Counterview

By Sandeep Pandey*   As election fever rises and political parties get busy with campaigning, one issue which refuses to die even after elections have been declared is that of Electronic Voting Machine and the accompanying Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. 

Counterview Desk  As many 87 former civil servants, who are part of the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), in an open letter to the Election Commission of India, referring to the recent arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have wondered whether the top poll panel is abiding by its own commitment for level playing field between different political parties.

  By Sudhansu R Das  There has been a sharp decline of the political environment in Odisha. The state has become a happy hunting ground for turncoat politicians who hop from party to party mocking at the verdict of people, democracy, party ideologies, judiciary, media and the intellectual class. The acrobatics of the turncoat politicians in the state should be stopped before they wreak havoc in the state’s economy, social and cultural life.   

By Harsh Thakor*  Brian Lara on April 12th completed the 20th anniversary of his record breaking 400 in 2004, at Antigua cricket ground, the first ever in history of test cricket to penetrate the barrier of the quadruple.  For 766 minutes and 682 deliveries Lara did not commit a blemish, to climb an epic, with his god given artistry. The very manner he climbed his summit is a separate story itself, resurrecting glory in the manner of a messenger of god. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Capitalism has managed to establish a perverted society where the individuals who construct homes often endure homelessness, those who produce food often go to bed hungry, and those who build roads frequently lack a footpath to walk for themselves. Moreover, individuals involved in constructing schools, colleges, and universities find that their own children lack access to quality education.

Counterview Desk  In a representation to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court nearly 200 concerned citizens have said that recent controversies surrounding the Places of Worship Act, 1991 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’), have posed “significant challenges to one of the most cherished tenets of secularism – faith”.

By Tsring Gyatso  Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), as the two main local political parties in Sikkim, have attacked each other in the Sikkim general election, creating an atmosphere of violence and terror, causing many bloody incidents. Currently, supporters of both sides continue to face off in many constituencies in Sikkim, causing chaos.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The forthcoming general election in India, scheduled from April 19, 2024, to June 1, 2024, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha and the new Government of India, carries immense significance for the preservation of India's identity as a liberal, secular, and constitutional democracy.

Counterview Desk  A statement signed by concerned Catholics regarding the screening of the ‘Kerala Story’ by the Diocese of Idukki has said that showing the film to school students to make them aware of love jihad “defies logic”, as it is clearly a propaganda film “created to further the Hindutva narrative that is trying to destroy the secular nature of our country.”

By Kirity Roy* There was yet another incident of the killing of a Bangladeshi youth by the Border Security Force personnel attached with ‘Barthar’ BOP of ‘G’ Company of 75 BSF Battalion. In last five years several incidents of killings happened under this police station’s jurisdiction and the cases will get the award as “Not Guilty” as usual.