Counterview

By Vikas Meshram The implementation of government schemes in rural areas is often hindered by technical shortcomings and administrative complexities. Ambitious programmes like the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aim to deliver clean drinking water to every household, frequently get stuck in paperwork and procedural delays. However, when villagers become aware of their rights and responsibilities, they often find solutions through collective initiative. Bijlpur, a tribal-dominated village in Rajasthan’s Banswara district, stands as an example of such public awareness and determination.

By A  Representative  On World Fisheries Day 2025 , the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People ( SANDRP ) released a damning compilation of reports that spotlight the devastating toll of dams and river obstruction projects on India’s freshwater fish species and the millions of fisherfolk who depend on them for survival. According to the network, the damming of free-flowing rivers has emerged as the single largest driver of aquatic biodiversity collapse in the country, chiefly by blocking ancient fish migration routes that many species need to spawn and survive.

By A Representative   A detailed communication addressed to senior officials in the Karnataka government and the Union Ministries of Power and New and Renewable Energy has warned that the state is entering a phase of structural power imbalance in which annual energy surplus coexists with rising peak-time shortages. 

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  The political landscape in Jammu & Kashmir has shifted markedly since the Budgam by-election was announced. With Aga Muntazir Mehdi now elected as the MLA from Budgam, celebrations continue at his residence as people congratulate him on what many describe as an exceptional victory. He will represent Budgam for the next four years, and his performance during this term will determine his future in the constituency.

By Nava Thakuria  The third edition of the Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival (PLF) 2025 concluded on 16 November with two Assamese writers being felicitated at the valedictory function held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. PLF president Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury, chief guest Dr Apurba Kumar Saikia and a large gathering of authors, critics, journalists and literature enthusiasts were present. The annual festival, which began on 14 November, set out on a literary exploration with the mission of reconnecting Assam’s younger generation with the region’s rich literary heritage.

By Bharat Dogra*  About a year ago, in late 2024, when a small team of development activists began visiting several villages in the Bamaur block of Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh to establish their first contacts, they quickly realized they were entering an area burdened by harsh environmental conditions and long-standing anxieties. Local well-wishers advised them to be cautious, warning of the region’s history of criminal activity and the occasional presence of dacoits crossing over from nearby border areas. 

By ​Bharat Dogra  ​As big agro-business interests have often faced criticism for not giving adequate attention to the social and ecological concerns of India’s villages, can we, as an alternative, create models of small businesses that are very closely aligned with protecting the environment and the livelihoods of small farmers? ​

By Syed Ali Mujtaba  The 2025 Bihar election generated expectations among supporters of the Grand Alliance that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after nearly two decades in office, might face an electoral setback. Some observers also anticipated a shift in national political trends or a decline in the Lok Janshakti Party, led by Chirag Paswan. The results, however, surprised those who expected a change in the state’s leadership and prompted renewed debate about electoral processes in India. The election was framed by competing narratives: calls for political change versus support for continuity. 

By A Representative   The Forum for Electoral Integrity has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately pause the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2.0 of electoral rolls, warning that the exercise is generating widespread distress and may result in unlawful exclusion of valid voters. In a memorandum dated November 20, 2025, addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, M.G. Devasahayam, Convener of the Forum for Electoral Integrity and Coordinator of the Citizens’ Commission on Elections, called the process legally unsound, administratively disruptive, and constitutionally problematic.

By Subin Dennis  Zohran Mamdani, who describes himself as a “democratic socialist”, has won the New York City mayoral elections. He is a vocal critic of billionaires, ran on a plank to make the city affordable to the working people, and took a firm pro-Palestine stand in a country whose government is the staunchest supporter of the genocidal Zionist state. His campaign overcame the challenges posed by the propaganda fuelled by billionaires and the Zionist lobby . This, therefore, is a moment for cautious optimism. Why optimism? Optimism, because of the reasons stated above, and because such victories and campaigns (the other most notable campaign in the recent decades being the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020) have helped make the term "socialism" less taboo in the US, a society where scaremongering about socialism and communism has been widespread, and where those suspected of communist sympathies have been witch-hunted. This, along with a campaign...