By Arjun Kumar, Prerna Mukharya, Rohit Mehta, Ritika Gupta, Anshula Mehta* The coronavirus pandemic has prevailed globally for close to a year, with India living in the throes of the crisis since March. To trace, isolate and treat cases of infection, the Aarogya Setu app was developed, and launched on April 2, 2020, by the National Informatics Centre at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.

By Nava Thakuria* Indian media fraternity sets to bid farewell to the Covid-19 pandemic year 2020 with the horrible statistics of journo-killings with some dangerous countries for working journalists in the world. The largest democracy in the globe witnessed killings of 15 scribes till the last week of December and the populous country also lost over 50 working journalists to novel coronavirus infection aggravated ailments.

Counterview Desk A Delhi-based Right to Information (RTI) NGO, Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), has taken strong exception to the appointment of Uday Mahurkar as an information commissioner in the Central Information Commission (CIC), stating, while the search committee had shortlisted seven persons for six posts in CIC out of 355 applications it had received in response to an advertisement, Mahurkar had not even applied for the post.

By Rajiv Shah  The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 15 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

By Neeraj Kumar, Arup Mitra* The findings of the latest round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted in 2019-20 covering 22 States/UTs under Phase-I  present a somewhat disappointing picture of children’s health in India. Majority of the experts, based on prima facie evidence, just highlighted the deteriorating sign of child health in terms of increase in proportion of stunted and underweight children in most of the phase-I states/UTs over last two rounds of NFHS (2015-16 to 2019-20).

By Our Representative As many as 29 activists, lawyers, students, artists, academicians and civilians appeared before the Esplanade court in Mumbai after being summoned in connection with an FIR filed by Colaba Police station under sections 143, 149 IPC and 37(3), 135 of the Mumbai Police Act for the protest at the Gateway of India in January earlier this year.

By NS Venkataraman* Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate the much-discussed natural gas pipeline between Kerala and Karnataka on January 5,2021. The story of this gas pipeline is a case study that can enable one to learn and unlearn about the government machinery deals with cause and effect of environmental activism.

Counterview Desk In an open letter, as many as 104 former civil servants have asked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to withdraw the ordinance on interfaith marriage, insisting, “The anti-conversion ordinance of your state is being used as a stick to victimise, especially those Indian men who are Muslim and women who dare to exercise their freedom of choice.”

By By Surabhi Agarwal, Sandeep Pandey, Kushagra Kumar* Writer, poet, artist, perennial protestor and Dalit leader Sudhir Dhawale, arrested and jailed in mid-2018, remains incarcerated under charges of the controversial Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and assorted Indian Penal Codes. He has been accused of instigating violence at Bhima Koregaon event on January 1, 2018.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Reminiscing the outrageous murder of Right to Information (RTI) activist Ranjan Kumar Das a year ago without doubt signaled new wave of authoritarian onslaught on democratic movements in Odisha. It suggested how the Odisha government failed to protect the lives of RTI activists. Ranjan was murdered near his village Beruan in the Kendrapara district of Odisha on 31st January 2020. Indeed, like his friends, family, fellow RTI activists and acquittances, I am yet to recover from this shocking news. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Reminiscing the outrageous murder of Right to Information (RTI) activist Ranjan Kumar Das a year ago without doubt signaled new wave of authoritarian onslaught on democratic movements in Odisha. It suggested how the Odisha government failed to protect the lives of RTI activists. Ranjan was murdered near his village Beruan in the Kendrapara district of Odisha on 31st January 2020. Indeed, like his friends, family, fellow RTI activists and acquittances, I am yet to recover from this shocking news. In his murder, Kendrapara and Odisha lost a committed activist, and his parents lost their only son. Ranjan’s wife lost her young husband and his four years old son lost his father. It is going to be a year since his murder, but no one is arrested. His killers are still roaming free. Ranjan was killed for his unflagging passion for building a just society based on transparency, accountability and rule of law. Over the last two decades, I knew Ranjan as my friend, ...

By Rajiv Shah Did the Government of India come up with the three farm laws, first rushed by promulgating ordinances in June 2020, to not just open the country’s agricultural sector to the corporate sector but also as a precursor to comply with the requirements of the United States for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), as envisaged by the outgoing US president Donald Trump?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* When the focus of the country's intellectuals, activists and journalists should be on the immediate challenge before us, particularly on issues of agrarian sector and farming communities protesting against the three farm bills, 'liberals' and 'seculars' seems to be more obsessed with the Gandhi family. The fulmination of Ramchandra Guha against the Gandhi family will neither help secularism nor democracy. At best, it will help BJP and Hindutva, whom Guha claims to despise so much.

By Kishan Kashyap, Shubham Agarwal, Vaishak P*  The Government of India appears to be exceptionally good at two things – public relations and image management. On March 22, 2020, people gathered in their balconies and outside their houses across the country for the “thaali bajao”, a utensil banging even whose call was given by the Prime Minister in support of frontline workers. In his address, Narendra Modi called it a show of appreciation for “boosting” the morale of corona warriors.

By Mohan Guruswamy* The monthlong agitation by well provisioned and organised and mostly Jat farmers from Punjab and Haryana has gripped the attention of the nation. It is in many ways reminiscent of the agitation at Maruti’s Gurgaon plant where the permanent workers get among the highest wages paid to industrial workers in the country.

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

By Kashif Khan* Farmers and workers in India last month initiated a general strike that saw the participation of over 250 million people. Many have touted this as the biggest organized strike ever witnessed in human history. On November 26, millions of farmers and workers along with students, social organizations and opposition participated in "Bharat Bandh" against the Narendra Modi's contentious pro-corporate farm bills.

By Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant, Sandeep Pandey* Should a government come up with laws to protect a corporation against liability lawsuits, or should it come up with laws to regulate corporations and empower citizens so that corporations can be held to account for any kind of abuses or exploitation?

Known for his incisive thinking, a senior IAS officer, who retired recently, has shared on social media top writer-journalist Khushwant Singh's article "Why I am an Indian", published as an editorial in the "Illustrated Weekly of India", a former Times of India publication. The bureaucrat insists, "It makes sense, and I believe is a must-read for all civil servants, perhaps all Indians in the present political situation." The article was published on February 15, 1970. Read on... *** I did not have any choice; I was born one. If the good Lord had consulted me on the subject I might have chosen a country more affluent, less crowded, less censorious in matters of food and drink, unconcerned with personal equations and free of religious bigotry. Am I proud of being an India? I can't really answer this one. I can scarcely take credit for the achievements of my forefathers. And I have little reason to be proud of what we are doing today. On balance, I w...

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

By Arjun Kumar* The labour market has severely felt the brunt of the pandemic. While every nation has shared in the impact, responses to overcome the struggle have been varied. Elucidating on the state of employment in Brazil, Dr Ian Prates, researcher, Brazilian Centre of Analysis and Planning remarked, “The effect of pandemic on the labour market became a major reason for the impact on the lives of the people. 80% of the drop in per capita household income is the result of the drop in labour income.”

By Priyanka Preet, Sandeep Pandey, Kushagra Kumar* Gautam Navlakha is a famed author, civil rights activists, human rights activist, journalist, an Editorial Consultant at the “Economic and Political Weekly”, probably the most internationally well known social sciences journal published out of India, the convenor of the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir and the Secretary of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights.

By Nilkantha Mandal, Sandeep Pandey, Kushagra Kumar* Surendra Gadling, now in jail in the Bhima-Koregoan violence case, is a human rights lawyer and Dalit rights activist based in Nagpur. He is known for taking up cases of extra-judicial killings, police excesses and atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis in Gadchiroli and Gondia districts of Maharashtra. 

By Abhishek Daimari* Unlike the 1980s, the youth of Kashmir today reflect the Arab Spring movement where social media communication and reach take the forefront. This new generation uses these platforms to increase the movement's reach and organize their mobilizations. Stone-pelting has become much more prevalent than when the valley was sprawling with youths carrying guns.

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

By Dr Arjun Kumar, Ritika Gupta, Anshula Mehta* Covid-19 has impacted all our lives and livelihoods as restrictions have been imposed on mobility and movement to check the spread of the virus. International trade is one of the activities which has been deeply affected, especially for those countries that are deeply dependent on imported goods and services.

Former IPS officer Darapuri  By Siddharth Modi* The caste system in India is the oldest surviving social hierarchy. India is as much a caste-based country as it is an agriculture-based country. The whole societal structure is based on castes and class – dating back to the four varnas system, i.e. the Brahmins (priests), the Kshatriyas (soldiers), the Vaisyas (traders) and the Shudras (labourers). A fifth category that falls outside the varna system is that of the untouchables or the Dalits.

By Harsh Thakor The real Jesus Christ and what is professed today by the Church or Christianity at large today is like chalk and cheese. Today we celebrate Christmas, but we forget to give the day true respect. The Christian community immortalizes Jesus Christ for performing miracles like turning wine into water or resurrecting from the grave.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The surge of wealth of Indian billionaires and the Modi-led BJP government’s onslaught on poor, marginalised and farmers continue to grow simultaneously as masses face annihilating pandemic of coronavirus. There is 90 % rise of Indian billionaire’s wealth over last one decade. It is not accidental.

By Sounak Bhadra* Tenzin Tsundue, a 42-year-old Tibetan artist, essayist and Rangzen (freedom) activist, first grabbed the eye of the worldwide media in 2002 for enrolling a surprising type of dissent against the Chinese control of Tibet. During Chinese leader Zhu Rongji's visit to Mumbai, Tsundue climbed the platform outside the lodging at which Rongji was staying and spread out a 20-foot pennant that read "Free Tibet: China, Get Out.”

By Shiv Dutt Barhat* Every country, has its share of minorities, whether linguistic, cultural or ethnic. For nearly all the countries, maintaining and securing their interests is a problem. And, for the biggest democracy in the world with largest spectrum of diversity it becomes a far more complex.

Vidya Bhushan Rawat talked* with   octogenarian tribal rights leader Stan Swamy , currently in jail for his alleged role in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence: *** None would ever have imagined that an octogenarian Stan Swamy would face such a harsh treatment for his committed work for the adivasis of Jharkhand. When the governments of the world over honour activists who work in tiring circumstances and devote their time to areas far away from their places then we must realise that it is not for money or fame but for pure commitment and convictions. Father Stan Swamy was born in Trichy and as a Tamilian Christian. He had enormous opportunities for him but he dedicated over 30 years of his life to the service of adivasis in Jharkhand. He worked with Indian Social Institute in Bengaluru but he always felt the fragrance of the natural lives of Jharkhand. He decided to fully dedicate his life for the rights of adivasis in Jharkhand. People like me were just reading his articles on displ...

Counterview Desk In a call to workers organisations for solidarity action in support of the protesting farmers, more than 40 trade unions and labour associations have claimed that the Government of India’s sole aim is to “push big corporate control over all aspects of farming, especially to allow farm produce to be bought by big corporates at low prices”.

By Vikas Kumar* In an interview to three of us**, prominent Pakistani physicist and noted peace activist Dr Abdul Hameed Nayyar talks of the dynamics of nuclear disarmament between India and Pakistan. Dr Nayyar taught nuclear physics at Quaid-E-Azam University, Islamabad, for 30 years and was a visiting scholar at at the Princeton University. He is well known for voicing for education reforms and military arms control.

By Akash R Gedam* The discussion on what should happen with Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has always been an interesting one, with no feasible, sustainable solution that can ensure peace in the valley on the table. While as an Indian, one might think of the J&K for its strategic location benefits for the military purpose, and the utter pride to say that such beautiful heaven is present in my country.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  In 1991, when I was 12 years old and in 8th class in my village high school, the Government of India led by the Congress Party launched new economic reform programmes. I vividly remember reading local newspapers, which carried news on the reduction of agricultural subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, electricity and irrigation. It also started dismantling the universal approach to food security and public distribution system in India. My father who was an active farmer then and used to be the district leader of BJP (secretary of Kishan Morcha) but supported liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation policies of the Congress government in New Delhi. He argued that these policies will bring economic boom and there will be trickle-down effect on all sectors of Indian economy. The agriculture sector and farmers will benefit from such policies. This was also the silent understanding of BJP and RSS but made piecemeal opposition to the reforms led by the Congre...

By Shamsul Islam* The Indian farm reforms laws of 2020 were rushed through Parliament on September 27, 2020. The BJP-led NDA government was in a hurry to impose these laws – these were promulgated by the President of India as ordinances on June 5, 2020 as part Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India campaign), a favourite aphorism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposing a series of measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*   In 1991, when I was 12 years old and in 8th class in my village high school, the Government of India led by the Congress Party launched new economic reform programmes. I vividly remember reading local newspapers, which carried news on the reduction of agricultural subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, electricity and irrigation. It also started dismantling the universal approach to food security and public distribution system in India. 

By Moin Qazi* There is a tempest in India’s farmlands even as their tillers wage an extraordinary crusade for alleviating age-old distresses. Away from the bustle of the raging storm in the Delhi-National Capital Region is a small semi-literate group of women farmers in a remote hinterland who are assiduously managing a farmer producer company (FPC) to help alleviate the woes of other women growers in Satara. The Mann Deshi Farmer Producer Company (MDFPC) plans to organise 12,000 small and marginal growers (70 per cent of whom are women) to secure better prices for their agricultural produce. The MDFPC was founded by Chetna Gala Sinha, the well-known social entrepreneur who is shepherding a rural revolution in western Maharashtra. The epicenter of this movement is Mhaswad, a large village that nestles in Satara district, on the placid banks of the Manganga River, some 300 km south-east of Mumbai. A 45-year-old woman farmer Vanita Pise is the co-founder of the MDFPC. However, she does n...

Counterview Desk The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a group of retired officers All India and Central Services who have worked with the Central and State Governments, in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought comprehensive review the Central Vista project, insisting, the Government of India must engage in dialogue with citizens before implementing the high profile project.

Counterview Desk Supporters of farmers’ protest have begun publishing “Trolley Times”, a newsletter in Punjabi, Hindi and English . Not the official mouthpiece of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, or the Farmers’ Coordination Committee, the non-political body which is leading the struggle around Delhi, The “Trolley Times” is being brought out by writers, artists, activists in support of the Morcha.

By Utkarsh Bajpai*  The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

By Vanita Pise* I am co-founder of the Mann Deshi Farmer Producer Company (MDFPC) which aims to organize 12,000 small and marginal farmers (70% will be women) to secure better prices for their farm produce. It was founded by Chetna Gala Sinha, the well-known social entrepreneur is stewarding a rural revolution in western Maharashtra. The epicenter of this movement is Mhaswad, a large village that nestles in Satara district, on the placid banks of Manganga River, some 300 km south-east of Mumbai.

By Dr Simi Mehta, Ritika Gupta* The inevitability of the birth of alternative development framework is inherent within the metabolism of the capital system. It is important to examine how the alternative development paradigm unfolds as a new epistemology out of resistance movements and other radical transformative initiatives like globalization and socio-economic system and institutions; which create and co-create unequal distribution of power and perpetuate discrimination and domination by humans over others as well as over nature. Prof Sunil Ray articulated his views on alternative development paradigm in a webinar jointly organized by Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi and Centre for Development Communication and Studies (CDECS), Jaipur on November 12, 2020. The Keynesian package that was first provided to withstand the onslaught of the Great Depression of the 1930s cannot be applied for every economic crises. Since it has been repeatedly been resorted to, the...

By Shreshth Virmani* Sudhirbhai (name changed) is a tea vendor in Ahmedabad and since the time first curfew was imposed he has been struggling to survive. Now when the country has opened up, his earnings are nowhere near the pre-lockdown levels. Earlier he used to make about Rs 500 on daily basis but now it is less than Rs 200. People like Sudhirbhai are still struggling to meet their ends.