THE centre's decision to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant invited sharp opposition from people and political parties across Andhra Pradesh. RashtriyaIspat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is the largest public-sector industrial unit in the state creating employment opportunity for close to around 20,000 people directly and many other indirect employment opportunities.The presence of the steel plant led to the massive economic development of the city.

THE spur-of-the-moment lockdown thrust upon the people of this country has pushed the common people in situations unseen and unheard of before. The poor and the marginalised have been fighting a losing battle for survival. Millions have been rendered jobless and millions forced to do menial jobs. The struggle to remain afloat has been never-ending and tedious.In all this, women have been the worst hit. The lockdown has only fortified the glass ceiling for the country’s female workforce. They were the first to lose jobs when big, medium, small and micro enterprises decided to downsize.

AFTER the massive nationwide success of the road blockades (chakka jaam) on February 6, and the series of mahapanchayats in various states in North India, both actions that mobilised lakhs of farmers against the adamant and heartless BJP government at the centre, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) in its meeting held on February 10 gave a multiple call for intensifying the countrywide struggle for the repeal of the three farm laws and for an MSP law.

A NATIONAL CONVENTION on ‘Unemployment, Job Losses and Deteriorating Quality of Employment’ was held jointly by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) at BTR Bhawan in Delhi on February 2, 2021. More than 300 delegates from across the country, comprising the national and state leadership of the three organisations, participated in the convention.

SUCH fascistic State repression has never been witnessed in India for the last several decades. In the wake of the BJP-RSS government-sponsored conspiracy of violence on Republic Day, that was outlined in these columns last week, the Modi regime has begun a massive crackdown on the historic farmers’ struggle, which will soon complete 75 days. The government and its police have now turned the three farmers’ protest sites at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur into open jails. The ‘annadatas’ of our country are being treated as foreign invaders.