By Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant, Sandeep Pandey* Narendra Modi once said he is a Gujarati and understands business. As time passes his business model is getting exposed and he is becoming more shameless like any ordinary businessman. It is quite clear to the people that he is not withdrawing the three controversial farm laws because all the three laws are meant to benefit the private corporations at the cost of farmers.

By Rajiv Shah  The other day I was talking with Alexander K Luke, a Gujarat cadre IAS bureaucrat of the 1975 batch, who resigned from the service in 2006 following two negative confidential reports (CR) despite having dramatically turned around one of the top state public sector undertakings (PSUs), Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals (GSFC), which was a sick unit till he took it over in 2003. Settled in Kerala since then, Luke was very upset with those who he believes have sought to criticise the current crisis due to Covid in India as a reflection of the Gujarat model. “I have put in a series of tweets which explain what I mean by Gujarat model”, Luke told me, wondering if I “followed” him. I thought I was, but wasn’t. So, the first think I did was to begin following his twitter account , and saw through umpteen number of tweets on the subject. During my stint in Gandhinagar as a "Times of India" man, which began in 1997, I don’t recall having met Luke before the day h...

By Moin Qazi*  Everyone can recognize an entrepreneur when he sees one, but no one really knows how they became one. Was it nature – they were just born to build things – or was it nurture – their environment moulded them into innovators and path builders.

By  Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Open letter to President, Supreme Court, and Election Commission of India: Greetings!  Keeping my hope on the three institutions despite all the speculations raised on their integrity, I write this letter with an earnest request to help the ordinary citizens of India understand the meanings of symbols-statesmanship at a position and in profession. Personally, following the political activities of India closely over three decades, it is realized that some things are changing faster than the citizens can easily comprehend, an important one being the Symbols of Statesmanship at a position and in profession.

Well-known human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi has forwarded a WhatsApp message, wondering, “they” can browbeat Twitter, Facebook, intimidate independent journalists, but can they really control the media world over? Reproducing the editorial of the French daily “Le Monde”, she says, “The Australian newspaper showed their thumb to the High Commission's “stupid” attempt at threatening them and asking for retraction and publication of rejoinder, which was turned down politely.” This is what "Le Monde" editorial "Covid-19: Narendra Modi's India shaken" says: *** Every day, 350,000 new infections and more than 2,000 deaths are recorded in the country. A situation due to the unpredictability of the virus but also to the lack of anticipation, arrogance and demagogy of the Indian Prime Minister. Presented as the "pharmacy of the world", the country exported and offered millions of doses of vaccine, ensuring that it produced enough for its populati...

Ranjula Bali Swain, Arup Mitra* Many components within the informal sector share close linkages with the formal sector. In such a situation if the formal sector is growing rapidly it is natural that the informal sector would benefit from the percolation effects. However, in reality the informal sector is characterized in terms of low productivity and meagre earnings, explaining considerable overlaps with poverty and slum-dwelling in cities. Agglomeration economies work and they contribute to productivity growth as a result of which the real wages in the cities tend to be higher compared to the rural areas. Yet, urban poverty exists which warrant an explanation. Some of the reasons of course can be envisaged in terms of a high degree of heterogeneity this sector possesses. There are residual activities with almost no entry barriers and they often involve excess supplies of labour relative to demand. Similarly, there are self-employed households both in manufacturing and services, operat...

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Indians struggle to find place and time to bury their dead due to the devastating effects of the second wave of Covid-19 in India. The crematoriums in the capital cities are overflowing with dead bodies. People are dying without oxygen and basic medical support. The cities like Delhi and Mumbai are struggling to cope with the rising number of infections and COVID-19 led deaths. The deaths and destitutions are products of a defunct BJP government led by Narendra Modi.

By Harshavardhan Purandare, Sandeep Pandey*  India’s premature declaration of victory on coronavirus has proven to be counterproductive, second wave has caught us unawares hitting us harder. Last one year of corona experience and learning has had no impact on our pandemic preparedness; neither our much celebrated ‘world’s largest vaccination programme’ has been effective.

By Moin Qazi* The catastrophe unfolding of the pandemic appears to be the worst-case scenario that many feared: the second wave coronavirus has rapidly slid into a devastating crisis as the disease continues to rampage. The infections have spread so fast that overwhelmed hospitals are unbearably full; medicine is running out; supplies of lifesaving oxygen running low and morgues have run out of space. The sick have been left stranded in interminable lines at hospital gates or at home, literally gasping for air. But hope still shines in this dark tragedy as civil society has risen to the occasion with its cadres defying threats to their own safety to supplement the state’s efforts. An integral aspect of our collective response is that the pandemic has engendered a united resolve, and for some organizations, countering hate is an exercise in demonstrating love and compassion. In the face of the pandemic, Indians transcending barriers of class, caste, region and religion have spontaneousl...

Counterview Desk  Making the 84th birth anniversary of Father Stan Swamy – the veteran Adivasi rights Jesuit priest languishing Taloja Jail, Maharashtra, for about four months for his alleged role in Bhima Koregaon violence – as the occasion, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM), a civil rights organisation, has demanded that “lakhs of undertrials with no justice in sight” should be released immediately.

Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao with Narendra Modi  By Our Representative  The Telangana Praja Assembly (TPA), a coalition of rights organizations and people’s collectives and concerned citizens, have expressed “alarm” at what it has called “arbitrary and sweeping” decision of the Telangana government to declare 16 civil rights organizations as ‘unlawful’ at a time when the entire country is reeling under an “extra-ordinary pandemic” situation.

Peony Hirwani reports in "The Independent" that India’s rich and famous are fleeing the country on private jets as airfares soar amid Covid crisis, adding, VIPs have reportedly spent more than £100,000 chartering nine-hour private jet flights to London, amid a rush for regular tickets out of crisis-hit country. Interestingly, however, the UK-based media refuses to identify who all are these "rich and famous" who have allgedly run away amidst the worst second wave. Wonder if anyone identified these rich and famous -- perhaps "Independent" should do it. Ironically, the Times of India did a similar story under the headline "India's super-rich beat deadline, land in UK in private jets".   Read the "Independent" story: *** India’s wealthiest are reportedly paying tens of thousands of pounds chartering private jets to flee the country amidst a devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. With countries around the world banning fl...

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  “The system has collapsed” – is a general cry these days as events unfolding everyday bring in more uncertainty and desperation. We were never so helpless as we are today. You can’t help anyone, you can’t go to meet your friends and relatives. Common people are alarmed. They wonder what would happen to them if the disease strikes them. People are dying of utter neglect.

By Our Representative  Several social and political activists, including veteran physician Dr GG Parikh, who participated in 1942 Quit India movement and went to jail; Magsaysay award winning social activist Prof Sandeep Pandey; and socialist thinker Brij Khandelwal, among others, have demanded that the Modi government and all state governments “must immediately nationalize all healthcare infrastructure” in view of the current Covid crisis.

Yogesh Sharma, Shailesh Rawal  By Our Representative  The Switzerland based media rights and safety body, Press Emblem Campaign ( PEC ) has said that it is “alarming for Indian journalists”, who have lost at least 107 colleagues to Covid-19”, noting, Indian “journo-colleagues” have been collapsing to the Covid-19 complications now as fast as three scribes per day. In a statement, PEC said, “India with 107 media corona-casualties has already placed itself on the third position just below Brazil (181 dead) and Peru (140) in the list of Covid-19 victims among journalist.”

By Bobby Ramakant, Sandeep Pandey*  As India runs a drive for vaccination against Covid the nature reminds us about our diminutiveness by an accompanying surge in Covid cases. In 2020, India had reported the highest number of 98,795 cases in 24 hours on September 17, 2020 but now the new unfortunate peak in April 2021 is past the 3 lakhs mark.

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* Dear Stan, It is rather unusual and certainly not normal to wish someone who is in prison “A Happy Birthday!” One's birthday cannot be ‘happy’ in prison; however, in wishing you we celebrate your life: your mission and your message and above all, those whom you have so closely identified with, all these years so “Birthday Greetings to you dear Fr. Stan!

By Our Representative  Veteran political scientist and peace and human rights activist Manoranjan Mohanty , who is with the Council for Social Development (CSD), and academic Prem Kumar Vijayan of the department of English, Hindu College, Delhi University, have sought endorsement in support for Dr Gilbert Sebastian of the Kerala Central University (KCU), being “targeted” by Sangh Parivar for seeking a discussion on whether the Sangh Parivar and the Modi government are “proto-fascist”.

  Veteran economist Amit Bhaduri, who gave up his status as professor emeritus of the Jawaharlal University (JNU) in protest against “throttling” of dissent in JNU in January 2020, has in an email alert released a letter, purportedly written by “former and present employees of Times Now” which talks “beleaguered and disillusioned employees” of the top English news channel, run by the Times of India group. Insisting that the letter must be published immediately everywhere "in solidarity to make a turning point in journalism possible”, the anonymously written letter is addressed to top bosses of Times Now – Rahul Shivshankar, Navika Kumar and Padmaja Joshi. Released by Bhaduri through the Dalit group Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre (PMARC), here is what it says: *** We, the former and current employees of Times Now, never imagined that we would come to a situation where we would have to write an open letter to remind the editors of the channel about the basic ethics and...

Veteran economist Amit Bhaduri, who gave up his status as professor emeritus of the Jawaharlal University (JNU) in protest against “throttling” of dissent in JNU in January 2020, has in an email alert released a letter, purportedly written by “former and present employees of Times Now” which talks “beleaguered and disillusioned employees” of the top English news channel, run by the Times of India group. Insisting that the letter must be published immediately everywhere "in solidarity to make a turning point in journalism possible”, the anonymously written letter is addressed to top bosses of Times Now – Rahul Shivshankar, Navika Kumar and Padmaja Joshi. Released by Bhaduri through the Dalit group Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre (PMARC), here is what it says: *** We, the former and current employees of Times Now, never imagined that we would come to a situation where we would have to write an open letter to remind the editors of the channel about the basic ethics and v...

Counterview Desk  Seeking release of well-known labour rights leader and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and others accused in the two-year-old Bhima Koregaon violence and calling for an independent, time-bound probe into the manner in which their computers were reportedly hacked to frame them, Kaladas Dehariya, Kavita Srivastva and Vimal Bhai, “representing” Bharadwaj’s family and friends, have said the development is “deeply disturbing” and “frightening” for India’s citizenry.

Vyom Amin with at a unity rally  By Mahesh Trivedi*  Hatemongers have been misusing social media to hurl abuses on communities they dislike. But here is a young, highly-qualified Hindu Good Samaritan who has been silently doing humanitarian work through social media to give a one tight slap on the face of fanatics.

By Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Mother India or Bharat Mata is referred metaphorically as a Goddess of the billion plus people of India who is as caring and loving besides strong and powerful, who can guide its children to right path. Today, the children of the Mother India are going through a Tsunami of Covid-19 worsened further with the poor Covid governance . 

By Urmi Ashok Badiyani*  The subject of inheritance is governed by the personal laws in India. The personal laws regulate marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance and succession for the citizens. These laws differ in line with the religion that a person belongs to.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* It’s devastating news. My dear friend Ambarish Rai passed away in the morning today. His death is a big blow to all of us who have been associated with him or have known him for more than two decades. His death is an example of callousness and complete chaos in our health care system which is killing people. Ambarish ji was active and only admitted yesterday where the hospital said that he is a Covid Suspect. His Oxygen level was low and his friends and family took him to a hospital in Malviya Nagar where the hospital suggested that he is Covid suspect and needed to be taken to Covid Special hospital. He was then brought to Ambedkar Hospital where the doctors wanted his Covid report which had not come in. He was suffering from breathing. According to friends, they requested the hospital staff to at least provide him Oxygen till the report came in. I think they provided him with Oxygen but it was too late. He passed away in the morning. Basically, it is an exampl...

By Shamsul Islam*  The whole thrust of the RSS-BJP election campaign for 2021 state assembly elections in West Bengal has been to save Bengal from the rule of Mamata Bannerjee who is allegedly not a ‘Hindu’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist, as usual set the polarizing agenda. While addressing the first election rally, he called upon the electorate to overthrow the ‘nirmam’ (cruel) rule of Mamata by showing a ‘Ram Card’. He did not name Hindus directly but there was no confusion about the religious identity of the electorate Indian PM was addressing to.

By Our Representative  The civil rights organisation, Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan (DRRAA), in a petition filed in the Delhi High Court, has sought immediate provision of rations and cooked food to needy persons who do not possess ration cards in the light of the fresh curfew imposed in Delhi to curtail the spread of Covid-19. The lockdown-like curfew was first imposed over the weekend for two days and since the evening of Monday, April 20 has been extended till April 26, it said.

Counterview Desk  A 96-page report, prepared by the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), Mumbai, “The Covid Pandemic: A Report on the Scapegoating of Minorities in India”, has sought to document how the process of strengthening communal polarization was undertaken amidst the pandemic in six states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.

Counterview Desk  Over 1,000 activists, academics, concerned citizens from more than 20 states in India and across the globe, in a letter to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, have called for “immediate release” of adivasi rights leader and environmentalist Hidme Markam, even as insisting, state “excess” on adivasis in Bastar should end forthwith.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Every year various magazines, online portals and newspapers bring out a list of ‘powerful’ people for our consumption. These are brought out on particular occasions after being “judged’ by a few “selected” or “knowledgeable” people who go through the work and achievements of such people during the year in order to come to a conclusion.

By Shankar Sharma*  One wonders as to how long will the diplomatic nicety, as seen in two news paper links (click here and here ), will be continued to be bestowed on India by the global community; especially in the context that India has clearly indicated that it may build many more coal power plants in the near future, and also in the context that it has not committed itself to reduce the GHG emissions at all even by 2040 (as stated in the draft national energy policy, 2017).

By Mohan Guruswamy* Kumbh Melas are held every 12 years. The actual due date for the ‘current’ Kumbh Mela at Haridwar was 2022, not 2021. Because the last Haridwar Kumbh Mela had been held in 2010. So how did it get advanced by one whole lethal year? Let me tell you the reason. It was ‘advanced’ by a year, to 2021, because the ‘astrological configurations’ of the ‘Sun entering Aries’ and ‘Jupiter entering Aquarius’ were available for 2021 this time. This happens once every 83 years, and it happens because of the need to reconcile astrological configuration charts to calendrical years. The calculative arcana of this ‘adjustment’ is beyond my capacity. I suggest none of you try it if you don’t want to give yourselves a headache. So, not only did the Government of India, and the Government of Uttarakhand NOT cancel the Kumbh Mela, which they could easily have done, so as not to endanger the lives of millions of people by causing a super-spreader event for Covid 19; they also need not have...

By Mohan Guruswamy Kumbh Melas are held every 12 years. The actual due date for the ‘current’ Kumbh Mela at Haridwar was 2022, not 2021. Because the last Haridwar Kumbh Mela had been held in 2010. So how did it get advanced by one whole lethal year? Let me tell you the reason. It was ‘advanced’ by a year, to 2021, because the ‘astrological configurations’ of the ‘Sun entering Aries’ and ‘Jupiter entering Aquarius’ were available for 2021 this time. This happens once every 83 years, and it happens because of the need to reconcile astrological configuration charts to calendrical years. The calculative arcana of this ‘adjustment’ is beyond my capacity. I suggest none of you try it if you don’t want to give yourselves a headache. So, not only did the Government of India, and the Government of Uttarakhand NOT cancel the Kumbh Mela, which they could easily have done, so as not to endanger the lives of millions of people by causing a super-spreader event for Covid 19; they also need not have ...

By Rit Nanda*  The second wave of Covid-19 that is battering India at the moment has focussed on two main threads: the responsibility of the government and authorities, and the responsibility of the common person. With respect to the people, undoubtedly, they have become lax in enforcing social distancing and wearing masks. The government did not help with pronouncements proclaiming a premature victory .

By Mukta Joshi* From March to May 2021, four states and one union territory – Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puduchery – are conducting elections for their respective legislative assemblies. The Bharatiya Janata Party is currently in power in Assam, while Kerala is governed by the Left Front coalition led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Tamil Nadu by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and West Bengal by the Trinamool Congress.

By Harsh Thakor* Without doubt Sholay was the most impactful film ever made in the history of Bollywood.No film ever influenced or penetrated the Indian psyche as much as ‘Sholay’ .Few scenes of films ever flash memories, with such degree of intensity like ‘Sholay.’It literally created the impact of an inferno in your heart. I do not have an adjective of the effect it had on me each time I saw it in the theatre as a child and later on video, literally searching my soul.The characters of the film became icons or role models of the Indian people and dialogue a part of the everyday Indian vocabulary. Sholay virtually defined a new era after it was released in August of 1975, running in Minerva theatre for over five years. The movie had the effect of a spell cast on me in childhood and its characters greatly shaped my way of thinking. Sholay simply took entertainment to an unmatched crescendo with immaculate construction of plot with brilliant blending of violence with romance and comedy w...

By Martin Macwan* We, his friends and colleagues, lovingly called him Indubhai. He is no more . The vacuum created by his departure into a shrinking space for social activism will be difficult to fill. In his 77 year age, he spent 41 long years, serving the most marginalized through multiple activities, especially through his writings.