Counterview

Counterview Desk A public statement, released jointly by Soumya Dutta of the All-India Bank Officers’ Confederation, Priya Dharshini of the Centre for Financial Accountability, Madhuresh Kumar of the National Alliance of People’ Movements, and Gautam Mody of the New Trade Union Initiative, has argued that, while the Government of India has withdrawn the controversial Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, only a batter has been but won the “war looms at large”. Text of the statement: On August 7, 2018, a year after its introduction, the BJP government withdrew the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill. Aimed at destroying public sector banks and endangering the public interest, FRDI was introduced last year on August 10. Its withdrawal was achieved after strong opposition from trade unions, especially those of the financial sector, people’s movements, civil society organisations and sections of the middle class. This is a major defeat for the B...

By  A  Representative Following demonstrations and meeting in several villages of Madhya Pradesh protesting against the alleged failure to rehabilitate Narmada dam oustees, top anti-dam organization, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), in a statement, has regretted that the state government’s top functionaries, including the chief minister and his ministers, appeared to think that the World Indigenous Day, which it celebrated a week ago, was a religious festival.

By Rajiv Shah  A recently-released Report of the Committee on Real Sector Statistics, published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government busted the myth that the rate of economic growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been higher than the earlier two terms of the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh. The report has made available Gross Value Product (GDP) data 1993-94 onwards, calculated on the basis of the new series, implemented in January 2015, which show, according to expert calculations, that India's GDP annually grew on an average at 8.34% and 7.67% under Singh's two terms as Prime Minister, in 2004-05 to 2008-09 and 2009-10 to 2013-14, respectively. The calculations further show that under the two phases when the BJP-led governments -- under AB Vajpayee and Modi -- the average growth rate was 5.73% per annum (1998-99 to 2003-04) and 7.34% (2014-15 to 2017-18). Average annual growth rate The new series calculated GDP at 2011-12 pric...

By Rohit Prajapati and Krishnakant* The Japanese government investors, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India (GoI) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project (MAHSR), popularly known as Bullet Train Project, in its documents has repeatedly stressed on environmental and social impacts, which must be followed for ensuring assistance in the form of technical cooperation, loan, or grant aid for the projects funded by it.

By Moin Qazi* India has long undervalued one of its most precious resources – water. The country’s chronic mismanagement of water is staring at it now. The country breaks out in a cold sweat every time the monsoon is delayed. Despite these alarming signals we continue to abuse and use water so profligately.

By  A  Representative Naushacha Pada, an old Adivasi village of Aarey Forest, as also other villages within the precincts of the Mumbai Veterinary College, Goregaon East, have no electricity even 72 years after India's Independence. Noticing this, a social activist Cassandra Nazareth, has begun an online petition , addressed to district collector, Mumbai Suburban, Sachin Kurve, says, she noticed this when she visited the village as part of a Swacch Bharat & Open Defecation Free campaign. "Even though the village is a stone’s throw from the bustling Western Express Highway of Mumbai and in spite of there being a tar road with street lights within touching distance of the Adivasi huts, the Adivasis have no electricity", petition said, adding, This glaring injustice shook me. Visits to the many other Adivasi villages of Aarey Forest showed the same pattern." She says, "The Government quarters were electrified, whereas the indigenous Warli tribes, living in the ...

By Fr Cedric Prakash sj* Social media was clogged with messages, images and videos on 15 August, the day on which India celebrated the 72nd anniversary of her independence. Many of course were greetings. However, one image, which will remain forever, etched in one’s memory: that of a little street girl fast asleep on a pavement clutching some unsold plastic tricolours in her hand.

By Rajiv Shah A new study carried out by the Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan (BMS), Gujarat’s biggest non-government organization (NGO) working for the welfare of construction workers in the state, has found that none of the workers working for the high profile Ahmedabad metro project , currently being implemented across the city, has been registered with the Gujarat Building and Other Construction Workers’ Board.

Ashok Choudary at a forest rights meeting By  A  Representative The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), India’s top civil rights network, led by social activist Medha Patkar, in a statement has condemned “false cases” against All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUWFP) activists and “continued incarceration” of Adivasi activists since June 8, adding, the latest in the series is an arrest warrant was issued against AIUWFP leader Ashok Choudhary. Chaudhary has been booked under several sections, including 147, 148, 149, 307, 323, 504, 332, 333, 336, 353, 427, 120-B of Indian Penal Code 1860 and 3/5 of 7 the Criminal Law Act, 1932 and 5/26 of Indian Forests Act 1927. Earlier, on June 8, 2018, AIUFWP activists Sukalo Gond, Kismatiya Gond and Sukhdev Gond were arrested on their way back from Lucknow. They had gone to meet state forest minister Dara Singh Chauhan and forest secretary Sanjay Singh to lodge complaints against police brutalities and the forest officia...

By Gautam Thaker* Results of the general elections held in Pakistan were somewhat unexpected and surprising. Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehark-E-Insaaf (PTI) got victory with the highest number of seats. As against 137 seats for absolute majority, his party secured 115 seats.