Under the guise of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), a massive financial loot is underway surrendering public wealth and the hard-earned savings of ordinary citizens to large corporations. The unbelievable settlement that financial institutions were prepared to grant Subhash Chandra, founder of the Essel/Zee Group and former Rajya Sabha MP, lays bare the true face of this daylight robbery.

SUBHASH CHANDRA’S NEAR-TOTAL HAIRCUT

ONE A Rajappa and other workers who were employed by Bangalore Water Supply & Sewage Board (BWSSB) were imposed penalty on a disciplinary issue in 1972. The Industrial Disputes Act 1947 (ID Act) Section 33(C)(2) entitled workers to seek justice against the arbitrary action of imposition and deduction of penalty by the employer.

The Modi government’s move to impose charges on UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions is an attack on ordinary people. On August 6, the government passed the bill in the Lok Sabha to allow charges on payments made through UPI apps.

This bill was passed without hearing the views of the opposition and without any debate. It was pushed through by voice vote in an authoritarian manner. Through this amendment, the government is punishing ordinary people by collecting charges from them and handing over the benefits to corporates.

FOR the entire duration of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, we were at Jantar Mantar, participating in the continuous dharna demanding the immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. Our demand was clear: implement women’s reservation now. Do not link it to the census or delimitation.

IT was in December 1992 that I had a direct interaction with Com. Fidel Castro. As part of the delegation led by Com. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the then General Secretary of the CPI(M), I had travelled to Cuba to receive the Caribbean Princess, which had sailed from Haldia to Havana. The relief ship was carrying more than 10,000 tonnes of wheat raised by Indian farmers and workers, during Cuba’s severe economic ‘Special Period’, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.