"The Earth upon which the sea, and the rivers and waters, upon which food and the tribes of man have arisen, upon which this breathing, moving life exists, shall afford us precedence in drinking." - Prithvi Sukta, Atharva Veda Land is life. It is the basis of livelihoods for peasants and indigenous people across the Third World and is also becoming the most vital asset in the global economy. As the...

Freedom is important, so is responsibility. In countries like India, the media have a responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people fight poverty and other social evils. Freedom of the press and journalistic ethics is an important topic today in India — with the word ‘press' encompassing the electronic media also. There should be a serious discussion on the topic. That discussion should include...

The farmers' struggle against land acquisition only shows that from passive forms of protest they have turned to active forms of resistance. THE recent agitation by farmers in Uttar Pradesh against cropland acquisition for non-agricultural purposes is only the latest in a long series of protests by farmers and rural communities, which started a decade ago in different parts of the country and which gathered momentum over the past five...

Brajendra Ghosh (45), a farmer, committed suicide allegedly by consuming pesticide at Durmut village in Mangalkote on Sunday morning. He was declared dead on arrival at the Katwa Hospital. In the recent past, several cases of farmer suicides have come to light. But this is the first such case due to debt in the rice bowl of the state after the new government led by Mamata Banerjee stormed into power....

Agitators have threatened self-immolation if demands are not met The State government has opened negotiations with agitating farmers in Katesar village in Chandauli district bordering Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The farmers, who have been protesting the acquisition of fertile agricultural land for a cultural and institutional hub on the banks of the Ganga, continued with their dharna on Monday. They have threatened self-immolation if the land acquisition process launched by the Varanasi...