Kerala: Empty Ground Greets PM

THIS photograph was taken in Kochi on Sunday, April 6. In this image the prime minister of India is addressing a so-called "massive" UDF rally in the Rajiv Gandhi stadium at Thoppumpadi. This was the lone programme of Dr Manmohan Singh in Kerala and his first public meeting in South India. Dr Singh was here to appeal the gathering to vote for his cabinet colleague, Prof K V Thomas, the union food and civil supplies minister, who is a candidate in Eranakulam.

BJP Sticks to Communal Agenda: Karat

ON April 7, 2014, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said the BJP’s election manifesto, which was published as late as on the day the first phase of polling began, proved that the party still stuck to its communal agenda, with the temple issue, repeal of article 370 and introduction of a unified civil code being the parts of this agenda. Karat said so while addressing a Meet the Press programme in Thiruvananthapuram Press Club.

CPI(M), CPI Take Campaign to Doorsteps

IN Tamilnadu, the CPI(M) and the CPI are jointly contesting 18 Lok Sabha constituencies. It means nearly 110 assembly segments. They have nearly 25,000 cadres, including 2,000 women, in the field. These are from various walks of life.
These self-effacing, selfless and dedicated cadres of the two Left parties have spread to every nook and corner of the constituencies which the Left combine is contesting in the state. They and the supporters are working tirelessly for the victory of the Left nominees.

Scams & False Promises Backfire in Bengal

From Our Special Correspondent in Kolkata

Tripura Again Tops in MGNREGA Implementation

SHOWING an alternative path of development yet again, Tripura topped in the matter of MGNREGA implementation for the fourth time in a row. This success of the Left Front government of Tripura vindicates the dire need of establishing a government which could implement alternative, pro-people policies at the centre too. In the financial year 2012-13, the state stood first among the 28 Indian states for having provided each enrolled person 87 days of work a year on an average.

Syria: Armed Groups in Retreat

THE failure of the Geneva 11 talks, coupled with the deepening splits among the armed opposition groups, have further weakened the possibilities for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Syria. The conflict, which has now entered its third year, has cost the lives of more than 140,000 people. A third of the country’s population have been turned into refugees. The motley collection of rebel forces has been steadily losing ground since last year. They are also increasingly turning against each other.

Govt Unduly Favouring Employers: CITU

CITU president and a member of the Central Bureau of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), A K Padmanabhan, addressed on April 7, 2014, the following letter to Oscar Fernandes, minister for labour and employment in the government of India.

MB and the International Communist Movement

MAKINENI Basavapunnaiah was one of the shrewdest practitioners of Marxism-Leninism in our country. This year we are observing his birth centenary and April 12 is his 22nd death anniversary. MB, as he was called, is one of the best Marxist theoreticians produced by the Indian communist movement. He belongs to that generation of communists who built the Party virtually from scratch into a force to reckon. This was possible only due to a proper application of their theoretical knowledge to the practical conditions of the country.

Dalits, Elections… Ambedkar & Bhagat Singh

HOWEVER we may wish, we cannot do away with some formalities, more so if they present with an opportunity to be in news. Formalities like Jaitley and Amarinder Singh greeting each other, Digvijay Singh and Sushma Swaraj exchanging pleasantries or Modi accompanying Advani to file nomination. Similarly, on every April 14, Ambedkar's birth anniversary, leaders cutting across political divisions rush to pay their tributes.

On the BJP’s Election Manifesto

THERE is nothing surprising about a party that believes itself to be riding the crest of an electoral wave by appearing to be all things to all persons, delaying the release of its election manifesto almost until the elections have actually started. Since a manifesto is supposed to state what a party specifically stands for, the fear is that any such explicit statement would break the spell.

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