Counterview

By Dr. A.V. Yadappanavar   As the floodwaters of the 2026 monsoon finally begin to recede across Assam, the state is left to survey yet another season of devastating ecological and economic ruin. Every year, the Brahmaputra River basin overflows, driven by a toxic mix of intense monsoon rainfall, fragile Himalayan topography, and unchecked human encroachment. But as the recent deluge has starkly demonstrated, our traditional approach to flood management—building higher and thicker concrete walls—is no longer sufficient. 

By Raqif Makhdoomi   The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, held in three phases from September 18 to October 1, 2024, were marked by high expectations, with the ruling National Conference (NC) campaigning on a platform of transformative change. The electoral rhetoric led many to believe that the new Assembly would usher in a revolutionary era of governance. However, the inaugural session of the Assembly has revealed a stark contrast between campaign promises and legislative reality. Rather than focusing on actionable governance, the political discourse has increasingly centered on structural limitations.

By Bharat Dogra  Shankar Guha Niyogi (1943–1991) was a great trade union leader who became a legend within his lifetime, partly because of several significant victories of workers' struggles within a relatively short time of about 14 years (1977–91), but I think even more so because of his highly innovative and creative approach to working-class issues. This included many-sided integrations leading to a comprehensive approach to improving the well-being as well as social consciousness of not just the workers but of all people of the working-class belt, including particularly the surrounding villages.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh's long poem "In the Dark" (Andhere Mein) is one of modern Hindi poetry's most searching explorations of the relationship between an individual's inner life and the social and political crises of his time. What distinguishes the poem is that it refuses to treat power, exploitation and social contradiction as purely external facts. It traces how these forces take shape within human consciousness, morality and self-awareness. The darkness of the title is therefore not simply a sign of fear or despair. It becomes a metaphor for a social condition in which a person can recognise the truth yet continues to struggle to translate that recognition into the conduct of his own life.

By Harsh Thakor*  For over seven decades, Dolly Parton stood as a global icon, humanitarian, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, and author. When she passed away peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25 at the age of 80, the working class lost one of its most intelligent and boldest champions. Through her art, empathy, and subtle anti-capitalist undertones, Parton won the hearts of ordinary people. Her songs will continue to touch the hearts of people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will leave an indelible impact. 

By Rajiv Shah  ​I was recently forwarded a complaint by social activist Jatin Sheth , who leads Abad Amdavad , an Ahmedabad-based civic rights NGO. The organization regularly takes up municipal grievances in a city that aspires to be a cutting-edge metropolis—one eyeing to hold the Commonwealth Games , followed by the Olympics . It is quite another matter that independent international studies have ranked Ahmedabad among the environmentally least resilient when evaluated alongside 72 global cities.

By Vikas Meshram*  In the hills of southern Rajasthan, where small farms cling to rocky slopes and morning smoke curls above mud houses, a quiet revolution is taking root. The village is Seranagla, in Anandpuri tehsil of Banswara district. Among its residents is 65-year-old Kankudevi Kama Damor, known across the region as Beej Mata or the "Seed Mother." For years, she has been collecting, conserving and sharing indigenous seeds, safeguarding an agricultural heritage that many feared would disappear forever. Her work is not merely about farming. It is about memory, culture, nutrition and resilience in a changing climate.

By Ahmed Shabin*  An anonymous social media complaint about Ambedkarite and anti-caste writings has reached the Prime Minister’s Office. What happens when a complaint without academic standing acquires the authority of the state? *** B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste has outlived not only unhappy readers, but also the disapproval of the speech on which it was based, the debate that followed its arguments, and decades of political dispute over its interpretation of caste and Hinduism. It has now acquired a new kind of reader: an anonymous social media complainant who has labelled it “poison”. The complaint subsequently reached the Prime Minister’s Office, triggering correspondence with central universities about courses in which Ambedkarite writings are taught. On September 26, an account on X tweeted a list of books and academic readings used in Indian universities and referred to them as “poison” being infused into the minds of the youth. The list included Annihilation of Cas...

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Learning is an agonising and demanding experience. The process of learning is often unpleasant and boring before it becomes joyful. After many years of self-doubt, self-disappointment, confusion, and being lost in the wilderness of the world of letters, words, and ideas, clarity comes only through uninterrupted learning marked by commitment, dedication, self-discipline, and collaboration in a competition-free environment. 

By Kumar Krishnan*  An education loan is not merely money borrowed for a degree. For a student from a family of limited means, it is a bet on the future. When that loan is delayed, when an approved application fails to translate into payment, or when college fees remain unpaid, the consequences are not merely administrative. They dictate admissions, examinations, and the continuity of study—and ultimately, a young person’s trajectory.