By Vidya Bhushan Rawat   Noted scholar and historian Dr. Atul Krishna Biswas, popularly known as Dr. A. K. Biswas, passed away on February 28, 2025, at his home in Kolkata. He was 79 years old and had been suffering from age-related ailments for the past few days. The death of Dr. Biswas came as a shock to many of his admirers, including myself. Dr. Biswas was an exceptionally hardworking individual who wrote extensively based on his research from various archives and documents to which he had access. He served as Home Secretary of Bihar in 2005 and, prior to that, as Vice-Chancellor of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

- राम पुनियानी   इतिहास का इस्तेमाल राजनीति में करने से साम्प्रायिक नफरत बढ़ रही है और पिछले कुछ सालों में इसमें कई नए मुद्दे जोड़ दिए गए हैं. आरएसएस की शाखाओं, सोशल मीडिया, भाजपा के आईटी सेल, मुख्यधारा का मीडिया, विशेषकर कई टीवी चैनलों के जरिए, अपने प्रोपेगेंडा को आगे बढ़ाने और ब्रेनवाश करने के अलावा अब फिल्मों के माध्यम से भी समाज में व्याप्त गलतफहमियों को गहरा करने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है.

- संदीप पाण्डेय, सलीम खान  अयोध्या में भगवान आकर चले गए। उनके जन्म स्थान पर एक मंदिर बना था। जो ऐसा बताया गया कि तोड़ कर मस्जिद बनाया गया। उस मस्जिद को तोड़कर हिन्दुत्ववादी ताकतें एक मंदिर बनाने में सफल रहीं। इस पूरी प्रक्रिया में हिन्दुत्ववादी ताकतों का वर्चस्व देश में स्थापित हो गया और सत्ता उनके हाथ में आ गई। सम्भल में भगवान आने वाले हैं। वहां भी यही कहानी दोहराई जा रही है। क्योंकि हिन्दुत्ववादी ताकतों को अपना वर्चस्व कायम रखने का एक आसान व कारगर तरीका मिल गया है। 

By Sandeep Pandey*  During the 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas, 1195 Israelis were killed and 251 taken as hostages. There was worldwide condemnation of the ‘terrorist’ attack carried out by Hamas. In response Israel has killed approximately 70,000 Palestinians, which includes about 15,000 missing or presumed dead, close to 60% of whom are women, children and elderly and still continues to kill Palestinians on one pretext or the other. Before the 2023 war began, 5200 Palestinian prisoners were in Israeli jails or captivity. The numbers increased to 10,000 by November, 2023. There is a category called Administrative Detention which allows Israel to keep Palestinians without any charge or trial indefinitely. Since 1967, 10 lakhs Palestinians have been in Israeli jails, which is 18% of the total Palestinian population. 40% male Palestinian population has been to Israeli jails at some time or other.

By Bharat Dogra   Before the advent of colonial rule India was a world leader in the production of cotton cloth and in growing a diversity of cotton crop varieties which provided the base for this cotton cloth. India’s cotton fabrics of diverse forms and colors were in demand even in distant countries of the world. This provided the base for sustainable livelihoods of a vast number of farmers, spinners and weavers and other artisans providing a wide range of related services, including making various implements, looms and colors. In particular highly skilled weavers with the distinct identity of their creations became famous over vast parts of the country and abroad.

By A Representative  The All India Network of NGOs and Individuals (AiNNI) has launched a three-day social media campaign, #ReformNHRC, urging systemic changes to India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as it undergoes a critical re-accreditation review by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). 

By Harsh Thakor*  Syed Abid Ali, 83, who passed away in Tracy, California, on March 12th, will be remembered as the epitome of courage on the cricket field. He was the fittest player of his era, an outstanding fielder, and a personification of joy. Abid Ali’s spirit, sportsmanship, and selflessness defined an era, with his legacy occupying a permanent niche in the annals of Indian cricket. His deeds remain etched in the folklore of the game.

- એક પ્રતિનિધિ  અમદાવાદના દાણીલીમડા વિસ્તારના બહરામપુરા અને ભીલવાસમાં ગંદા પાણીના પ્રવાહને કારણે કોલેરા સહિત ગંભીર રોગચાળો ફાટી નીકળ્યો છે. સ્થાનિક નિવાસી નિરંજનભાઈ મકવાણાના મુજબ, લગભગ 300થી વધુ લોકો ઝાડા, ઉલટી, પેટમાં દુખાવો અને કોલેરાથી પીડિત છે. આમાંથી 50થી વધુ લોકો સરકારી અને ખાનગી હોસ્પિટલમાં દાખલ છે, જ્યારે અન્ય ઘરે જ દવા લઈને પડ્યા છે. એક નાની છોકરીનું આ બીમારીના કારણે અવસાન થયું છે.  

By Bharat Dogra  COVID-19 times were extremely important in recent history. Even now ordinary people as well as scholars continue to speak in terms of pre and post COVID times as well as COVID times. Millions recall this as the most distressing and traumatic times. However there has been a big debate regarding whether the major share of the enormous distress was caused by the pandemic itself, or by the pandemic response characterized by draconian measures. Those who supported these measures have stated that COVID-19 causing so much mortality indicates how deadly this was and this mortality would have been even higher, significantly so, if the draconian measures had not been put in place in most parts of the world. This can broadly be called the establishment view, even though a few of the authorities did not strictly follow this. On the other hand some critics of this establishment view have stated that the pandemic itself was not at all as threatening as to justify such draconian ...