the United States government over India’s imports of Russian oil, despite senior officials publicly admitting that New Delhi acted on Washington’s advice. The refusal has triggered fresh concerns about transparency in India’s foreign and energy policy.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

By Azmat Ali   The question of Muslim education and social reform in India has long been a subject of debate, policy intervention, and community introspection. In Uttar Pradesh (UP), home to the largest Muslim population of any Indian state, the issue assumes even greater significance. According to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh was 3.85 crore (19.26 percent) of the state’s total 19.98 crore. Muslims thus form a significant minority, and their role in the state’s progress cannot be overlooked.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Many opinion makers argue that in international relations there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. They point to the current strain in India–U.S. ties, noting that only a few years ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then U.S. President Donald Trump went out of their way to display personal warmth and friendship. 

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, someone very close to me took me to a sub-office of the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Services (AMTS), where I filled out a form for what has been loudly advertised as a free pass for senior citizens aged 65 and above.

By Maju Varghese*  The climate crisis has triggered multiple crises across the world. One of the worst impacts on the frontlines is being faced by fishing communities, with increasing climate extremes leading to loss of livelihood, destruction of coasts, homes, and basic infrastructure. In Kerala, the shorelines are battered each year by sea surges and erosion, displacing thousands. In the Sundarbans, rising sea waters are redrawing the maps. This story, however, is about the struggle of fisherpeople from a tiny island called Pari Island in Indonesia, which has become the face of one of the most important climate justice struggles of our time.

By A Representative   Civil society voices have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to resist United States pressure over agricultural tariffs, warning that any concession could devastate Indian farming and food sovereignty. In a letter dated August 31, 2025, public policy expert Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi and Supreme Court petitioner Aruna Rodrigues argued that U.S. demands for greater access to India’s agricultural market are based on a false notion of “comparative advantage.”

By A Representative  When Jahlma Nallah starts roaring, “we cannot sleep,” said 80-year-old Devi Singhji of Himachal Pradesh last October. His fears came true this monsoon, as the Himalayan rivulet once again flooded catastrophically, blocking the Chenab and adding to the devastation across the region.