“MAINSTREAM” economics does not appear to understand the functioning of the bourgeois economic order; and nowhere is this more evident than in matters relating to fiscal policy. It holds to this day that a fiscal deficit “crowds” out private investment by reducing private borrowing. This presupposes that there is a fixed pool of savings in the economy in any period, of which if the government takes more (for meeting a fiscal deficit) then a correspondingly lesser amount is left for the private sector leading to a reduction in private investment.
THE problems of the electricity sector have grown with the neoliberal reforms of the sector that started from the 90’s. The Enron style reforms introduced high cost private power into the grid in the 90’s, followed by the Electricity Act 2003, which virtually de-licensed generation and abolished planning of the power sector. We now have the new proposal of separating what is called “carriage from the content”, which shorn of this new English, means that electricity flowing though wires will be owned by separate entities than the one owning the wires.
THE ninth national conference of the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) has resolved to take up a campaign to free the nation from hatred and discrimination. The four-day conference was held in Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry), Andhra Pradesh and had concluded on November 20, 2019. The union has also declared its support to the general strike to be observed on January 8, 2020.
NOW that the three-day wonder of the Fadnavis government has disappeared, one can look back at the whole sordid episode for what lessons can be learnt.
A NATIONAL convention of oil and petroleum workers was held at the Constitution Club, in New Delhi on November 20. It was jointly organised by trade unions of different affiliations as well as the unaffiliated ones functioning in ONGC, IOC, OIL, BPCL and HPCL. Around 300 representatives from these oil PSUs from all over the country participated in the convention. The delegates came from the states of Assam, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and national capital of Delhi.
ON November 23, 2019, thousands of citizens’ joined the March called by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union against fee hike, administrative authoritarianism, and privatisation and commercialisation of education with a demand to make education affordable, accessible and inclusive to all sections of society. The March called from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar was joined by students of IIT’s, IIM’s, alumni of JNU, trade unions, women’s organisations, Delhi Parents’ Association and members from several organisations.
ON November 13, joint militant demonstrations and dharnas were organised in most of the district headquarters led jointly by the CPI(M), CPI and Mahagathbandhan partners of Bihar.
A MASSIVE march of the slum dwellers was held from Saliasahi to Vidhan Sabha on November 22 in Bhubaneswar against their proposed eviction. Later a strong public meeting was held in which more than 20,000 people participated. This seven kilometre march in the city brought the issue of the slum dwellers to the fore.