By Prof K S Chalam*  Vidya Bhushan Rawat ’s three-volume body of conversational works constitutes an ambitious and largely unprecedented intellectual intervention into the study of marginalisation in South Asia . Drawing upon the method of extended dialogue, Rawat documents voices from across caste, region, ideology, and national boundaries to construct a living archive of dissent, memory, and struggle. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently unveiled a statue of Karl Marx on February 6 at the historic Connemara Public Library in Chennai. While the gesture may appear merely symbolic to some, it carries deep-rooted resonance within Periyarist and Dravidian political thought, which has long accorded importance to Marxist philosophy and regarded the Left as part of the larger Dravidian ideological universe.

By Vikas Meshram   The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?

By Rosamma Thomas  Kerala held local body elections in December 2025. By February 2026, the first ward-level meetings chaired by newly elected local representatives were under way. Pala Municipality is divided into 26 wards and has an equal number of councillors. This time, Ward 23 was reserved for women candidates, and Princy Sunny emerged victorious after a closely fought contest, defeating former municipal chairperson Mary Dominic by 33 votes. Sunday, February 8, saw the first ward meeting in Ward 23, held at Brilliant College, Pala, near St Thomas College.

By A Representative   A federation of Adivasi gram sabhas from Nagarahole has strongly opposed the holding of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) summit in Nagarahole and Bandipur tiger reserves from February 9 to 12, 2026, accusing the Centre and the Karnataka government of ignoring long-standing human rights violations faced by Indigenous communities in the name of wildlife conservation. The objections were raised by the Nagarahole Adivasi Jammapale Hakku Sthapana Samiti (NAJHSS), which represents gram sabhas within the Nagarahole forests, following the Union Finance Minister’s recent announcement that the IBCA summit would be hosted at the two protected areas.

By Harsh Thakor*  "Anuradha—Through the Eyes of Her Contemporaries" by Kobad Ghandy  (28 March 1954 – 12 April 2008) is a biographical account of the late Anuradha Ghandy , drawing on personal recollections, political writings, and testimonies of her contemporaries. Written by her husband, the book traces her life as a revolutionary activist , intellectual, and organiser, and situates her work within broader debates on caste , gender , and revolutionary politics in India .

By Jag Jivan   A new study titled “From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease”, published in The Milbank Quarterly , warns that ultraprocessed foods are deliberately engineered in ways similar to cigarettes and should be treated as a major public health threat rather than as ordinary food products.

By Alejandra Amor, Mansee Bal Bhargava  Indonesia, like many fast-developing nations including India, is grappling with a deepening water crisis driven by both human pressures and climate-induced impacts. Despite being home to more than 1,000 river basins, a majority of Indonesian households continue to face serious challenges in accessing safe drinking water and sanitation. Water resource management remains constrained by high levels of contamination, excessive dependence on groundwater, declining water retention capacity, and inadequate wastewater management systems.

By Carmen Navas Reyes  Venezuela, under threat following the attacks of January 3, and in perspective alongside the historical mirror that is Iran, allows us to study the models of classic oil nationalism and pragmatic resistance. But beyond the economy, some analysts have put forward the theory that Venezuelan and Iranian oil is not just a business, but vital ammunition in the war scenario being proposed by the United States.