By Ram Puniyani*  As the RSS marks 100 years of its existence, a relatively new and little-known development has emerged: reports that the organisation engaged a lobbying firm in the United States. Several YouTube channels and media platforms have pointed out that the firm hired for this purpose is the same one that also lobbies for Pakistan . This recalls an earlier instance from 2007, when Narendra Modi , then chief minister of Gujarat, hired the Washington-based firm APCO Worldwide to promote his image ahead of the Assembly elections. 

By A Representative   The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has criticised a Supreme Court judgment that permits post-facto environmental clearances for projects begun without prior approval, calling the decision a major setback for environmental safeguards and Adivasi rights.

By Harsh Thakor*  Madvi Hidma ’s killing in an encounter in the Maredmilli forests along the Chhattisgarh–Andhra Pradesh border recently marks a significant moment for the  CPI (Maoist). His wife, Rajakka, and four others were also killed. Hidma, long considered one of the organisation’s most influential field commanders, had been associated with the insurgency in Bastar for nearly three decades. He was one of the few tribal cadres to rise from a child recruit to the upper decision-making levels of the banned Maoist party.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The sentencing of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death has once again exposed the deep politicization of Bangladesh’s judicial institutions. The International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD), in indicting Hasina for directing a violent crackdown on student protests in the summer of 2024, relied heavily on a recorded conversation that investigators deemed authentic and that allegedly showed her authorizing excessive force, including the use of helicopters, drones, and live ammunition on unarmed protesters. 

By Dr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman*  Indian media outlets began reporting on 10 November that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) may be seeking to use Bangladeshi territory to conduct attacks in India. These reports emerged soon after the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack near the Red Fort in Delhi , which killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20. Indian authorities have described the incident as a terror attack and detained at least nine Indian nationals for suspected involvement. While there has been no official attribution from the Indian government, several Indian media reports have linked the attack to either the LeT or the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), another Pakistan-based armed group.

By Bharat Dogra  Kudri village in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, lies close to the Betwa river, yet in recent years it has faced an acute water crisis. Its higher elevation and the impact of relentless sand mining in the river and other water channels have contributed to worsening scarcity. In this already rocky terrain, the situation has become increasingly precarious.

By Rajiv Shah*    I usually avoid being interviewed. I have always believed that journalists, especially in India, are generalists who may suddenly be assigned a “beat” they know little—sometimes nothing—about. Still, when my friend Gagan Sethi , a well-known human rights activist, phoned a few weeks ago asking if I would join a podcast on civil society and the media, I agreed. Out of ignorance, I assumed a podcast was simply a live audio broadcast. I didn’t bother dressing up. But when I reached the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Gagan’s office, I discovered it was going to be a full-fledged video discussion—Gagan on one side, top rights leader Minar Pimple on the other, and me in between. I had been given a questionnaire and had prepared my responses, but I did not realise the format would involve both of them posing thoughtful, probing questions. The set-up was fully professional. My phone was kept outside, and the recording was handled by a team from Drishti , a video ...

By A Representative   A nationwide campaign titled “Together for Tranquillity” has been launched to bring activists, organisations, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ communities, Tribals, Dalits, and grassroots networks across India onto a single platform committed to peace, equality, and collective action. The initiative aims to build a support and vigilance network working toward a world free of violence, hatred, and conflict, while strengthening efforts to safeguard the planet.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  As the United States adopts broad tariff measures to protect its economic position and influence in global markets, China has introduced a zero-tariff policy for fifty-three African countries in an effort to expand trade, share skills, and support economic cooperation. In contrast, the United States continues to frame its commercial engagement with Africa through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).