Counterview

*Disability-adjusted life-year By Rajiv Shah A new study, published in one of the world’s most prestigious online health journals, “Lancet”, has revealed that, among major Indian states, “model” Gujarat’s mortality and morbidity risk factor as a result of child and maternal malnutrition is higher than as many as 13 of the 21 major Indian states.

By  A  Representative A media note, circulated by the Superintendent of Police (SP), Alwar district, Rajasthan, on the gruesome murder of Umar, allegedly by cow vigilantes, is surprisingly silent on the most critical part of the crime: Mutilation of the body, transporting it to the railway track to another police station area, tyres being stolen from the pickup truck, and the role of cops in all this.

Rahul Gandhi interacting with KSG farmers on Nov 3 By  A  Representative In a major boost to the Congress, the top non-political farmers' organization, Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG), has thrown its weight behind the Congress, declaring on Wednesday that it would take out 2,000 km long motorbike rally from South Gujarat's Bhilad to North Gujarat's Amirgadh via Saurashtra to campaign for the "ouster" of the BJP government in the state.

By  A  Representative With an eye on influencing 27 reserved tribal of the Gujarat state assembly, three non-political organizations have together under the banner of Sthalantarit Adivasi Shramik Manch (SASM), putting up one-and-a-half dozen demands, insisting on steps to the taken to "free" migrant tribal workers from the allegedly bonded-like condition, both in cities and in rural areas.

A top world expert has termed the world's biggest multinational seeds company, Monsanto, which is now being bought over by Bayer, and is involved in a dispute with the Government of India on how much of royalty it should take back to home on selling it's genetically modified (GM) seeds, as nothing more than a "marketing success."

By  A  Representative Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has demanded the resignation of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley for poorly implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying, the recent concessions given by the Government of India are only a reflection of how poor the country's finances are being managed.

Angelika Hilbeck* Genetically engineered (GE) crops were introduced to the world almost three decades ago with great fanfare and the first crops commercialized over two decades ago. We were promised no more nor less than the abolishment of hunger and malnutrition and the creation of plants with higher yields and adapted to the challenges caused by the changing climate. Despite the rhetoric, GE plants never were designed for the small scale farmer in the first place. However, overall yields of GE crops did not rise beyond those of non-GM crops in countries that chose not to grow GE crops, like in most of Europe. A sobering reality check of 20 years of GE crop production Since the first commercial release of GE crops over 20 years ago, four commodity crops containing two types of GE traits produced in the same six countries (called the 'six founder biotech crop countries' by ISAAA 2016) - USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China - are making up over 90% of all commercial GE p...

By  A  Representative Well-known human rights site, www.sabrangindia.in, run by Teesta Setalvad, who has fought several cases for the 2002 anti-minority Gujarat riot victims, has claimed to have found that several of the Muslim houses in different parts of Ahmedabad have been identified and crossed, alleging these are similar to the "Nazi Germany like red cross markings" on Jew houses.

By  A  Representative A joint memorandum by several civil rights organizations addressed to Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has sought immediate arrest of the cops and so-called Gau Rakshaks -- cow vigilantes -- allegedly involved in the "brutal murder" of Umar Mohammed of Kaman Pahadi Bharatpur, even as withdrawal of the case of cow smuggling against Umar and his fellow travellers Tahir and others.

Fr Arrupe with Mother Teresa By Fr Cedric Prakash sj* On 24 October 2016, in his address to the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis said, “just as Fr Arrupe said, wherever there is pain, the Society is there; or better said has to be there”. In this one statement, Pope Francis not only reminded the Jesuits of the need and importance of their presence in the realities of today but also highlighted the rich legacy, which Fr. Pedro Arrupe has left to each one of us! Fr Pedro Arrupe, a deeply spiritual person, was consistently in the midst of pain and suffering. On 6 August 1945, Arrupe was there in Hiroshima when thousands were killed, many more injured and the city was ravaged by the nuclear holocaust. He made the Jesuit residence (where he was also the novice master) into a make shift hospital administering to those who were badly hurt. For several weeks, he selflessly cared for the dying and the wounded using his expertise as a medical doctor to the hilt. H...