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Delhi residents rally against proposed Bawana waste-to-energy plant

By Adharika*  The People’s Alliance for Waste Accountability (PAWA) and Delhi residents are voicing strong opposition to the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Bawana, citing environmental and health concerns. A recent public hearing held on December 27, 2024, organized by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), has drawn criticism for its lack of transparency and poor organization.
Recent posts

Uttarayan: Why Hindutva campaign to prevent Gujaratis from buying 'Muslim kites' failed

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is late evening, the day after Uttarayan (15 January), traditionally called ‘vasi uttarayan’. It has been a dull, cloudy day; the wind has been fairly good though. Since yesterday thousands have been on building-tops, flying their kites and many others running on the streets to catch the ‘cut’ kites. At this moment, the skies are pocked with thousands of kites, music of every possible strand blares loud from rap songs to the latest Hindi filmi ones, the yells and the screams continue to pierce the air.  No match however, for the loud crackers. It is a great day indeed – as people from across the board, bond together to celebrate diversity!

Thirteen BHU students fabricated on false charges win bail rights

By Harsh Thakor*  Thirteen students arrested on charges of attempting to burn the Manusmriti at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) were granted bail on January 11, 2025. The following day, on January 12, the students held a press conference under the banner of the Bhagat Singh Students Morcha (BSM) at Paradkar Bhawan in Maidagin.

Towards sustainable livelihood: Dialogue on swaraj path as India’s answer to climate change

By Bharat Dogra  As climate change intensifies and the inadequacy of the west-driven climate response becomes clearer by the day, it is helpful for the entire effort if countries of the global south can come up with their own alternative responses which are more firmly aligned to their needs as well as special strengths.

L&T boss' 90 hrs statement: Homemakers spend over 12 hrs daily in managing household

By NS Venkataraman* Recent remarks by the Chairman of Larsen & Toubro in India, suggesting that employees work 90 hours a week, have sparked significant debate. Trade unions, employee associations, and others have criticized the idea, labeling it impractical and inhumane. Similar suggestions in the past, such as one from a founder of Infosys, faced comparable criticism.

Is Narayan Guru, who transcended caste and religious divides, part of Sanatan Dharma?

By Ram Puniyani*  Recently (31st December 2024), while inaugurating a conference as part of the Sivagiri pilgrimage, Pinarayi Vijayan supported Swami Satchitanand's proposal to stop the practice of removing shirts and baring the torso while entering temples. It is believed that this practice originated to identify those wearing the sacred thread, an upper-caste privilege. While some doubt this, it's unlikely there was any other primary reason for this practice. Those without the sacred thread were likely prohibited from entering the temple. Vijayan also stated that efforts are being made to propagate that Guru was part of the Sanatan tradition. He was far removed from it, as Guru propagated, "One caste, one religion, one God." This emphasis on equality, irrespective of caste and religion, is antithetical to the core of Sanatan Dharma.

અમેરિકાની આગ: માણસની વિકાસલક્ષી ભૂલમાં અલ્લાહ, ગોડ, ઈશ્વર કે બીજા કોઈ ભગવાનની ભૂમિકા ક્યાં આવે છે?

- હેમંતકુમાર શાહ  પ્રથમ એક વાત એ કે ઈશ્વર, અલ્લાહ કે ગોડ અને એમના જેવા બીજા બધા ભગવાનો, માતાઓ અને દેવીઓ તો માણસને મારવા બેઠાં હોય છે. માણસ જ માણસને કુદરતના ખોફથી બચાવે છે. મોટા ભાગનાને આ વાત નહિ ગમે, પણ ઇતિહાસ એની સાક્ષી પૂરે છે. મનુષ્યની સંસ્કૃતિનો વિકાસ કુદરતી આફતો સામે જંગ લડવામાંથી જ થયો છે. 

Hunger strike by Dallewal has exposed strategic weaknesses in farmers' movement

By Vikas Meshram*  The roots of the agricultural crisis in India lie in a variety of factors that collectively make the situation more challenging for the country's farmers. Despite agriculture being the backbone of the Indian economy, it often receives inadequate attention. The issues in agriculture are not merely short-term but have long-term implications as well. Over the past three decades, neoliberal policies have accelerated this crisis.

Fifty days of Dallewal’s fast: Wither long-term solution to the crisis in agriculture sector?

By Prem Singh  It is a good development that the Samyuykt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has indicated a supportive attitude towards the farmers' resistance movement being carried out under the joint aegis of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha at Khanauri and Shambhu borders. The talks among the leadership are going on in a positive atmosphere. One can hope that by learning from past experiences and forgetting the differences, if any, all farmers' organizations in the country will unite towards solving the problems of agriculture and farmers. Just as there is agreement on the main demands of the farmers, it is also necessary to have agreement among the farmer leadership on the strategy to get those demands accepted by the central and state governments. The farmer leadership should also understand that the players of corporate politics should not be allowed to divert the energy of the farmers' movement in their favour. That is, the farmer leadership should...

डल्लेवाल के मरण-व्रत को तुड़वा कर संघर्ष जारी रहे इसका नया रास्ता समूह सत्याग्रह-उपवास का हो सकता है

- प्रेम सिंह*   यह अच्छी बात है कि संयुक्त किसान मोर्चा (एसकेएम) खनौरी बॉर्डर और शंभू बॉर्डर पर संयुक्त किसान मोर्चा (गैर-राजनीतिक) और किसान मजदूर मोर्चा के संयुक्त तत्वावधान में चल रहे किसानों के प्रतिरोध  आंदोलन के प्रति सहयोगी रुख का संकेत दिया है। नेतृत्व के बीच बातचीत सकारात्मक वातावरण में चल रही है। आशा की जानी चाहिए कि पिछले अनुभवों से सबक लेकर और मतभेदों (अगर कोई हैं) को भुला कर देश के सभी किसान संगठन खेती-किसानीं की समस्याओं को सुलझाने की दिशा में एकजुट होंगे। जिस तरह किसानों की प्रमुख मांगों पर सहमति है, उसी तरह केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों से उन मांगों को मनवाने की रणनीति पर भी किसान नेतृत्व में सहमति होना जरूरी है। किसान आंदोलन की ऊर्जा का कारपोरेट राजनीति के खिलाड़ी बार-बार अपने पक्ष में इस्तेमाल न कर सकें, इसकी समझदारी भी किसान नेतृत्व में बननी चाहिए। यानि किसान नेतृत्व को संकट के तात्कालिक समाधान के साथ दूरगामी समाधान के प्रति भी सतत प्रतिबद्ध रहना चाहिए।