Counterview

By  A  Representative The International Labour Organization (ILO) has intervened with the Indian authorities , urging them to take "necessary action" for the protection of workers' rights in the light of measures being taken by a number of state governments to "undermine" labour legistlations and international standards. Said an ILO communication to Central trade unions, which had jointly represented to ILO about several state governments using the current Covid-19 crisis to undermine labour laws, "The director-general has immediately intervened, expressing his deep concern at these recent events, appealing to the Prime Minister to send a clear message to Central and state governments to uphold the country's international commitments and encourage effective social dialogue." Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has decided to withdraw its decision to increase the working hours from eight to 12 hours. In a statement, the All-India Trade Union Congres...

Vapi industries effluent dumping into Damanganga river Counterview Desk Taking strong exception to the Vapi Industries Association (VIA) letter dated May 18, 2020, addressed to the chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) seeking exemption environmental laws, senior state environmentalists have said the VIA demand is “ludicrous”, adding, it shows “audacity and righteousness” to “pollute the environs.”

By Moin Qazi* The current pandemic is an unprecedented calamity and its economic and social pain is immense. The worst affected are the populations who subsist on daily wage or seasonal income. Barring agriculture, which is still functional, the rural economy is groaning in distress.  Since the deeper behavioural changes and social restrictions that the pandemic has imposed are expected to become -- and remain -- the new normal for a long time, we will have to recalibrate our economic and social patterns so that the hardship of daily subsistence does not further compound problems created by the looming health crisis. Almost 90 per cent of the workers in India are part of the informal economy and thrive on daily work, with little provision for employment protection. The pandemic has required governments around the world to introduce social distancing and lockdowns in unprecedented ways. These measures have impacted economies and jobs worldwide and in India, too. One of the vulne...

By Anand K Sahay* We will do well to recall that the fundamental reason cited last August for dissolving the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) – whose Maharaja acceded to India on terms that explicated a clearly enunciated autonomy – was that the existence of this autonomy engendered a “separatist” mind-set in the Valley.

By  A  Representative The Gujarat High Court has lashed out at the state government, saying the conditions at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad is “pathetic” and it is “as good as a dungeon, may be even worse”. The court’s observation, made on Friday, was made available on Saturday. The court had taken suo motu congnizance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Covid-19 pandemic. Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital recorded 377 Covid-19 deaths till Friday. The division bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and IJ Vora came down hard on the Vijay Rupani government on conditions prevailing at the hospital, and said it was “distressing and painful”. “It is very distressing and painful to note that the condition prevailing, as on date, in the Civil Hospital, is pathetic... We are very sorry to state that the Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, as on date, appears to be in an extremely bad shape,” the court observed. “As we said earlier that the Civil Hospital is meant to treat the patients. However, it app...

By Darshini Mahevia*  As a part of the second tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package taking care of severe criticism of the Central government’s sensitivity to the migrant labour fleeing the cities, a rental housing policy for the migrant workers was announced on May 14, 2020. The rental policy, much in line with the subsequent two economic stimulus packages (on agriculture and infrastructure), is medium to long term.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Democracy is a product of struggles and sacrifices of the working classes. The October revolution, French revolution  and anti-colonial struggles in Africa, Asia and Americas shaped democracy. The struggles for freedom, equality and justice, anti-capitalist struggles, and people’s movements against war and terrorism, social and political movements for livelihoods have helped to deepen democratic practices all over the world.

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* May 24, 2020 completes full five years of Pope Francis’ path-breaking and incisive Encyclical Letter ' Laudato Si ' -- On Care for Our Common Home. It was the first major Papal teaching on a subject of critical importance namely ‘the environment’. ‘Laudato Si' meaning “Praise be to you" are the first words of the celebrated ' Canticle of the Creatures' of St Francis of Assisi.

By Moin Qazi* In the last two decades, the gender landscape in rural India has been greening, and women are now on the cusp of a powerful social and political revolution. The harbinger of this change is a unique policy experiment in village-level governance, the Panchayat Raj Act, which has brought transformative results for the weakest of the weak: the village women. In a country that has a bad scorecard in matters of gender equality, India has set a stellar example by becoming a crucible for one of social democracy’s most innovative experiments in gender justice. Women now steer local governance in thousands of villages. This revolution led to the discovery of several hidden comets in the deep crannies of India. One of them is Shalan Shelke, an intrepid and passionate woman with a unique brand of perseverance and determination. She has galvanized the poor, unlettered women in Sangamner, a remote corner of India’s deep hinterland. Sangamner is the site of the confluence (sangam) of th...

By Shamsul Islam* As a student of political science we have been familiar with Samuel Johnson's amazing words on patriotism, an essential ingredient of nationalism. He wrote: 'Patriotism is last refuge of scoundrel.' History has been witness to the truthfulness of this dictum multiple times globally.