Peoples Democracy newsletter

Peoples Democracy newsletter

Ninth Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Solidarity With Cuba

THE ninth Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in Solidarity with Cuba, was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 26-28, 2019. 154 delegates, including the 35 delegates from India, from 15 countries representing different progressive forces in the region gathered together in solidarity with Cuba while the world is preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the heroic Cuban revolution. The ideas and the socialist, humanitarian initiatives of Cuban revolution and the world order it fought to achieve, both inside Cuba and at the international level, were emphasised throughout the conference.

Brutal Attacks and Brave Resistance

A WIDE swathe of rocky hills and forests stretches from Mirzapur to Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, home to various tribal groups – Gonds, Kols and Bhils.  The area is rich in minerals and water-resources and has seen the establishment of cement factories, Hindalco,  large power plants, the Rihand and Kemur dams at the cost of the poor and their land.  Promises of compensation and jobs never materialised.

Brutal Attacks and Brave Resistance

A WIDE swathe of rocky hills and forests stretches from Mirzapur to Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, home to various tribal groups – Gonds, Kols and Bhils.  The area is rich in minerals and water-resources and has seen the establishment of cement factories, Hindalco,  large power plants, the Rihand and Kemur dams at the cost of the poor and their land.  Promises of compensation and jobs never materialised.

Amit Shah’s Economics

IN justification of the move to end Kashmir’s special status, Amit Shah in his speech in the Rajya Sabha brought in the question of Kashmir’s “development”, arguing that closer integration with the rest of India will bring in much investment into the region. He especially appealed to the youth of Kashmir, promising that they would have larger employment opportunities.

Dismantling of J&K: Authoritarian Assault on Democracy and Federalism

THE Modi government has conducted a lightning strike against the Constitution and federalism. Under the aegis of the Modi-Shah duo, Article 370 of the Constitution has been disemboweled and the subsidiary provision stemming from it – Article 35A – nullified.  They have then proceeded to launch a brazen attack on the very existence of Jammu & Kashmir by abolishing the state and dividing it up into two centrally-run union territories. 

All-Round Assault on States’ Rights

WHAT was notable about the spate of legislations presented in the first session of parliament was the hurried manner in which they were passed without any legislative scrutiny.  There was no reference to the standing committees or select committees to get the bills vetted and considered. Using its big majority in the Lok Sabha and the manipulated majority in the Rajya Sabha, none of the bills underwent proper scrutiny.

Hacking Elections: Tales from Far and Near

THE Netflix film, The Great Hack, relates Cambridge Analytica’s role in Trump’s 2016 elections to a much larger issue – the threat to our democracy from global tech giants.  It is not the Facebook data that Cambridge “hacked”, but the election itself.  And what is at stake is not just an election, but the very future of democracy. If elections can be hacked, so can our democracy. The film poses a fundamental question for our times: are more elections in more places going to be won by the best data “team” that money can buy?

The Week in Parliament

THE CPI(M) opposed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and requested the government to withdraw it so as not to dilute the powers and autonomy of the transparency panel. In Lok Sabha, P R Natarajan said the power of the legislature should not be allowed to be taken over by the executive. He asked the government not to dilute the original Act. In Rajya Sabha, K K Ragesh said the amendment would make the Information Commission just another government department. The proposed amendment would kill the very underlying principle of the RTI Act.

Shri S Jaipal Reddy

Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary, expressed his profound grief at the passing away of Shri S Jaipal Reddy. He issued a condolence message on July 28.

Yechury said, “During his long political life, he consistently and steadfastly worked to uphold and strengthen the secular democratic foundations of India as enshrined in the constitution. An honest and upright politician, he will be known for his erudition and scholarship.

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