Counterview

By A Representative   The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “DMK alliance,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

By Nava Thakuria*  Assam’s single‑phase polling on 9 April 2026 concluded peacefully, recording an unprecedented turnout of 85.96 percent. The election will decide 126 seats in the State legislative assembly, with the fate of 722 candidates now sealed in electronic voting machines. Results are scheduled for 4 May, alongside those of Kerala, Puducherry, and several bye‑elections, as well as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal’s contests later in April.

By Ram Puniyani*  The Women’s Reservation Bill, mandating 33% of Lok Sabha seats for women, was passed in 2023 but remains unimplemented. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public lament when the recent amendment fell, the fact is that the bill could have been operationalized in the 2024 elections with the necessary steps. Instead, the government linked its implementation to delimitation and expansion of Lok Sabha seats—an exercise requiring a two-thirds majority. Opposition parties, while supporting women’s reservation, opposed the amendment because of this linkage.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*   The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.  

By A Representative   Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

By A Representative   A group of trade union activists and workers have been arrested following protests over wages, job security and working conditions in parts of Uttar Pradesh, with police booking several individuals on serious charges including rioting, arson, conspiracy and attempt to murder. Authorities have not yet issued a detailed public statement on the specific incidents leading to the arrests, but officials indicated that action was taken in connection with alleged violence during demonstrations in the Noida region.

By A Representative   A rights organisation has approached the Election Commission of India alleging large-scale irregularities in the deletion of voters’ names from the electoral rolls in Swarupnagar Assembly Constituency of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, raising concerns over due process and disenfranchisement.