Regressive Proposals Defeated; Struggle Far From Over

COMING from a nondescript village in rural Chhattisgarh, poverty and destitution forced Shakeel in his early twenties to migrate to Delhi. Though not having much of an education to claim, when in December 2016 the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPD Act) was passed, Shakeel was ecstatic. A person afflicted by polio early in life, he was subjected to ridicule and abuse because of his impaired mobility.

KERALA: Organisational Work in Times of Covid-19 Pandemic

THE Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted normal life around the world. It has posed several challenges to the activities of working-class movements in India too. The government formulated the Covid-19 protocol, outlining the restrictions that are to be followed by the people, to check the spread of the contagion. Physical distancing between individuals, use of face mask, frequent use of sanitiser and soap are major components of the protocol.

TRIPURA: Left Parties Observe Protest Day

HUGE response of the people across the state was witnessed as the five Left parties observed protest day on July 7 in Tripura. CPI(M), CPI, CPI (ML-Liberation), RSP and Forward Bloc had given the call on six-point charter of demands.

TN: Caste-based Atrocities Continue Unabated in Tamil Nadu

THE COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown virtually brought life to a standstill but, sadly, there has been no halt in caste-based discrimination and atrocities in Tamil Nadu. Attacks against members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities are, in fact, increasing day by day. The state has witnessed numerous cases of killing, ‘honour’ killing, rape, extortion and assault, even during the lockdown period.

The Hindrance to a New Deal Today

WHAT had been only a suggestion by several prescient members of the capitalist establishment till now, has become official policy, at least in Britain where Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that his government will undertake public investment to stimulate the economy, as FD Roosevelt had done under the New Deal in the 1930s in the US. In fact, Johnson specifically referred to Roosevelt’s New Deal, and expressed his intention of increasing taxes on the rich if necessary.

UP: CM Yogi’s Reputation in Tatters

FOR some time now, Yogi Adityanath’s reign in Uttar Pradesh is being held up as a model. A leading publication named him the best chief minister in India for two years in a row; his efforts to curb crime have been lauded; his handling of the twin Corona and migrant crises have been highly praised. Of late, things had started unravelling and now the horrific killing of at least eight policemen on the night of July 2/3 in Kanpur Dehat by a notorious criminal and his gang threatens to reduce his reputation to tatters.

PM Re-writes History on Defence Self Reliance

IN his latest Mann-ki-baat address on June 28, 2020, the prime minister expressed some extraordinary views on defence manufacturing and self-reliance before independence, since then, and he took office in 2014. His own words, as per the official transcript in English, were: “Before independence, in the realm of the defence sector, our country was ahead of many countries in the world. There used to be a multitude of ordnance factories. Many countries that lagged behind us then, are ahead of us now.

Subject PM Cares Fund to Public Scrutiny

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on July 6

Remdesivir: Break Patent Monopoly - Issue Compulsory License

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on July 5, 2020

GILEAD Sciences’ anti-viral drug Remdesivir has shown efficacy in treating Covid-19 patients. Media reports indicate that the US, which is hoarding all drugs found to be useful in combatting the Covid pandemic, has bought the entire stock of Remdesivir from Gilead for the next three months. It will therefore not be available for the rest of the world.

Oppose Amendments to RPD Act