-The Hindu   The Hunger strike called by social activist Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) in protest against developer Shivalik Ventures at Mumbai's Golibar colony entered its fourth day on Monday. Ms. Patkar's health is believed to be deteriorating. “She has fever, a high blood pressure and bouts of vomiting,” Mukta Srivastava of NAPM told The Hindu over telephone. Ms. Patkar's protest is gathering strong support from all...

An insightful article on “The wheat mountains of the Punjab” by Professor M.S. Swaminathan – one of the world's leading agricultural scientists and food policy experts – and a couple of reports on the Supreme Court of India's observations and directions on the same subject, published in this newspaper have drawn the attention of readers in substantial numbers. The article, published on May 11, 2011, throws new light on the present...

Writer and activist Arundhati Roy, winner of the 1997 Man Booker prize for “The God of Small Things,” is undoubtedly India’s iconoclast no.1. During the launch of her two latest books—“Broken Republic” and “Walking With the Comrades” —on Friday evening, she came to the defence of the military tactics of India’s Maoists in her polemical best: “When you have 800 CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force, a paramilitary force deployed to fight...

“Just as the civil society has been involved in the formulation of a Lokpal Bill, so should people's representatives be allowed to participate in framing a new, comprehensive law on Development Planning that includes resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by projects.” To intensify stir This is the demand of pradhans of several western Uttar Pradesh villages, who, along with along with representatives of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) spoke...

The health of RTI activist Ketan Shah, whose has been on an indefinite fast inside the Valsad Nagarpalika premises for eight days now, worsened on Friday, with doctors starting his treatment on the spot. Shah went on Hunger strike after his shop was demolished by the Nagarpalika officials following his allegations against Valsad Nagarpalika president Raju Patel, accusing him of illegal encroachment on government land. Shah had made representations to...