Counterview

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations was among the most disappointing of its kind, making him appear delusional, self-obsessed, and dictatorial. It is ironic that leaders often labeled as “dictators” sometimes act with greater responsibility than such self-absorbed figures. Trump’s words suggested that he may turn reckless if global affairs do not move according to his will. Meanwhile, the military–industrial complex, which has long shaped U.S. foreign policy, remains powerful, and claims of its dismantling have proved illusory.

By A Representative   A new report by the advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has alleged that Indian corporations, both private and state-owned, are entwined with Israel’s economy of occupation and military campaigns in Gaza. Titled Profit and Genocide: Indian Investments in Israel, the report highlights the role of Indian capital in sectors ranging from defense and technology to agriculture and infrastructure, directly linking it to activities described as sustaining Israel’s military operations and settler-colonial practices.

By Bharat Dogra  India has a wide range of rural development schemes, but several obstacles prevent weaker and less influential sections of society from fully benefiting from them. If an organization can effectively link people’s needs with what these schemes offer, significant development goals can be realized.

By Bharat Dogra*  In the discourse on rural health, primary health care that reaches all people has long been emphasized, along with prioritizing the needs of the poorest and advancing the right-to-health approach in participative ways. These objectives are not always realized in spirit, but their importance is widely acknowledged.

By Harsh Thakor*  Robert Redford, who has died at the age of 89, was perhaps the prototype of a classical Hollywood movie actor. His conventional good looks – blond hair, boyish charm and chiselled chin – turned him into a sex symbol and a romantic lead opposite Jane Fonda in Barefoot in the Park (1967), Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973), and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (1985). He was a larger-than-life character, iconic in his own time, whether in front of the camera or behind it. Redford symbolised the golden boy of American cinema for more than 50 years.

By A Representative   Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh recently for two days. During his speech, a student from Keladha Adi District displayed a banner that read, “Stop the hunger strike, give Ladakh their rights,” in support of Ladakh climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk. The student was later detained by the police. The incident drew attention to the ongoing hunger strike in Ladakh.

By Sanjay Kumar Sinha*  India’s highway network is expanding rapidly under programs such as Bharatmala Pariyojana and the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP). In line with India’s commitment at COP26 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, the push for sustainable development has become more urgent than ever. Highways can no longer be conceived only as routes for speed and connectivity; they must also be resilient, environmentally conscious corridors that balance economic progress with ecological responsibility.

By Bharat Dogra  The technology of clonal propagation, also known as vegetative propagation, was strongly recommended by eminent rice scientist Dr. R.H. Richharia for increasing rice yield. It is a good time to revive this discussion, as this technology can be particularly useful when floods damage crops, as has happened extensively in India and South Asia.

By Taroa Zúñiga, Vijay Prashad  The Gaza Sumud Flotilla sails from Tunis toward the waters around Palestine. The word Sumud in Arabic means Resilience. It is the feeling at the heart of the hundreds of people from forty-four countries on the fifty boats that are in the Mediterranean Sea. One of these boats is carrying a group of women from around the world. On that boat is María ‘Marita’ Rodríguez, a Swedish and Chilean woman who lives in Stockholm. She spoke to us from her boat about her journey and why she was there in the first place.