By Ram Puniyani*  India’s transition from a feudal and hierarchical social order to a society aspiring for democratic values began during the colonial period. The emergence of modern industries created a new working class, and the introduction of modern education, especially through policies shaped by Thomas Macaulay, laid the groundwork for a more liberal and rights-based public sphere. Pre-modern social structures—feudal and semi-feudal—were rooted in divine authority and caste-based hierarchies, leaving little space for the notion of equal rights. It was within the colonial context that new social forces emerged and articulated demands for rights.

By A Representative  The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health Movement–India) organized a national health conference in Raipur on December 8–9. Around 350 prominent health leaders, activists, representatives of people’s movements and community organizations from 19 states participated. The conference focused on the major challenges in health, the demand for policy changes in the health system, and the need to strengthen grassroots public health movements through coordinated strategies.

By Bharat Dogra   Discussions on water projects often revolve around how many years it will take for them to recover their costs. In the case of a recently completed water conservation effort in Jogipura village of Sapotra block in Rajasthan’s Karauli district, the villagers are convinced that the project will recover its entire cost within a single year—once the rabi crop is harvested.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Ranjana Mishra’s poetry collection "Stone Steps of Time" ( "Patthar Samay Ki Sidhiyan" , 2022) marks a significant moment in contemporary Hindi poetry . Bringing together seventy-six poems of varied textures, the book reveals a poet whose creative universe is shaped by classical music , cultural memory , feminist consciousness , and a deep engagement with the anxieties of our time. Across these poems, Mishra weaves a world where musicality merges with philosophy, where intimate emotions intersect with political realities, and where the individual’s inner life refracts the fractures of society.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

By Shankar Sharma*  Recent discussions at COP30 in Brazil have again exposed the widening gap between India’s climate claims and its actual performance. Even as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change repeatedly asserts that India is a global leader in climate action, the country slipped 13 places to 23rd in the Climate Change Performance Index released during the summit in November 2025. The principal reason flagged by the Index is India’s limited progress on phasing out coal, a challenge that has become increasingly structural and politically complex.

By Parineeta Dandekar*  Salun village , perched about 50 feet above the Ravi River , experienced its brief moment of national attention on 26 August 2025 —a moment that also marked its end. On a dark and rainy afternoon, the small settlement of homes, rajma fields, apple orchards and cattle sheds collapsed into the flooded river within half an hour. Ancestral houses filled with memories, documents and belongings were swept away. Residents who managed to escape watched helplessly as their village disappeared.

By Bharat Dogra  Baba Adhav passed away at the age of 96 on Monday, December 8. As one of the most effective organisers of workers from the poorest and most unorganised sections of society, he became widely respected during his lifetime. The impact of the struggles he helped lead and motivate remains extensive. His high personal integrity, deep commitment to workers’ rights, and openness to practical and innovative solutions earned him respect across ideological lines.

By Harsh Thakor*  The Democratic Front Against Operation Green Hunt (Punjab) organised a state-level convention and protest in Jalandhar on December 7, calling attention to killings in Adivasi regions and demanding the release of political prisoners, including those who have completed their sentences but remain in jail.