By Ram Puniyani*  In Delhi’s Tri Nagar , some Hindu families appear to have embraced a new form of devotion—and a way to deter Muslim neighbours—by keeping pigs as pets. The animals are kept in cages at homes, while the walls display posters of a powerful, pig-faced deity in jewellery, much like other gods.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  It is encouraging to see that the Delimitation Bill was effectively stalled in Parliament. Credit is due to opposition party members who grasped the seriousness of the issue and returned to Delhi even during the peak of their election campaigns in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Their arguments exposed significant weaknesses in the government’s position. The parliamentary debate also highlighted that parties such as the TMC, DMK, and Congress possess articulate voices capable of presenting well-researched and data-driven perspectives.

By Arsalan Ahad Reshi*   The National Conference (NC) has made a habit of accusing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of responsibility for the abrogation of Article 370. Whenever PDP leaders raise questions in or outside the Assembly, NC’s stock reply is: “You are responsible for abrogation of Article 370.” Their second line of attack is: “You allied with BJP and brought them into Jammu and Kashmir.” But is it true that PDP introduced BJP into the state? That claim is little more than a political fabrication.

By A Representative   Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks. 

By Ravi Ranjan*  Any sensitive reader of contemporary Hindi poetry will find it impossible to overlook the eight poems by Deepti Kushwah recently published in Samalochan. This suite—comprising works such as ‘Ekākelī ābha’ (A Solitary Radiance), ‘Praśna mem camaktā huā’ (Glowing in the Question), and ‘Ek ankahī tapis’ (An Unspoken Heat)—constructs a multidimensional collage where colour transcends mere visual experience. 

By Harsh Thakor*  She was only nineteen years old when the Nazis carved a five-pointed star into her back and rubbed salt into the wound. She did not break. She did not betray her comrades. And when they marched her toward the mine shaft where she would die, she found a way to signal to the other prisoners that they should sing revolutionary songs.

By Shamsul Islam*  Prime Minister Narendra Modi , presenting himself as the savior of Indian women while speaking in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill 2026 , declared that reserving seats for women in legislative bodies is the need of the hour to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative. He lamented that it was “deeply unfortunate” that the bill had been delayed for decades. He added that despite repeated efforts by previous governments to give women their rightful place in democratic institutions, the bill was never passed. He underlined the fact that for women—who constitute nearly half of India’s population—“committees were made, and bill drafts were introduced, but they never saw the light of day.”

By Jag Jivan   Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi , a noted public policy expert and public interest campaigner, in a detailed critical analysis of two Bills introduced in Parliament in April 2026—the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 , has warned that the twin bills "raise significant constitutional, political and methodological concerns — most critically, a structural inconsistency in the census basis used for Parliament versus State Assemblies, and an over-reliance on population as the sole parameter for delimitation." 

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan*  India, already strained by religious polarization, now faces a new and potentially more destabilizing divide—the North–South fault line. At the centre of this debate are three proposed legislations by the Modi government: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Introduced amid state elections and global tensions such as the Iran–US crisis, these proposals could reshape the democratic framework and test the resilience of federalism.