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Vande Mataram – BJP/RSS Ploy to Befool People

AN ironic but unsurprising coincidence marked the beginning of the winter session of Parliament. The Modi government decided to have a long discussion on ‘Vande Mataram’, which PM Modi, Amit Shah and others from the government side used to sing paeans of fulsome praise for the nationalism and sacrifice of freedom fighters inspired by the National Song, A few days later, the Modi Cabinet announced that 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) would be allowed in the insurance sector, up from the current 74 per cent.

Salil Chowdhury - Musical Child of Indian Communism

SALIL Chowdhury has completed a hundred years. The entire nation knows him as a legendary composer. Today’s celebrated music directors like A.R. Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja regard him as their guru. The debt popular music owes him is true enough—but it is not his whole identity. His contributions are spread across literature—poetry, stories, drama—and cinema. It is also important to remember that in one phase of his life, he was an active political worker and organiser. He worked among some of the most marginalised sections of society. He was at the centre of militant peasant struggles.

Workers Will Emerge Victorious

The history of the workers’ movement is intertwined with acts of extraordinary courage and sacrifice by working people the world over – struggles that ripped apart the chains of unending toil and established workers’ rights, including the 8-hour work day and the right to collective bargaining. This proud legacy has its roots in the 1893 Chicago strike and the events of Haymarket Square, where workers demanding ‘eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will’ were met with brutal repression but ultimately ignited a global movement.

Concerns on GDP Estimates: IMF and Beyond

THE second quarter (Q2-July-September) estimates of GDP released by the government on November 28 estimate real GDP growth of 8.2 per cent and nominal growth of 8.7 per cent with an implicit inflation rate of 0.5 per cent. This estimated growth is higher than 5.6 per cent for Q2 of 2024-25 but lower than the Q2 figure of 2022-23, 9.3 per cent. The government claims that due to GST reforms, good harvest and low food inflation the headline inflation rate is low.

LIC-Adani Saga: A Bid to Kill the Golden Goose

THE Washington Post published an investigative report on October 29, 2025, claiming that the Indian government had unofficially directed LIC to invest $3.9 billion in the embattled Adani Group. It is important to lay out the facts for the public to realise the challenges that LIC may have to face in future. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), the biggest public sector undertaking in India, holds 65 per cent of market share even today, despite facing tough competition from 25 private life insurance companies including foreign ones for the past 26 years.

Unite to Combat Trump’s Tariff Terrorism!

The imperialist US under President Donald Trump has started a full-fledged campaign of tariff terrorism against not only India but also several other countries. Trump has imposed the highest 50% additional tariffs on Indian exports to the US. Brazil is the only other country to have been slapped with such high tariffs. At the same time, Trump wants India to sign an agreement for free trade with almost nil tariffs on US exports to India.Tariff means an entry tax on imports at the border, what we generally call import duty.

People’s Confidence Will Defeat Terrorism, Not Collective Blame

SOME words become heavy with meaning. For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the word "terrorism" is one of them. When used carelessly, it stops being just a word for a violent act and becomes a label for an entire community. It becomes a lens that distorts how people see them, making their hopes seem suspicious and their pain seem less important.The recent heinous terrorist acts in Pahalgam and Delhi cannot be but condemned by all shades of opinions. It reminds us of a deep and painful process of tragic events in Kashmir since 1990. The loss of precious innocent lives is a tragedy.

People’s Confidence Will Defeat Terrorism, Not Collective Blame

SOME words become heavy with meaning. For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the word "terrorism" is one of them. When used carelessly, it stops being just a word for a violent act and becomes a label for an entire community. It becomes a lens that distorts how people see them, making their hopes seem suspicious and their pain seem less important.The recent heinous terrorist acts in Pahalgam and Delhi cannot be but condemned by all shades of opinions. It reminds us of a deep and painful process of tragic events in Kashmir since 1990. The loss of precious innocent lives is a tragedy.

RSS – Caged in Patriarchy

Of late, RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat has been toiling away trying to burnish the image of his organisation on its foundation centenary. He has been giving long lectures to audiences of ‘learned’ or ‘eminent’ people – mostly RSS sympathisers – explaining the ideology of the RSS. The objective is to portray the RSS as a nationalist organization, committed to spreading harmony and universal brotherhood, drawing upon the wellspring of Hindutva or Sanatan Dharma.

Shram Shakti Niti 2025 is anti-labour

THE Modi government has published a draft labour policy -- Shram Shakti Niti 2025. The policy document gives rise to a host of questions. What is the objective of this policy? What should be the labour policy? Is everything contained in ancient texts like Manusmriti? Is there a special Indian concept of labour? The labour department is responsible for resolving disputes through methods such as enforcement of labour laws, inspections, mediation between management and trade unions, reaching compromises, and adjudication. Laws were made to protect the rights of workers.

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