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UP: Blatant Lies of Development Exhorted by Modi

AS the UP elections draw closer, the visits of the prime minister to the state are becoming an almost everyday affair.  These visits are well-choreographed events with Narendra Modi alone at the centre whether under the focus of laser lights or on a high podium.  Each event is used to announce a plethora of ‘gifts’ to the people ranging from a spanking, shiny new look Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi to cash transfers to women’s SHGs.  These state-sponsored events are also utilised in the most brazen fashion to pour vitriol on opposition leaders, Akhilesh Yad

Linking Aadhaar with Voter ID: “Curation or Disenfranchisement”

IN the current context, we see the state mutating itself into a form that exerts greater control on the civilian population through surveillance infrastructure & mechanisms, which by the day is becoming a necessary condition to suit itself to serve the interests and needs of the big capital, paving the way for maximisation of profits for the market forces. The Aadhaar project is the lynchpin to crackdown on welfare measures and a necessary condition to carry forward the devastating reforms in the neo-liberal phase.

KARNATAKA: Bommai joins Yogi in the ‘Anti-Conversion’ Crusade!

IN Hindi movies, the powerful antagonist stops the marriage saying, “Ye shaadi nahi ho sakti!” This scene would highlight the complete disregard of individual choice and autonomy, the fact that the wedding has already been organised, guests present and all parties being willing participants. Anti-Conversion Bill introduced by Karnataka government precisely plays the role of the Bollywood baddie in real life.

On Raising Marrying Age for Women

THE central government is set to introduce a bill to raise the marriageable age for women to 21 years. Given its majority in parliament, this bill will probably become law. Yet there are so many important issues that require deeper consideration that the better course would be for the government to refer the bill to the relevant standing committee, instead of pushing it through.

The Alchemy of Sir Becoming Comrade...

THE place is Kothattai village in Cuddalore district. We have to travel a bit to reach the village from the main road and further walk over an uneven area to arrive at the Irula tribe's hutment. About 20 families are settled there. During the first wave of Covid, some relief work was done in their area and surroundings by the CPI(M) Parangipettai taluk committee. Soon after that, taluk committee secretary Ramesh Babu received a call from Ranjita belonging to the tribe.

Regressive Tendencies in Discourse on Sustainable Agriculture

TWO recent developments have drawn our attention to the urgent need to advance towards sustainable agricultural production. The first is the worsening state of food security in the last decade, as reported recently by the Global Hunger Index 2021 and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report, titled The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021. Food security, notes the Global Hunger Index report, “is under assault on multiple fronts.

Global Wealth Inequality Deepens, Pandemic Added to It

THE Global Inequality Report 2022, released last week, has confirmed what common people were painfully aware of – the rich have become richer and the poor have become even poorer. The report has marshalled an enormous amount of data from countries across the world to reveal that the richest 2,750 billionaires now own 3.5 per cent of world’s wealth while the poorest 388 crore people of the world (50 per cent of world’s population) own a mere 2 per cent of global wealth.

Com N Ramakrishnan, an Untiring Chronicler of the Party

WHEN it came to knowing about milestone events in the history of communist movement of India in general, and that of Tamil Nadu in particular, or to knowing about the lives of leaders dedicated to the cause of working class, it was to Comrade N Ramakrishnan, known among comrades as NR, that leaders and activists of the CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu invariably turned to. Sadly, Com NR passed away on December 12, 2021, leaving in shared grief the Party ranks.

7000 MW Solar Power from SECI Questionable & Detrimental

THE decision of the government of Andhra Pradesh to direct its DISCOMS to enter into long-term PPAs for purchasing 7000 MW or 17,000 MU solar power per annum from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for a period of 25 years in three tranches from September 2024 (3000 MW), September 2025 (3000 MW) and September 2026 (1000 MW) and granting approval to the proposal by APERC(Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission) within three days is questionable and detrimental to the interest of the state for various reasons.          

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