Counterview

By A Representative   New Delhi, October 22, 2025 — An analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Gujarat Election Watch of the self-sworn affidavits of all 26 ministers in Gujarat ’s reconstituted cabinet, announced on October 17, has revealed that a majority are wealthy and a few face criminal cases. The study, based on affidavits filed before the 2022 state assembly elections and subsequent bypolls, shows that 23 ministers (88%) are crorepatis, with average declared assets of ₹11.12 crore.

By A Representative   A recent appearance by New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli alongside Indian religious preacher Devkinandan Thakur has sparked criticism among sections of the Indian American community. Thakur, who has been accused of making inflammatory remarks against India’s religious minorities, appeared with Ciattarelli at a public event in New Jersey in late August.

By A Representative   The Campaign Against State Repression ( CASR ) has issued a statement expressing concern over the ongoing hunger strike by Dunna Keshava Rao , also known as Azad , a surrendered leader of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), who has been on strike for seven days at the Jharpada High Security Prison in Bhubaneswar .

By Rajiv Shah  As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém , a new global report has raised serious alarms about the continued expansion of coal-based industries, particularly in India and China. The 2025 Global Coal Exit List  (GCEL), released by Germany-based NGO Urgewald and 48 partners, reveals a worrying rise in coal-to-chemical projects and captive power plants despite mounting evidence of climate risks and tightening international finance restrictions.

By  Jag Jivan      The South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has said that water releases from the Ichari and Vyasi dams in Uttarakhand may have aggravated the flood situation in the Yamuna River during the 2025 southwest monsoon , when the river witnessed three flood spells in just two weeks between August 17 and September 1. The group’s analysis of official data shows that in several instances, the dam authorities released more water than was flowing into the reservoirs, thereby increasing the flood volume downstream.

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava  This long-pending essay on whether academicians should be changemakers and/or activists finally sees the light of day after a call on World Teachers’ Day (October 5) from my Urban Design teacher (1997–99). While congratulating me for my sustained motivation and dedication toward water issues, he also remarked that had my approach not been so “activist-like,” I might have found a more secure position and made a deeper impact in academia. 

By Harsh Thakor*  “ Let’s Call Him Vasu ” by Subhanshu Choudhary offers an illustrative and informative account of the Maoist movement in Bastar , presenting vivid depictions of life, struggle, and conflict in the region. However, while it succeeds in portraying the lived realities of those affected by the conflict, it falls short of offering a comprehensive or analytical understanding of the Maoist movement itself.

By A Representative   The Samerth Charitable Trust , a non-profit organization with more than three decades of service, has released its Annual Report for 2024–2025 , outlining a year of strategic growth and deepened community impact. Guided by a Results-Based Management framework , the organization expanded its reach in education, water conservation, natural resource management, and livelihood enhancement, transforming lives across Gujarat and Chhattisgarh .

By Rajiv Shah  A few days ago, I attended a press conference for the release of a study examining the impact of automation on women workers in Ahmedabad’s construction sector. Conducted by Geeta Thatra and Saloni Mundra for Aajeevika Bureau and Work Fair and Free , the study immediately caught my attention—particularly a passing reference in the presentation to how Marxist theory tends to reduce women’s oppression to class relations and economic structures such as private property, production, and wage labour.

By  Jag Jivan    In the Detroj Taluka of Ahmedabad district , a group of tribal construction workers from Gujarat's Mahisagar district and Rajasthan are struggling to recover their unpaid wages after weeks of labouring at a warehouse construction site of a prominent manufacturer of polypropylene composite materials and alloys , used in the automotive and other industries . The workers, including both men and women, were engaged through a contracted and subcontracted arrangement.