RYTU Garjana, farmers’ vehicle rally, gave a clarion call to the people to burn the draconian Farm Acts in the bhogi bonfire as part of Sankranti celebrations. Farmers and activists took out a huge rally of tractors, autos, two-wheelers in Vijayawada on the January 4, at the call of AIKSCC state committee.
SFI COMPLETED its 50 years of study, struggle and sacrifice on December 30, 2020. The celebration of golden jubilee started in 2019 with a rally and public meeting in Dumdum, followed by the 49th foundation day celebration at Malappuram, Kerala. Since then, various activities were taken up remembering the glorious legacy of one of the largest students’ organisation in India. But the unprecedented pandemic situation forced in changing many of the scheduled programmes. Instead of following the usual calendar, SFI comrades had to take charge of providing the basic minimum to the needy.
THE Modi government must be the most timid in the world vis-à-vis international finance capital. By the same token, it must be the most callous in the world vis-à-vis the working people of the country. The one is the flip side of the other; and the government’s economic policy during the pandemic bears ample testimony to its timidity-cum- callousness.All the advanced country governments provided sizeable relief packages to their populations whose income sources had dried up because of the pandemic and the associated lockdown.
NATIONAL Co-ordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE)-a broad-based united platform of all the National Federations of Electricity Employees and Engineers in a press communique issued on December 31, 2020, stated that the Electricity(Amendment) Bill 2020 will be disastrous to the farmer community.The NCCOEEE also thanked the united forum of struggling peasants, who successfully drew the attention of the people of India to the menacingly drafted Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in addition to the three Agri- laws.NCCOEEE has stated that it recognises the histo
JOINT Platform of Central Trade Unions and independent federations/associations while continuing to extend their active solidarity to the ongoing farmers’ struggle countrywide, conveyed its hearty congratulations to the farmers and their organisations for their determined struggles. This was stated in a signed statement by the CTUs on January 6.
AFTER the 1990s, the trend of Indian political and economy took a significant turn in an altogether different direction. The negative impact of the neo-liberal policies began to be felt deeply in the realm of politics and the economy over the following decades.
ONE of the inspiring images of the year that went by is of young Aishe Ghosh, head bandaged and arm in a sling, addressing students the day after a violent assault on her and others in the Jawaharlal Nehru University in early January 2020. That assault had been orchestrated by goons of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS. Aishe Ghosh, as president of the JNU Students’ Union, was a special target for the goons, who assaulted her with iron rods.
INDIAN farmers have been agitating for the repeal of three farm laws ever since the enactment in 2020. However, this agitation has reached its peak since the last month with many of the Delhi borders being blockaded by the protesters demanding repeal of the ‘black laws’. Many women farmers and organisations have also joined the agitation because these laws will have a profound impact on the everyday lives of women.
THE kisan struggle that began on November 26, 2020, has been the largest, the longest and the most powerful nationwide farmers’ struggle in the history of independent India. This struggle has several distinctive features.First, it is led by over 500 farmers’ organisations in the country, who have united under the platform of Samyukta Kisan Morcha(SKM).
AFTER the election result BJP with 74 seats made its intention clear by nominating two of its RSS trained MLA’s as deputy CMs and also grabbed the powerful speaker’s post. The most trusted friend of Nitish Kumar in the BJP, Sushil Kumar Modi was sent to Rajya Sabha. Now Nitish Kumar is totally dependent on the whims and fancies of BJP top brass in Delhi and Patna to save his post as a chief minister.As the home department remains with Nitish Kumar BJP leaders have started directly criticising the CM for the deteriorating law and order situation.