By Harsh Thakor*  Gumudavelli Renuka’s “Midko–The Firefly” is a collection of short stories situated within the context of the Maoist movement and its social and political environments. Originally written in Telugu, the stories have since been translated into several Indian languages and into English, extending their readership beyond Telugu-speaking regions. The title draws from the word “Midko,” meaning “firefly,” a term that became familiar to readers through these stories.

By Sandeep Pandey, Faisal Khan  The Indian government has registered a protest with Bangladesh over the mob lynching of two Hindus—Deepu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and Amrit Mandal in Rajbari. In its communication, the government cited a report by the Association of Hindus, Buddhists and Christian Unity Council, which claims that more than 2,900 incidents of killings, arson, and land encroachments targeting minorities have taken place since the interim government assumed power in Bangladesh. 

By Anand Mazgaonkar*   Indore is supposed to be India’s cleanest city—of course, according to Central Government data, and given its stellar track record on transparency, accountability, and data integrity, it must be treated as entirely reliable. Therefore, any news about deaths due to water contamination must not be allowed to find its way into media outlets.  After all, what are 13–14 deaths? BJP governments have brazened out far worse—demonetisation, the Covid tragedy, oxygen shortages, farmers’ deaths, Dalit rapes, mob lynchings, Ajay Mishra Teni, Kuldeep Sengar, Brij Bhushan, et al.

By Bharat Dogra   Till about a decade ago, Shyampur village in Karauli district of Rajasthan, India, was a place where most of the potentially cultivable land remained barren due to the absence of irrigation water. The shortage of water kept people occupied for much of the day merely arranging drinking water for themselves and their animals. Cash earnings depended to a large extent on migration or on mining work, which provided some income but also exposed people to several diseases.

By A Representative   The Gig & Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) on Wednesday claimed that more than 100,000 gig and platform workers across 22 cities participated in a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve , protesting working conditions, pay structures and what the union described as intimidation by platform companies and authorities.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  “Every day is a new day. Work hard and succeed.” Dr. Mulk Raj Anand wrote this in my personal diary on January 1, 1991, when I asked him for a message. We were sitting under a neem tree at a house adjacent to the Deer Park . I recalled those words as I watch the familiar ritual of New Year celebrations—lists of fresh goals, deadlines, and resolutions. Ambition has its place, but it is equally important to retain a human touch and not turn ourselves into disciplined soldiers of a mechanical or digital world. Life extends far beyond artificial, feel-good constructs. A few moments spent with friends and loved ones often restore balance far more effectively than any productivity plan.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  As a new year begins, it is worth pausing to reflect on a simple but urgent resolution: take less from nature and give more back. This principle lies at the heart of sustainable living, and today it is no longer a moral choice alone but an existential necessity.

By Atanu Roy*  The clock has struck midnight. 2025 has passed, and 2026 has arrived. Firecrackers were already bursting in celebration. If this is merely a ritual, like Deepavali, there is little to comment on. Otherwise, I find 2025 to have been a dismal year, weighed down by relentless odds—perhaps the worst year I have personally witnessed.

By Harasankar Adhikari   The BJP-led NDA government has renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as the Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana or the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act. This move has drawn opposition from economists, social activists, and opposition political parties across India.