Counterview

By Sheshu Babu* When marginalised and Dalit sections of society are being hounded from almost every quarter, the brutal murder of a Dalit Right to Information (RTI) activist comes as another shock and ghastly incident. Kedar Singh Jindan was allegedly murdered on Friday, September 7, while he was on his way back home. The RTI activist was first attacked and run over by a Scorpio.

Counterview Desk Prominent writer Shanta Gokhale, in her keynote address on September 14 at the Ooty Literary Festival in Tamil Natu, has warned that “a sword hangs over the head of any writer who dares presume she has the right to speak out”, pointing towards how writers and activists were “aroused” from their complacency during the Emergency, and how in 1988, Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” was banned by the Government of India.

By Kamal Mitra Chenoy* Nirmala Sitharaman my junior in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has claimed that the UL (United Left) which won a sweeping majority in the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) elections is “waging war against India,” on September 14.

By  A  Representative Thousands of displaced persons – tribals, farmers, labourers, fishermen and other people living in Narmada Valley of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat – gathered in Chhota Barda, Badwani, on September 17 to protest against Prime Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the completion of the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam exactly a year ago. Organized by Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), the gathering highlighted how around 35,000 affected families of Sardar Sarovar are still living in the submergence area. NBA said in a statement, “By changing the backwater level, 16,000 families have been left out from getting any benefit which other displaced persons are to get. They don’t have complete right to farming or livelihood, or housing.” “In 65 villages of Badwani district alone, a total of 4,500 families are left out”, NBA said, adding, “Despite the Supreme Court order, few thousand applications are pending for special grant of Rs 60 lakh. There is a...

Advani, Vajpayee, Modi at a public rally in Ahmedabad By RK Misra* After a life embedded in flowing prose and lyrical poetry, embellishing harsh politics with soft imagery, Atal Bihari Vajpayee entered the domain of the dead on August 16, 2018. A sombre nation spared time from lynchings and launchings to lament. The dust has settled. The man is no more, but images linger: Of ironies and contrasts, of the first saffron prime minister viewed from the home state of the next one. Of the time when there was melody in politics and the heart stirred to a captivating tune, of feet stomp stadiums, shrill-shriek speeches and snuff lives on the street.

By  A  Representative Speaking at the Western Regional Consultation on Electoral and Political Reforms, organized by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the Gujarat Election Watch (GEW) in Ahmedabad, top academic Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, founder-trustee, ADR, said that the federal structure is “basic to the Indian Constitution and holding simultaneous elections is against the federal nature of the constitution and it will amount to changing the constitution itself.” He added, one main reason given by the government to hold simultaneous elections is to bring down the cost of elections, though “nobody knows the exact amount of election expenditure during elections.” Speaking on electoral malpractices, former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta said the main reason for for this is “lack of manpower with the Election Commission of India (ECI)”, adding, “During elections ECI is dependent on state administration and therefore it is unable to curb electoral malpractices eff...

By Swami Agnivesh* and Sandeep Pandey** There was major police action against Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Varvara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira on 28 August, 2018. Before this police arrested Professor Shoma Sen, Adocate Sudhir Gadling, Sudhir Dhawle, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson on 6 June. Even before this Dr. Binayak Sen, Soni Sori, Ajay TG, Professor GN Saibaba and Prashant Rahi have been arrested and all these activists have been accused of having links with Maoists.

Counterview Desk Taking strong exception to the recent impunity provided to a rape and sexual harassment accused, Bishop Franco Mukammal by the Kerala police, the National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM), India's top civil rights network, has said that false allegations are being leveled against the victim, a nun, in a conspiracy to malign her. In a statement, signed by civil society organizations across India, NAPM has demanded “immediate arrest of Bishop Franco and a fair and time-bound investigation and trial”.

By Moin Qazi* The South Indian city of Bidar — the northernmost part of Karnataka, 145 km from Hyderabad — is barely known beyond the subcontinent. But In recent years, it has built a great reputation in the field of education. It is drawing students from miles around, and the teaching pedagogy at its largest seminary (madrasa) that is delivering amazing outcomes has confounded educationists. The madrasa is not just opening the gateway to modern careers but also strengthening the prospects of eternal salvation. In a narrow alleyway, opposite the 15th-century edifice of Madras a of Mahmud Gawan (1472) in Gole Khana area of Bidar stands Shaheen School, the flagship institution of a vibrant educational revolution whose ripples are touching thousands of lives across the country. Parents seeking a blend of temporal and spiritual education are choosing it over mainstream institutions. It offers a bridge course for madrasa pass outs and enables them to join the mainstream education system. W...

Left Unity campaign in JNU By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Why are people still enamoured towards Hindutva and its government, which has attempted to discredit India's prestigious institutions? I am not much fascinated at the victory  of the Left Unity in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), as that does not reflect much. What is worrying trend is the growth of the Savarna Right-wing in JNU. Will trends in JNU be similar to West Bengal, where the left parties are finding it difficult to make a come back and the space left by them is occupied by the Hindutva party?