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Resigned to fate? Odisha CM pitted against a ‘viciously organised' Hindutva force

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  All attempts by senior leadership to form an electoral alliance between the BJD and BJP in Odisha have failed due to popular opposition to such an alliance in forthcoming elections. Both parties have declared their candidates for the general and state elections.  Naveen Patnaik has also announced his candidates for the BJD.  At this stage, it seems like the narrative of the ruling party under the leadership of  Patnaik resembles that of a surrendered general who wishes to become a philanthropist in electoral politics to hide his failures for more than two decades. The notion of philanthropy in politics may seem conceivable, yet within the realm of electoral politics, there exists no straightforward or adept method of disarming and overcoming political opposition.  Despite this, the political opposition, led by the BJP in the state, has operated akin to a second-hand ruling party, lacking the vigour expected of a true opposition force in democracy. As Chief Mi
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Water scarcity likely to emerge as a major issue in Lok Sabha elections in Telangana

By Sudhansu R Das  People in Telangana need a few basic human necessities. They need pure water to drink; they need water to grow crops and keep milch animals for income.  They need water bodies to charge the groundwater and green native trees to keep their surroundings cool. Hyderabad was ruled by the great kings and monarchs: the Mauryas, the Satavahanas, the Ikshvakus, the Guptas, the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Kakatiya and more recently by the Nizams. 

Burning Kadam tree for Holika dahan, washing parking, driveway with freshwater

By Mansee Bal Bhargava*   Open letter to La Habitat Ahmedabad and to similar housing societies... Greetings, This is a long pending letter to La Hab. The Holi celebration at LaHab finally pushed to pen the withered attitude of the township towards water and vegetation. A brief disclaimer beforehand that my behaviour sways with how people deal with water and vegetation. It may be interpreted by many as having an attitude. My belief is that it is ok to have an attitude towards protecting environment in the current times of climate crisis.  My family is among the earliest occupants of La Habitat in 2009. We bought a flat in the township because the property offered 100% white transaction between builder and us (with 60-40% black n white usually in the real estate market in Ahmedabad).  Thinking that co-inhabitants moving into this township will be of clean practices, it was a naivety of the youthful days to (mis)interpret it to be directly proportional to be sensible and sensi

India already late in 'properly managing' water resources: Case for rainwater harvesting

By Proshakha Maitra, Megha Gupta, Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Every World Water Day is a call for reflection on where humanity stands in the water matters. While the natural water crisis linked to the climate change conveniently, the humanly constructed crisis of access to water is a result of the socio-economic fabric of any given society, be it developed, developing or under-developed countries.

PUCL to set up independent citizens panel to examine 'deep fissures' in Manipur society

Counterview Desk  The well-known human rights group, People’s Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL), claiming to be deeply concerned over the state of continuing violence in Manipur ever since 3rd May, 2023, when the first incident of ethnic conflict broke out, has decided to set up an Independent Citizen’s Tribunal on Manipur in order to document the "violations" suffered by the people, and examine and analyse the performance and responsibilities of the constitutional authorities.

100 NGOs admit 'alarming rise' of Hindu supremacy in US, express acute concern

By David Kalal*  Over 100 civil society groups have signed onto a declaration expressing "acute concern about the alarming rise of Hindu supremacy, also known as Hindutva or Hindu nationalism, in the United States.” The declaration, released by Savera – an interfaith, multiracial, anti-caste coalition of Indian American and partner civil rights groups – warned that the Hindu supremacist movement “now finds itself in a deepening alliance with various facets of the American far-right,” and pledged to take action to combat its spread in the United States.

'Irrefutable evidence': NHRC failed to uphold mandate to protect, promote human rights

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  The accreditation review of the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRCI), is scheduled to take place in the last week of March 2024 and in the last week of April 2024.  This year, the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) will consider the reports about the NHRCI, received from civil society (both national and international), the NHRCI and other stakeholders, including UN Special Procedures on 26 March and will have a separate sitting in the in the week of 29 April to 3 May, when they will conduct their actual internal review.

Global body urged to downgrade NHRC: 'Failure' to address human rights violations

Counterview Desk   The International Non-Governmental Organisation, in a letter to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), Geneva, ahead of  the review of the accreditation status of the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRCI), has insisted upon amending the current ‘A’ rating of the NHRCI, as it has allegedly failed to address "the deteriorating human rights situation in India."

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

Why are new guidelines for Net-Zero Banking Alliance 'too little, too late, too slow'

By Quentin Aubineau*  Recently, the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) published the  second version  of its Guidelines for Climate Target Setting. Three years after the launch of the Alliance and the publication of the first version of the Guidelines, the 142 member banks of the alliance, together representing 40% of global banking assets,  voted  to “reinforce the guidelines”. This new version will enter in force on April 22, 2024. The  Net-Zero Banking Alliance  defines itself as a group of leading global banks committed to financing ambitious climate action to transition the real economy to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.