IN the ongoing world economic crisis situation, there is a rightward political shift worldwide. This is resulting in the pursuit of an aggressive neoliberal economic agenda in favour of the corporates and against all sections of the working people. It is leading to cuts in wages, social security, subsidies, employment, rights, and increase in taxation -- as designed by the international finance capital -- combined with a country-specific divisive agenda.
IN the first two weeks of June, about a dozen young men and journalists have been arrested across the country, primarily for social media posts critical of BJP chief ministers and leaders. After the Narendra Modi government assumed office for a second term, such news started trickling in from various parts of the country, particularly states ruled by the BJP.
BIHAR is in mourning. It has lost more than a hundred children in the age group of 1 to 12 years to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur, Champaran, Sitamarhi and some other adjoining districts. Heat stroke has also devoured the lives of another hundred people in southern part of the state, particularly Aurangabad, Gaya and Nawada.
THE New York Times recent report that the US Cyber Command has planted “malware” – read cyber bombs – deep into the Russian grid, should worry not just the Russian people, but all of us. Taking down a country’s grid leads to blackouts, and disrupts a country’s vital infrastructure: communication networks such as metros, railways, airports, hospitals, telecommunications including cell phones; it can lead to failure of hydroelectric plants and dams causing devastating floods, nuclear plants outages and possible meltdown.
THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) denounces the decision of the government of India to reduce rates of contribution to Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESI). CITU, in a press release issued on June 14, said that the decision was unilateral and arbitrary and was a gross violation of the resolution made at the tripartite governing body of the ESI, held in September 2018.
THE All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) held a condolence meeting in the Muktdhara Auditorium on June 13 in Agartala to pay homage to the memory of Mangaleshwari Debbarma who passed away on June 5, 2019 at the age of 93. More than 250 women leaders from all the 22 sub-divisions and eight districts attended this meeting.
Mariam Dhawale, AIDWA general secretary gave inspiring accounts of the tremendous sacrifices made by Mangaleshwari to take forward the struggle for emancipation of women.
THE threats to Iran are being ramped up by the United States. Some sections of the Trump administration are beating the war drums and the threat of military hostilities against Iran is being ratcheted up.
The attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on June 13 has become another pretext for targeting Iran. The Trump administration has been quick to hold Iran responsible for the attack. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has blamed Iran “based on intelligence, the weapons used, and the level of expertise needed for the operation.”
THE Cauvery Delta districts of Tamil Nadu are considered as the “rice bowl” of the region. The rich soil of this area is known for its three-crop cycle a year producing many a variety of rice, the most famous being Samba Rice. Such a fertile delta land area is being turned into a desert, by allowing capitalist forces to extract hydro-carbon from this rich soil.
THE report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted in 2017-18 is finally out, and it confirms what had been leaked earlier, namely a dramatic increase in the unemployment rate in the Indian economy. The unemployment rate is given under two heads: usual status unemployment and current weekly status unemployment. These can be understood as follows.
IN Telangana state local elections for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zila Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) were held in three phases, from May 6 -14. Results were announced on June 4. Out of a total 5,817 MPTCs, TRS gained 3545, Congress 1,392, BJP 210, CPI(M) 50, CPI 40, TDP 22 and others 562. The president posts of MPP were overwhelmingly cornered by the party in power i.e., TRS. Out of total posts TRS gained 79 per cent, Congress 11 per cent, BJP 1.49 per cent. CPI(M) gained 1 MPP post and 4 Vice MPP posts.