Counterview

By Prem Singh*  The literatures of colonial countries are widely accepted as documents of protest against colonialism. In pre-independence India, literature became an integral part of the national freedom movement. Modern Hindi literature, across genres like the novel, short story, drama and poetry, focused on patriotic fervour, armed protest, the underground revolutionary movement and the lives of martyrs.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In contemporary Hindi poetry, Arun Kamal occupies a significant place among those poets who have articulated the lives of ordinary people, labour, social relationships, and collective human destiny with remarkable density and artistic refinement. His collections—'Apni Kaval Dhar', 'Saboot', ' Naye Ilaake Mein ', and others—construct a poetic world from the solid ground of life, where seemingly ordinary things acquire profound social and ideological meanings. What distinguishes Kamal's vision is his ability to present great social truths not through declamatory language but through natural, concise expression rooted in people's lives.

By Harsh Thakor*  ' No Women, No History — Women in Indian Movements ' by V. Gargi , published by Virasam Books, encapsulates and chronicles the participation of women in movements in India, dissecting the 19th and 20th centuries in addition to contemporary movements. The book adopts a broad-based and non-sectarian outlook, which is praiseworthy. It is in its own right a landmark work exploring the role of women in shaping struggles to transform Indian society.

By Vikas Meshram   Baburao Bagul was a distinguished Marathi writer from Maharashtra. He was a pioneering figure in Dalit literature in Marathi and played an extraordinarily significant role in Indian short fiction towards the end of the twentieth century — a period that witnessed the arrival of Dalit writers who brought with them lived experiences of radical rupture with the oppressive practices of the past.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  Ibiza is known as the “Island of Fragrance,” the “Island of Pines,” the “Island of Pleasure,” and the “Island of Endless Parties.” These names derive from the island’s aromatic plants and flowers, dense pine forests, and vibrant nightlife. Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Ibiza is the third-largest of the Balearic Islands by geographical area and the second-largest by population. The island has also long attracted writers, lyricists, poets, novelists, and other creative artists. 

By Biljana Vankovska  As one becomes more familiar with the complexities and civilizational depth of China, curiosity naturally extends beyond its major cities toward regions often obscured by mythology, ideological distortion, and geopolitical propaganda. This has certainly been my own experience. The more I learn about China, the more I am drawn not only to its visible achievements but also to places whose realities have long been filtered through Western narratives. Few regions embody this more profoundly than Xizang—better known in the West as Tibet.