Counterview

By  A  Representative The number of critically polluted stretches of the country's rivers has increased to 351 from 302 two years ago, and the number of critically polluted stretches has gone up to 45 from 34, according to a recent assessment, released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The report analyses the water quality data under national water quality monitoring programme for the years 2016 and 2017. Scrutinizing the situation statistically. the report seeks to identify monitoring locations for water quality, identifying their polluted levels. The polluted locations in a continuous sequence are defined as polluted river stretches and categorised in five priority classes based on BOD concentration exceeding to BOD levels >30 mg/l, BOD between 20&30 mg/l, BOD between 10&20mg/l, BOD between 6-10 mg/l and BOD between 3& 6 mg/l.

By Syed Mujtaba Hussian* Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continues to witness cataclysm of events ever since the killing of editor-in-chief of “Rising Kashmir”, Shujaat Bukhari, followed by the BJP’s deliberated parting of ways with its coalition partner, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and imposition of Governor rule.

By  A  Representative Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt, wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who was arrested in a 22 year old case, has strongly objected to the government lawyers' “delaying tactics” at the Sessions Court in Palanpur, Banaskantha district. In a Facebook statement, Shweta Bhatt said, “On October 16, the Sessions Court was supposed to hear Sanjiv’s bail application. The audience was scheduled at 10:30 am. Nevertheless, in a flagrant display of tactical lateness, government lawyers arrived at 3 pm.” She added, “Shamefully attempting to further delay the hearings, they asked for another 10-days extension to prepare the case. Another 10-days extension, even though Sanjiv was taken away from home 44 days ago; one might wonder what the government lawyers have been doing since! Another 10-days extension in a 22-year old case, already heard and stayed by the Supreme Court 22 years ago.” According to her, it is a case “which used to be the State of Gujarat Vs the State of Rajas...

By Fr Cedric Prakash  SJ *  On October 17, the world community once again commemorated the ‘International Day for the Eradication of Poverty’. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, (in its resolution 47/196 of December 22, 1992) of this special day. It also marks the 30th anniversary of the ‘Call to Action’ by Father Joseph Wresinski — which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty — and the recognition by the United Nations of the day as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

By Moin Qazi* India’s economy is booming but Muslims continue to suffer great economic deprivation. Muslims are the second largest religious group of India, with nearly 14 per cent of the country’s population or roughly 172 million people. Their situation is so dire that, for them, economic reforms need precedence over all other amelioration policies. In fact improvement in social and educational conditions as also the much talked about gender reforms can automatically follow as a byproduct of economic redemption.

By Medha Patkar and Sandeep Pandey* The legendary Prof Guru Das Agrawal, who got promoted from a lecturer directly to professor at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur after having finished his PhD from University of California at Berkeley in two years and laid the foundation of India's anti-pollution regimen as the first member-secretary of Central Pollution Control Board, ultimately failed to convince a government about his viewpoint on rejuvenation of river Ganga and had to pay for this with his life.

By RK Misra* The death of 24 lions in as many days in Sasan Gir is evidence of the systemic failure of Gujarat to look after these mighty cats and its false pride in not relocating some of them to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. The worst fears of the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of an alternate home for Asiatic lions in Madhya Pradesh five years ago, seem to be coming true. Twenty four lions have perished in the last 24 days ending October 15 in their only home of Sasan Gir in Gujarat.

By Dr Manohar Chauhan* Amnesty International India, a premier human rights organization, has demanded probe into the alleged grabbing of tribal land by two private companies, TRN Energy and Mahavir Energy Coal Beneficiation Limited (MECBL), in Gharghoda sub-division in Chhatisgarh. Addressing media in Raipur, senior Amnesty activists said, on October 16, as many 85 adivasi villagers in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, called upon the state police to conduct a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into allegations that they had been unlawfully dispossessed of their lands by people acting as agents of these two private companies.

Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel By Dr Hari Desai* It is ironical indeed. Though Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was opposed to any kind of reservation in the government jobs and education as well as in the legislatures (like Mahatma Gandhi), even today his name is being drawn in controversies in the present-day agitations demanding reservation in India.

By Moin Qazi* The empowerment of rural women and girls is essential to building a prosperous equitable and peaceful future for all on a healthy planet. – UN Secretary-General, António Guterres Gender inequality is not only a pressing moral and social issue but also a critical economic challenge. India has a larger relative economic value at stake from advancing gender equality than any of the 10 regions analyzed in a McKinsey Global Institute report, “The Power of Parity: How Advancing Women’s Equality Can add $12 Trillion to Global Growth”. The report says that if all countries were to match the momentum towards gender parity of the fastest-improving countries in their region, $12 trillion a year could be added to global GDP. India could add $700 billion of additional GDP in 2025, boosting the annual GDP growth by 1.4 percentage points. Empowering women is the solution to many problems. Societies that take the effort to empower women show better development indices, are better governe...