Environment
Featured Stories
India
Open Letter: Make The Election Commission A Genuinely Apolitical Authority
The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 in its present form violates the basic principles of democracy. Appeal to…
Mahua Moitra Should Apologize to the People
As a vociferous critic of the Narendra Modi-led government, Ms. Mahua Moitra, the member of parliament from Krishnanagar, West Bengal, is remarkably articulate. The clarity of her thought is visible…
Results are disappointing but the game is not over for 2024
The election results in four states came on expected lines except those who were thinking too high of Rajasthan's 'schemes' and Chhattishgarh's 'governance' model. In both the places, the Congress…
Beyond Tunnel Vision: Improving Occupational Safety Standards
On the day of Diwali when the country ushered in the festival of lights, forty-one of her labouring sons were plunged into darkness as a scenic Himalayan mountain caved in…
A Barking Government and a Whimpering Judiciary
There is a common saying: `A man who keeps a dog doesn’t need to bark himself.’ But our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn’t seem to trust the members of …
Significance of India-China Friendship in the present National and Global Context
(India-China Friendship Association (ICFA) held its National Conference on 14th and 15th October, 2023 at Hyderabad. We are publishing here the Main Theme of the Conference - ‘Significance of India…
World
U.S. Firms Continued To Dominate World Arms Market, Says SIPRI Report
Sales of weapons and military services by the world’s top 100 arms makers totaled $597 billion last year, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute…
Refreshing the Camelot School: Kennedy Hagiography at Sixty
Camelot, the sweetly sentimental shorthand for a shortened US presidency, has generated a mythopoetry so rich it turns the stomach, clogs the intestines, and soils the historical record. With its…
ExxonMobil Wants to Start a War in South America
On December 3, 2023, a large number of registered voters in Venezuela voted in a referendum over the Essequibo region that is disputed with neighboring Guyana. Nearly all those who…
Billions Are Spent To Support The Rich In The UK, Says Study
UK spends more than any other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country on financing structural inequality in favor of the rich, the latest research by UK charity Equality…
Banished from Pakistan: Islamabad Moves on Afghan Refugees
Across the globe, refugees, always treated as the pox of public policy, continue to feature in news reports describing anguish, despair and persistent persecution. If they are not facing barbed…
10 similarities between 10/7 and 9/11 which may be worth noting
The 9/11 attack and 10/7 attack are of course very different historical events separated by 22 years and a vast distance. Nevertheless there are some important similarities which may be…
Globalisation
Comparing How the West and China Offer Loans to Developing Countries
Established Western economic institutions are facing a formidable challenge from Chinese newcomers, each side offering distinct and competitive lending strategies with far-reaching consequences for global infrastructure and development. In October…
It’s Not Capitalism… It’s MONEYISM!!
Here it is from an old college buddy and confidante of mine, J D. This former progressive talk radio host and socialist thinker nailed it with his commentary on things…
Why Garment Workers in Bangladesh are on Strike
Bangladesh is a major producer of garments supplying to world’s top brands such as H & M, Lewis, Gucci, Zara and many others. Nearly 4.0 million workers, mostly women toil…
Tossing Neoliberalism into the Dumpster
It’s official, according to a speech by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the United States is jumping off the neoliberal globalization bandwagon (a root cause of domestic extremism) and it…
Corporatizing the World One Small Company at a Time
I remember when my small town lost its last family owned and run pharmacy — a beautiful, old, turn of the century store and a high quality company that the…
Corporatisation: Destroying Rural Economy
One of the most significant commitments of last five decade of twentieth century has been to economic growth and trade expansion, and we have been spectacularly successful…
Human Rights
Condemn the DRG Attack on Protestors at Orcha Nadia Par, Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh!
Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) Condemns the DRG Attack on Protestors at Orcha Nadia Par, Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh! It has come to our attention that on 24 November 2023, police and District…
Release 8 Arrested Activists of Damkondawahi, Maharashtra
On 20th November 2023, at the Press Club of India, Delhi, FACAM held a Press Conference cum Public Discussin themed "Anti-Displacement Movement & State Repression” which was opened by its…
A Duty to Obey: David McBride, Whistleblowing and Following Orders
The unpardonable, outrageous trial of Australian whistleblower David McBride was a brief affair. On November 13, it did not take long for the brutal power of the Commonwealth to become…
The Politics of Indefinite Detention in Australia
The High Court of Australia is not known for its zealotry in protecting human rights, and certainly not when considering the persuasive pull of international law and conventions. The Australian…
Coming to Terms with a Lifetime of Trauma While in Prison
I am a Black man in prison, and I want to talk about trauma. I want us all to be able to talk about trauma. I’m here because when I…
Taking the Refugee Hysteria off Ice
There are many reasons why Australian foreign policy can be viewed from the wrong end of a municipal drainpipe. For one, it is largely dictated, in terms of security, by…
Imperialism
The Pentagon Proclaims Failure in its War on Terror in Africa
America’s Global War on Terror has seen its share of stalemates, disasters, and outright defeats. During 20-plus years of armed interventions, the United States has watched its efforts implode in…
Good Times for the Military-Industrial Complex
The New York Times headline said it all: “Middle East War Adds to Surge in International Arms Sales.” The conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond may be causing immense and unconscionable human suffering, but…
Why the Anti-Imperialism Movement Should Never be Confused with Inter-Power Rivalry
The anti-imperialism movement is a very important movement with a very noble role—that of protecting the majority of the world’s people as well as its environment from the highly aggressive…
A Major Empire Falls Unnoticed
One of modern history’s major empires is falling apart right now, right before our eyes. Yet precious few in the media have reported on this extraordinary event, much less offered…
Three Cautions for the Anti-Imperialism Movement
The anti-imperialism movement has always been a very noble effort and at the same time it is an effort that is essential at a very basic level in present day…
The United States in the World: Making Sense of the Past Forty Years (1981-2023)
The United States of America has been the pre-eminent country on Earth for over 40 years.[1] There are many competing analyses of these developments, different understandings, etc., and with all…
Communal Harmony
Indian Secularism is against Caste Hierarchy and Women’s Oppression rather than limited to only Protection of Minority Rights
The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS, Mumbai) recently organized the 22nd public lecture in memory of Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer. The event, centred around the theme "Secularism…
We can defeat fascism only by reclaiming India’s great legacy of communal harmony: Shabnam Hashmi
Mere Ghar Aake To Dekho' is a national campaign in which people belonging to different religions and castes visit each other's homes to annihilate communal hatred. This campaign was initiated by…
Of The Silent Shames of a Privileged Indian!
This is perhaps an apology in the weirdest of its forms. Or one desperate attempt to give an abstract existence to that pervasive numbness which overpowers me, whenever I come…
Freedom Movement Re-Emphasized the Heritage of Communal Harmony
It is an undeniable fact of Indian history that all those leaders of the freedom movement who received the greatest support and affection of people were those who had…
Endorsing Diversity, Fostering Social and Religious Consolidation to Prognosticate a Bright Future for India
Introduction India is a subcontinent with vast and tremendous diversity. It’s a hotspot for individuals from distinct cultures, castes, religions, tribes, and languages. However, this diversity has been seen as…
Educate, Organize, Agitate: Teesta Setalvad
https://youtu.be/LO61aVmBUHk We are part of an India where some of the most tragic incidents are being taking place even right now in different parts of the country. But there are…
Climate Change
Hypocrisy Sours COP28
Hypocrisy runs rampant at COP28 even before the doors swung open to 70,000 delegates on Thursday, November 30th. This is the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference or Conference of the…
Can We Keep Both Fascism and Climate Doom at Bay for Decades to Come?
I’ve been arguing now for a year and a half that the enactment of bold new climate policies—bold enough to quickly drive US greenhouse-gas emissions down to zero—can succeed only…
COP 28 Should Herald New Approach to Climate Change
It is unlikely that COP 28 will ignore the stark and bitter reality of the failure to achieve adequate reduction in GHG emissions. The facts in this context are all…
Australia hides behind a wall of secrecy and obfuscation when it comes to climate breakdown
Faced with the gut-wrenching horrors occurring in the Ukraine, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar and the Middle East, it’s hard to fathom that an even more calamitous global tragedy is already upon…
A Slow-Motion Gaza Or How to Carbonize Planet Earth
Imagine this: humanity in its time on Earth has already come up with two distinct ways of destroying this planet and everything on it. The first is, of course, nuclear…
Can we save the world without free will?
Many articles on environmental topics are secular homilies, bristling with shoulds and shouldn’ts. Don’t use a gasoline-powered leaf blower. Buy an electric car instead of a gas-powered car. Eat organically grown food. Use…
Environmental Protection
Yemen’s Socotra Archipelago: The UAE’s Occupation and Destruction of a World Heritage Site
by Mouna Hashem and Martha Mundy The United Arab Emirates is destroying the biodiversity of a Yemeni archipelago. Environmental destruction entails two intertwined processes: climate change and the destruction of biodiversity,…
The Great Nicobar Island mega project and the recent amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act in violation of the Supreme Court’s directions
The Great Nicobar Island mega project and the recent amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act in violation of the Supreme Court's directions pose a serious threat to India's forests and…
Tropical forests in Greater Nicobar Islands to Aravalli forests in Haryana – The “Green” connection between politicians and their corporate allies
On October 27, 2022, the Union Environment Ministry gave hush-hush clearance for deforesting 131 sq. km of forests in Great Nicobar Island to accommodate a mega industrial project, a pet…
Char Dham Project: A Crossroads Between Convenience and Catastrophe for the Majestic Mountains
Interview with Dr. Ravi Chopra: Unmasking the Environmental Toll of the Char Dham Project On the festive day of Diwali, while the nation reveled in celebrations, 41 laborers found themselves…
Does Modern Science Already Allow Us to Manage the Weather?
Weather manipulation is increasingly common around the world, but the dangers of privatization and weaponization abound. As winter settles over New Delhi, cold air sinks, trapping pollution in the city.…
Palm Oil in Common Household Products Is Destroying the World’s ‘Orangutan Capital’
A nationally protected wildlife reserve in Indonesia is under attack by popular, big-name brands. Picture a rhinoceros in the rainforest. Add a herd of elephants, families of orangutans swinging through…
Counter Solutions
A Social Movement of People Striving to Find their Most Relevant Role and Living in Accordance with It
Social movements sincerely trying to create a better world, whether in big or in modest ways, have always been important. Their importance has increased much more in present times characterized…
Meeting Basic Needs of All While Avoiding Ecological Destruction
Keeping in view the perpetuation of large-scale poverty and the colossal ecological ruin wrought by the existing economic system, the creation of an alternative economic system has become one…
Policies for just, sustainable rural livelihoods and healthy food are compatible with climate goals
One of the most remarkable aspects of the challenge of climate change is that often what is in any case needed in the interests of justice and sustainability is also…
Resolving Complex Disputes on the Basis of Justice and Peace—Case-Study of Palestine-Israel Region
Whenever serious confrontations and disputes emerge in international contexts, there is a frequent tendency among those committed to peace to try to reach some hasty solutions so that at least…
21 Considerations for People’s Movements in the 21st Century
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, Earth without Borders and A Day in 2071.
What can still be done to save life-nurturing conditions of earth?
The most important issue of our times is that the basic life-nurturing conditions of our planet are badly threatened and this threat should be checked with a sense of the…
Resource Crisis
The Project of Capital and the Project of the Proletariat in a time of World Crisis
ABSTRACT This is a response to the two sets of articles written by Sajai Jose on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and on the world’s and India’s hunger crisis. It is…
Sustaining the Unsustainable: Why Renewable Energy Companies Are Not Climate Warriors
In the fight to address climate change, renewable energy companies are often assumed to be Jedi Knights. Valiantly struggling to save the planet, wind and solar interests are thought to…
The Gritty Reality of Solar Power
by Priti Gulati Cox and Stan Cox Time is fast running out. The world’s affluent nations, with their abundant greenhouse emissions, have to finally drag themselves across the starting line…
Solidarity with Resistance to Extraction
by Don Fitz and the Green Party of St. Louis People the world over are opposing fossil fuel extraction in an incalculable number of ways. It is now clear that…
Will There Be Resource Wars in a Renewable Future?
Thanks to its very name — renewable energy — we can picture a time in the not-too-distant future when our need for non-renewable fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal…
The Growth Of Fascism Or The Fascism Of Growth?
Bear with me, scrupulous historians, as I try to run through some questions and parallels between centuries that I hope will enrich the essential debate on how to confront the…
Patriarchy
A Letter to Pranshu
Dear Pranshu, I didn’t know you before your suicide on November 21, 2023. I saw your Diwali reel in which you wore a saree – you looked beautiful. I don’t…
Intersectional Feminism: An Insight
Intersectionality Theory was first developed in 1970-80 by a group of African-American feminist activists who accused the women’s movement of abandoning Black women. Discriminatory evils like racism and sexism aren’t…
Marriage Equality Judgment not on constitutional morality: “Disappointing, But the fight will go on ….” – PUCL
The PUCL expresses its deep disappointment with respect to the verdict of the Supreme Court in `Supriyo v Union of India’ denying the right to marry to the LGBTQI community.…
Same-sex marriage judgement by Supreme Court – A Damp Squib
While rejecting the prayer for same-sex marriage the Supreme Court of India through its judgements made the following points: This Supreme Court judgement on same-sex marriage does not change the…
Feminism, Patriarchy & Equal Marriage Rights for LGBTQ – A Personal Dilemma
The Supreme Court of India is likely to pronounce judgement on the same-sex marriage petitions this week on or before 20th October 2023 as one of the judges on the…
International Day of Girl Child and 101 other measures that do not support Women
"Girls have outperformed boys, once again!" flashes on social media and news channels, all across Jammu and Kashmir after the result of 10th and 12th grade examinations was announced in…
Palestine
Psycho Killer on the Loose
In Gaza, unspeakable, unbearable cruelty goes on day after day, while I live my life in the clutches of safety and abundance. My basket is full of the fruits of…
Over 1,000 more Gazans massacred over the weekend
Saturday was the deadliest day since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza, with over 1,000 people killed, the Euro-Med human rights monitoring group said Sunday. The organization documented “a string of Israeli…
The Israel-India-U.S. Triangle
by Priti Gulati Cox & Stan Cox In 1981, India’s post office issued a stamp showing the flags of India and occupied Palestine flying side by side above the phrase “Solidarity with…
Pelosi’s Home is No Safe Haven From Gaza
The home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in its bucolic neighborhood was the scene of a protest today organized by Code Pink in demanding that she join the 50…
History of Gaza: On Conquerors, Resurgence and Rebirth
Those unfamiliar with Gaza and its history are likely to always associate Gaza with destruction, rubble and Israeli genocide. And they can hardly be blamed. On November 3, the…
Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism
Is Zionism anything but crass racism? Do the Indigenous people have any right to exist in their homeland? Apparently not, if they are Palestinians who are evicted and killed by…
South Asia
Sustained, Extensive Campaign Needed to Prevent Deportation of A Million Afghan Refugees from Pakistan in December and January
The deportation of several hundred thousand Afghan refugees from Pakistan at a very short notice in harsh winter conditions has been condemned internationally by several leading humanitarian and human rights…
Amnesty International Calls for Immediate Halt of Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan
The many-sided serious problems and risks being faced by nearly 1.7 million Afghan refugees who are without the documents considered essential by the Pakistan government have been the subject of…
Why Pakistan Should Immediately Stop the Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees
A humanitarian catastrophe is in the making as Pakistan has started preparing for the forced deportation of nearly 1.5 million Afghan refugees. According to official Pakistani estimates there are nearly…
Afghans’ Mass Exodus As Deadline To Leave Pakistan Arrives
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan faced detention and deportation on Wednesday, as a government deadline for them to leave sparked a mass exodus. Islamabad has given 1.7…
The emergence of Bangladesh: Dynamics of people’s cultural and political struggles – Part III
Dynamics Contradictions in the East Pakistan society determined the trajectory of dynamics of socio-cultural-political struggle in the land. The contradictions were in (1) rural, (2) urban, (3) industrial, and (4)…
The emergence of Bangladesh: Dynamics of people’s cultural and political struggles _ Part II
Struggle As in most societies and lands, the people in Bangladesh also unceasingly confronted dominant powers – its ruling system, economy, politics, ideology and organization. The struggle began at the…
Annihilate Caste
Separate electorate vis a vis joint electorate with reservation-True political rights to untouchables (SCs)
In modern democratic governance, political representation of citizens is vital to the public policy-making process. Every citizen must have the right to be represented in legislative bodies that frame policies…
Scriptural basis of varna/caste system in India
Let us see how the Hindu scriptures paved the way for the caste system. There are many important ingredients in the varna system that gave rise to the caste system.…
Chidambaram’s New Caste Consciousness
P.Chidambaram is a senior most leader of the Congress party. Besides being a Harvard law graduate, he is a well established political leader in the Congress party. He comes from…
Dr. Ambedkar`s Statues vandalized and hatred behind it
Since the death of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1956, a wave of hatred among Hindu groups is flourishing. Hindu groups and its leaders claim that ‘Reservation’ for the Scheduled Castes…
Dalits get Jail instead of Land Under Yogi Raj
These days, Yogi's BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is holding conferences of Dalits at various places claiming to be Dalit friendly and acting for their welfare. The truth of his…
Sharon Murder case – A ‘caste killing’ disguised as a ‘love-hate’ murder in Kerala
The news that fuelled the newsrooms of Kerala last year in October has returned to the discussions once again as Greeshma R Nair, the prime accused in Sharon Raj's murder…
Life/Philosophy
What is Politics?
There are many official and unofficial as well as academic and non-academic approaches and formal/informal definitions of politics and its functioning in society. However, as the most universal concept, it…
Reducing road accidents to half will save 650,000 human lives a day, prevent 1750,000 injuries
Road accidents kill 1.3 million people in a year in the world. While this is a shockingly big loss in itself, the overall burden for society is much higher at…
Urgency of According Much Higher Priority to Safety of Workers
Recent reports of the International Labor Organization have confirmed the urgency of according higher priority of issues relating to safety of workers. These statistics tell us that nearly 3 million…
The Cradle of Humanity
What reading Georges Bataille could teach you about the birth of art—and of humanity. Why should we explore caves and excavate fossils? Why should we seek more information about our…
Story of Arun Mallik
Arun Mallik, who was over sixty, was a guard in our society, which was a gated community in Delhi. He was often seen pushing the larger vehicles to rearrange them…
M.K.Stalin’s acknowledgement of VP Singh’s legacy is historical
It was a pleasant surprise to see former Prime Minister V P Singh on the front pages of the Manustream Media. Though, they would never have given him space in…
Arts/Literature
Palestine – A poem by Gorakh Pandey
The cultural hub of Delhiis located at Mandi House. I occasionally have lunch there (costing Rs. 50/-) at a popular kiosk. Progressive artists put up posters all over the place.…
The Power of Poetry to Move Us to Love in Times of Human Cruelty
San Francisco’s third poet laureate, devorah major, speaks on Palestine and how poetry can help us connect as we navigate the violence of our world. Near the end of November…
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon – A Review
Ridley Scott’s latest Napoleonic-era endeavor is based on the life of arguably the world’s most-studied King, Napoleon Bonaparte. Of course, it is titled “Napoleon”; as many autobiographies do but it’s…
Losing Touch
The President has lost his marbles!They crouch behind the pillows of his brain,Waiting, coiling for the perfect momentTo strike! Or… slink away,Fluttering in the gasping world….The Lady-in-Waiting is likewise befuddled;She…
The Killer (2023) review
David Fincher’s The Killer was one of the most anticipated releases of 2023. The favourable reviews from film festival screenings only added to the anticipation, and expectations around the film…
How Do You Sleep, Mr. President?
Do you take your Catholic upbringing to bedand rest a rosary by your head?Are you a prayerful man, Mr. President?Do you pray for peace in the Promised Landand imagine the…
Book Review
Imperialist sanction, an instrument of coercion, and shrouded with lies
Imperialist sanctions stand as instrument of coercion, and is shrouded with lies. In recent years, using the measure of sanction has turned out as a standard response to international controversies.…
The book “Essays on the Changing Nature of Indian State” is ready for launch
The book ‘Essays on the Changing Nature of the Indian State’ is a commentary on contemporary India. The book tries to capture such nuances of the changing nature of the…
Hindutva Pop: A Review
Can a song trigger a murder?Can a poem spark a riot?Can a book divide a people? These lines are from the back cover of a newly released book by Kunal…
Preface of New Edition of Post-Hindu India by Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd
This excerpt is being published from the Preface of the book "Post-Hindu India" written for the new edition by the author published here with permission from publishers. The launch of the…
Book Review: Bangladesh’s Seven Governing Periods (1972-20222)
Author: M. Adil Khan, Publisher South Asia Journal ISBN 978-0-9995649-2-9 Hardcover US$ 28.00 BDT 750 185 pages To order the book, please email info@southasiajournal.net The Review M.…
If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution by Vincent Bevins
New York: Public Affairs Press, 2023. ISBN: 978 1541788978 (hardcover) This is a fascinating book that invites the attention of all activists around the world. Building off his work, I…
Editor's Picks
Netanyahu’s War Cabinet Meeting & its Musings over a People’s Journal and Corporate Press
Netanyahu: Now that a temporary truce is on, brief me about developments at the media front. War Cabinet Member (WCM): Sir, our hit rate is 100% successful. Till 23.11.2023 we…
Adieu, Amma!
My Amma (Malayalam word for Mother) passed away on August 22, 2023 at 3.10 AM. It is always difficult to deal with the passing of a parent, that too one’s…
Farewell to Sasi etta, brother K.P. Sasi
Our beloved K.P.Sasi is no more. Filmmaker, cartoonist, writer, mentor, friend and above all tireless activist championing the cause of every underdog, Sasi breathed his last, mid-afternoon this Christmas day…
Floods in South Asia and Climate Change
Havoc and misery caused by recent floods in Bengaluru, Pakistan and Assam are not only natural disasters but are man made and due to climate change. Over exploitation of urban…
Is There Enough Metal to Replace Oil?
The short answer: No, not even close! Nations of the world are only too aware that fossil fuels need to be phased out for two reasons. First, oil is…
Discussing America’s role in the Syrian civil war: A Conversation with Noam Chomsky
by Noam Chomsky and Raghav Kaushik This interview with world-renowned scholar and leading dissident Noam Chomsky has two goals. The primary goal is to understand America’s role in one of…
COVID Response Watch
Shadow of Covid lingers over the erstwhile Kingdom of Cooch Behar
The princely state of Cooch Behar merged with the Dominion of India on August 8, 1949 and became a part of the State of West Bengal on January 1, 1950.…
Public life in MP disrupted by heavy rains linked to climate change
Roads are crumbling, bridges are collapsing and railway lines are flooded . The surging waters from the rivers are drowning entire villages all around. It has rained so much that…
Hanging by a thread, Sheffield of the East
Sometimes it was a rise in pig iron prices due to disruption of supply chains due to the Covid pandemic. Now you can find the Ukraine War as a reason…
Malnutrition and death of children decreased in the system, increased in reality
In Maharashtra, the administration has been claiming that there is a steady decline in the number of malnutrition and child deaths in the state. But, in recent figures that have…
When Forest Rights meets Right to Education
With the horrors of the deadly virus still in the air, this would appear to be like a remarkable fairy tale in the post-Covid pandemic scenario, almost like a dream…
Uttarakhand In Need of Climate Resilient Agriculture Practices
In the last few years, we have been witnessing erratic, unpredictable and unexpected changes in climate, which are more perceptible in the Himalayan region of the country. These changes are…
Annual Subscription
Join Countercurrents Annual Fund Raising Campaign and help us