In a surprise move, chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, GA Zyuganov, has in a statement, has said that the people of Ukraine "should not be a victim of world capital and oligarchic clans", supporting President Putin, without naming him, for "forcing Nazi provocateurs" of Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) of Ukraine "to peace." *** After the appeal of the leadership of the DPR and LPR, the Russian authorities launched a military-political operation aimed at forcing Nazi provocateurs to peace. The steps taken are intended to guarantee peace in the Donbas and secure Russia from increasingly acute threats from the United States and NATO. The militarization of Eastern Europe after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact is evident. The aggressive intentions of Washington were clearly realized in the process of the destruction of Yugoslavia. The goals of the US authorities ...

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* When the world is recovering from COVID but still looming with Climate Change and Capitalism impacts, violence and destruction are the last things people on this planet should resort to. The existence of war demands for thinking differently. The existence of climate change demands for thinking differently. The existence of capitalism demands for thinking differently. There are more efforts required to restore peace and ecology of the planet and its people than to do reckless damage like the current Russia-Ukraine tension through invasion. While a war is a product of bad politics and good capitalism, around the world there is a rise in authoritarian rule politically and economically and ironically those are all led by men. The maps on transboundary conflicts triggered since antiquity show that men have been at the center of all the violence and destruction. Relating that with the historical events of wars across the world, it is no exaggeration to say that me...

Modi coming out of the Godhra train: Feb 27, 2002 By Rajiv Shah  Twenty years on, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-hand Amit Shah, appear to “firmly” in the saddle, ruling the country, mystery still surrounds as to what might have happened on February 27-28, 2002, the day Godhra train burned leading to death of 58 kar sevaks, followed with one of worst anti-minority riots in Gujarat, spread over around three months, in which at least a thousand people are confirmed dead and as many are said to be “missing.” While Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, and the circles around him called the Godhra train burning an act of Pak-sponsored terrorism on February 27 itself, there is still no official confirmation as to what might have caused it, though several theories still prevail what may have happened -- ranging from an act of arson committed by a Muslim mob of 1,000 to 2,000 people (Commission of Inquiry), violent reaction by the local Muslim Ghanchi community provoked by ...

By Bharat Dogra*  While travelling in Uttar Pradesh I have often been struck by the extent to which people still become inspired and excited by the sheer mention of the name of a freedom fighter, legends of whose courage are spread far and wide here. Why only Uttar Pradesh Chandrashekhar Azad has become a symbol of courage and resistance in the face of greatest odds all over the country? Try to remember the month of February 1931. Bhagat Singh and his closest comrades were all in jail. Death sentence for Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev had already been announced. The main organization of the revolutionary freedom fighters had suffered one setback after another. The police force had traced most of the centers of revolutionaries and these had been raided. When there appeared to be loss of hope all around, the top leader of the revolutionary organization Azad had still managed to evade arrest and was still planning for a great comeback. One of th...

Counterview Desk  In a representation, Jagdish Patel, director, Peoples Training and Research Centre ( PTRC ), a Gujarat-based health rights group, has made a plea to the director-general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the need for systematic surveillance study on the prevalence of tuberculosis and silicosis among agate polishers in Khambhat, Gujarat. Doubting the Government of Gujarat claims that since wet method is adopted for agate polishing by Khambhat units, the problems related with the prevalence of TB and silicosis have been resolved, he says, lately,no scientific study has been carried out to know the status of the problem and results of the efforts to reduce silica dust at work and its impact. Stating that it is now 18 long years that a systematic study was done on the issue, he insists, the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) be directed to take up a study again that can guide one to plan out strategies not only to end TB and silicosis but als...

By Bharat Dogra*  The most obvious aspect of the Ukraine war just now is that it should end immediately, or as early as possible. If this lingers on, possibilities of new ways of spreading conflict can emerge. This has to be checked. This war and its violence should not spread. If all sides see reason, clearly it is possible for the conflict to cease very quickly. But there is this big ‘If’, which applies to all sides. Putin and his colleagues should realize, even if belatedly, that invasion was not the best course of action for them even in limited terms of protecting their narrow security concerns. Russia’s concerns for protecting its essential security interests had more world-level sympathy and support, stated and unstated, than these have now after the invasion. With more violence and deaths, which is bound to be reported in highly exaggerated ways in most influential sections of world media, world sympathy and support for Russia’s invasion will decrease further. Hence taking ...

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Russia has invaded Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin recognised two eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk as ‘independent’ nations and then on their ‘request’ it sent a ‘Peace Keeping Force’ to maintain order. So we have two new ‘nations’ in the world map: the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) as independent. Both these two states have a majority of Russian speaking people and have been in conflict with the Western region which dominates the East. Vladimir Putin’s speech was decisive when he blamed human rights violations in the Eastern Ukraine. Most of the Russian origin people in these Eastern provinces were getting Russian passports since 2014 and more than 800,000 passports were issued by Russia to its ‘citizens’ in these two eastern provinces. Ukraine was part of Soviet Union and got its independence in 1991 after many ‘republics’ broke away from it. The Western world celebrated the collapse of the S...

By Adv Ashutosh Kumar Mishra* Recently, Nuh district in the Mewat region of Haryana has been in the news for a peculiar reason. It has been reported that villagers from Nuh district are celebrating the inauguration of a new jail. The celebrations broke out after the demand of the residents was "fulfilled." The demand was about having a new jail facility constructed near the area. Police officials claim that this new facility will reduce the pressure on Gurugram’s Bhondsi jail and the Faridabad jail. Incidentally, around 40 per cent of the inmates in two jails hail from the Nuh district. People are saying that earlier, they had to spend money to travel to meet their families since the prison was far away. Now that the jail will be nearer, they will be able to easily meet their children. The jail was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Nuh town on February 15, 2022. The jail complex is said to have the capacity of 1,000 prisoners. Nearly 30,000 residents of Har...

By IMPRI Team Research has shown that, globally, women had to disproportionately bear the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. In India, Female Labour Force Participation fell to a historic low of 21% in 2019, and gender disparity widened across employment, health, political participation, and education. Given the precarious condition of Indian women, it is imperative to analyze the Union Budget 2022-23 from a gendered lens and see how the central government intends to bridge this inequality. Under this backdrop, the IMPRI Gender Impact Study Center, Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, hosted a panel discussion on Gender and Budget 2022-23. The talk was chaired by Prof. Vibhuti Patel, Visiting Professor, IMPRI, and Mr. Ravi Duggal, Independent Social, Public Health Researcher, and Activist. The Panelists for the event were Prof. N. Manimekalai, Ms. Seema Kulkarni, Dr. Sanghamitra Dhar, Ms. Jasodhara Dasgupta, and Ms. Renu Khanna. Prof. Patel and Mr. Duggal commenced the discuss...

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* On February 18, 2022, a Special Court, designated for speedy trial of the accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, handed the death to 38 of 49 convicts. The remaining eleven were awarded life terms in jail. A few days earlier, these 49 were convicted by the Special Judge who also acquitted 38 other accused in the case. The convicted were apparently responsible for exploding as many as 22 bombs in an hour in Ahmedabad, on July 26, 2008, killing 56 people and leaving over 200 injured, in different parts of the city. There was plenty of ‘celebration’ in Ahmedabad city, after the stringent punishment was announced. The twitter handle of the Ahmedabad BJP tweeted a highly irresponsible and insensitive caricature of some Muslim-looking men being hanged with the national motto ‘Satyameva Jayate' emblazoned alongside. Twitter finally pulled out this tweet after they received an avalanche of protests from everywhere! The defence lawyers said the death penalty f...