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.

Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on July 31, 2019. It has issued the following statement:

Devastating Economic Slowdown

The overall economic slowdown and the menacingly rising unemployment accompanied by deepening agrarian distress are having a devastating impact on the livelihood conditions of the vast majority of our people.

Virtual Games as a Site of Resistance

DURING President Obama’s tenure, his administration created an Agency with its major goal as the creation of educational software ‘as compelling as the best video game’. This might have been inspired by a statement made by Professor Edward O. Wilson, of Harvard, who declared that “Games are the future of learning”. Military, corporates and businesses have already started using games as a means of ‘learning’ and ‘influencing’. It is time for us to explore how games can be used to subvert capitalism.

National Convention against State Complicity in Hate Crimes

BRUTAL hate crimes against minorities have become more frequent and more widespread after the Narendra Modi government got re-elected. Hindutva storm-troopers are imparting to ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Bharat Mata’ slogans etc an aggressiveness that is shocking the nation. The most disturbing aspect of these developments is the complicity of the State machinery. Officials in the civil administration and the police force are coerced to side with the perpetrators of hate crimes.

Through the Minds of the People

THE activity of CPI(M) activists reaching out to people to enquire the reasons for the defeat of LDF in the parliament election, is ongoing. It had been decided by the CPI(M) state committee that the visit should be conducted in the 70 lakh homes of the state between July 22-28. There are 35,000 Party branches and 5.15 lakh Party members. All Party members from the state level leaders to branch committee members are involving themselves in this activity.

PARTY WILL GO AHEAD BY

TAKING PEOPLE INTO CONFIDENCE

HATE, THREAT & VIOLENCE: Now, BJP Minister Wields Jai Shri Ram Sword

A BJP minister in Jharkhand has exposed his party’s repeated assertions that “fringe elements” were targeting Muslims on the pretext of chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ or cow smuggling and that the ruling dispensation cannot be entirely blamed for it. Now, BJP leader and Jharkhand urban development minister C P Singh wielded the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ sword at his Assembly colleague Irfan Ansari.

Code on Wages Bill – Modi Govt’s Return Gift to Corporates

THE Narendra Modi government has brought the Code on Wages Bill as a payback to the bourgeoisie, both domestic and foreign, who had helped him retain power for a second term with an improved majority in the recent parliamentary election. The Bill, which seeks to replace four wage-related legislations on the pretext of “simplification” and “rationalisation”, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 23 and passed on July 30.

Take Action against Hateful Content on Social Media

BRINDA Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, has written letters to Amit Shah, minister for home affairs, and to the Delhi police seeking action against those who posted hateful content against certain communities, on YouTube, Whatsapp and other social media platforms.

Sharing internet links of the hateful posts, Brinda Karat in her letter to the home minister, said that a number of videos are circulating on the YouTube channel and in Whatsapp groups which are clearly designed to incite communal hatred, violence and acts of terror against one specific community by another community.

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter