Counterview

By Mythri Tewary  Every few months, the internet rediscovers an old gem, sweeping the entire social media with its catchy wave. Recently, so it happened with Fevicol’s unforgettable jingle,  “Sharma ji ki dulhan”, which found its way back to the spotlight. Clipped, shared, reeled and memes across social media this jingle has struck again its chords with a massive audience, regardless of age who just cannot resist humming it along. At first glance, it seems regular, just a comic sketch of an advertisement about weddings and guests and a sofa that never breaks. But, wait, stay a little longer. You will see it unfold a story, a beautifully woven layered tale of India. You will feel it resonating because this is not merely an advertisement about glue, it is traditions passed down, it is love found in unexpected places, it is a society that evolves while still holding on beautifully to its roots, its bonds.

By Dr. Syed Ali Mujtaba*  I am currently working on an ambitious project that is very close to my heart—a book titled “Essays on Media and Indian Muslims – Journalism, Nationalism and Sensationalism.” As someone who has spent more than three decades in journalism, I have witnessed the evolving role of the Indian media and the disturbing trends that have unfolded since 2014. This book is my attempt to bring together diverse voices to critically examine how the media has represented, misrepresented, or deliberately distorted the image of Indian Muslims.

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has expressed concern over fresh summons issued by the Assam police to senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with a second First Information Report (FIR). The move comes even as the Supreme Court had earlier directed that no coercive action be taken against them in a separate FIR registered in July.

By A Representative   Human rights organization Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has expressed strong concern over the ongoing fencing work along the India–Bangladesh border, warning that it could displace millions of villagers and cut them off from their land.

By Bharat Dogra  Sincere and honest efforts to uncover the truth behind some of the most significant events of recent history can make an invaluable contribution to the reforms our troubled world urgently needs. If enough people can be convinced that grave injustices and cover-ups have taken place—supported by credible evidence, even if not every detail can be known—it may inspire broad-based mobilization for peace, democracy, justice and environmental protection.

By A Representative   Hindus for Human Rights, a U.S.-based advocacy group of the Hindu diaspora, has sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to invoke Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to assume direct federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department. The group said the move not only undermines local democracy in Washington, D.C., but also reflects a wider global trend of authoritarian governments consolidating power by weakening democratic institutions.

By Michel Danino*   Prof. Shamsul Islam has been writing mendacious and slanderous articles about the new NCERT Social Science textbooks in Muslim Mirror (click August 8 and August 20 ). In Counterview these appear to be their shortened versions ( August 9 and August 21 ).

By Ram Puniyani*  The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which prepares the school texts for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), is rapidly changing school texts and supplementary reading materials. Most of these changes modify content to suit the agenda of the ruling party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pursuing its project of Hindu nationalism, constructing the past through these books to ensure that the new generation thinks in a way that supports the Bharatiya Janata Party–Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (BJP-RSS) political program. They have already deleted references to the Mughals from textbooks and have presented ancient history to glorify the Aryans as the original inhabitants of this land. This strengthens their claim of Hindutva nationalism, as the Aryan race is one of its pillars. The latest distortion is the misrepresentation of India’s partition. NCERT has issued two modules on ‘Partition Horrors Day’ and partition. These mod...

By Rajiv Shah  This is a follow-up to my news story in Counterview about why Morbi, India’s ceramic hub, has become a major cause of concern for health rights organisations. The other day, Jagdish Patel, who heads the People’s Training and Research Centre (PTRC) – an organisation that has been working with occupational hazard victims, especially those suffering from deadly silicosis, for the last few decades – called me.

By A Representative   The Independent People’s Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur, convened by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has released its detailed findings in New Delhi on August 20, 2025, after over a year of hearings, field visits and consultations. The report presents a disturbing picture of prolonged ethnic violence, massive displacement, and what the jury called “a collapse of constitutional governance in Manipur.”