Counterview

By Mohd Ziyaullah Khan   The November 3, 2026, US midterm elections have delivered a major political setback to Donald Trump’s Republican administration. In what is being described as a sweeping Democratic comeback, the Democrats have taken control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, making significant gains in traditionally Republican territory.

By Raqif Makhdoomi  India is witnessing protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process that asks citizens to prove their citizenship in order to stay on the list. The Election Commission of India, headed by Gyanesh Kumar, is conducting it, and Kumar has been under political attack since it began. Opposition parties accuse him of helping the BJP win elections, and social media is abuzz with allegations that he is deleting voters to that end. Amit Shah recently claimed that three crore voters have been removed so far, and he spoke of it as an achievement.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The crisis in contemporary India is manufactured by a political duopoly: the arrogance of the Congress Party and the dominance of the BJP. Crony capitalists are the beneficiaries of both the economic crisis and the growth that accompanies it. A Hinduised Congress and a Congressised Hindutva represent the same bourgeois politics, in which corporate interests prosper at the expense of India and Indians. The Adani and Ambani groups did not acquire their influence over government by accident or by corporate preference alone. The BJP government under Narendra Modi has created favourable conditions for a crony capitalism that the Congress Party founded.

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   India's economic transformation over the past decade has been marked by ambitious infrastructure projects, increased global investment and the emergence of powerful corporate conglomerates. Alongside this growth, however, concerns about crony capitalism, the concentration of economic power and the influence of political connections on business opportunities have become increasingly prominent.

By Ravi Ranjan  Rajendra Prasad Singh (1930–2007) holds an important place in Hindi poetry as one of the early pioneers of the Navgeet (New Song) movement. Yet, his intellectual interests extended far beyond the lyricism of the new song; he thought seriously about the relationship between literature, society, and the wider cultural environment. Through his poetry and criticism, Singh confronted the deeper contradictions of modernity, asking what our relentless pursuit of material comfort has done to human sensitivity, freedom, and our understanding of what makes life worth living.

By Harsh Thakor*  Indian endurance swimmer Anshuman Jhingan has etched his name into the annals of marathon swimming. The former student of Fr. Agnel Multipurpose School, Vashi, has secured his second Guinness World Records title after being officially recognised as the youngest male to complete the Oceans Seven, one of the most gruelling and commendable accomplishments in international open-water swimming. With two Guinness World Records now to his name, Jhingan has established himself as one of the world's most promising young marathon swimmers, bringing new international laurels to India.

Counterview News   Asbestos , a substance known to cause cancer, has been detected in 60 per cent of rangoli powder samples tested in a laboratory in South Korea, raising concerns about the safety of products used during Diwali and other festivals. Indian samples recorded particularly high contamination rates, according to an investigation released by environmental and public health organisations.

By Bharat Dogra  Deepavali, the festival of lights, is a time for wishing for and seeking the prosperity and well-being of all people. While we seek the well-being of all, our particular concern should be for those who are unable to meet their basic needs. Perhaps the best way of celebrating Deepavali is to light a lamp for them too, by assisting those in need in whatever way we can, to the best of one's ability.

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   For months, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been defended in part as a national security measure. Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the government's approach in October 2025 as "Detect, Delete and Deport." In Parliament in December 2025, he argued that infiltrators must not be allowed to influence who becomes Prime Minister or Chief Minister. Data now emerging from the states shows how much of the exercise's outcome can actually be measured.