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,
THE Modi government's new Bill, the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 (passed by Lok Sabha on December 17 and under discussion in Rajya Sabha), effectively gives a free pass to the suppliers of nuclear plant and equipment. Even if their faulty equipment causes a nuclear accident, the liability will be solely with the nuclear plant's owner.
OF late, there have been several academic papers and media write-ups on the World Bank’s 2025 claim of steeply declining extreme poverty in the world, especially in Asia. It would be wonderful if this was true, but it is not true. This claim is spurious, arising from a statistical legerdemain that the Bank and governments have practised for many decades, ignoring all criticism. For half a century they have...
AFTER forcefully pushing through the Labour Codes, the BJP led Central Government has now targeted the rural working class and introduced the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (‘VB - G Ram G’) Bill, to snatch away Right to Work. This Bill is going to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.
PROJECTED as a reform to enhance quality and governance, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 is the legislative culmination of the NEP 2020 project. It centralises control over higher education, erodes federalism and institutional autonomy, facilitates corporatisation and commercialisation, and embeds a Hindutva-driven ideological agenda under the guise of Indian Knowledge Systems....
THE arrival of northern winter winds in West Bengal has heralded more than just a drop in temperature; it has marked the launch of a significant political movement: the "Bangla Bachao Yatra" (Save Bengal March). The March began on November 29, in Tufanganj, Cooch Behar, with a cultural homage to the pluralistic legacies of figures like Abbasuddin Ahmed and Panchanan Barma. Even as the temperature falls, the...
The CPI(M) State Secretariat said in a statement that it will conduct a detailed review into the unexpected setback in the local body elections. The party has moved forward by conducting proper reviews at all stages and making necessary corrections. Through this, the party has a history of regaining more trust. In the 2010 local body elections, it won only 6 district panchayats. Now it has increased to seven...
IN the second week of the Winter Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. Taking part in the debate in the Rajya Sabha, V Sivadasan said the occasion reminds us of the history of the great national movement. The stanza of the poem is not only to salute the soil of the nation but also to salute the fighting spirit of the masses.
ON 14 December, the predictable happened: José Antonio Kast, the candidate of the far-right Republican Party, prevailed in the presidential election over Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party of Chile by 58.16 per cent to 41.84 per cent. Kast ran as the candidate of the Cambio por Chile (Change for Chile) platform and was backed by all the parties of the traditional right and the centre-right. Jara, on the other hand, was the candidate of Unidad por Chile (Unity...
I WRITE to draw your urgent attention to the role of the UP Governor in the matter of the mob lynching case of Md. Akhlaq which occurred in September 2015. The Governor has given written permission to the UP Government to go ahead in its wholly illegal and unjust attempt to subvert the processes of justice and to withdraw the entire case even though the main witness has already given...
Concert for Palestine in KolkataOn November 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, the Palestine Solidarity Initiative hosted a "Concert for Palestine" in Kolkata's central business district, Esplanade. The venue, in front of the Oberoi Grand, was draped with strings of Palestinian and Indian chain flags. |
Protests against Government decision to implement Labour CodesProtests in Tripura against attack on rally by BJP goons A large number of people took to the streets in Tripura to vent their anger against the barbaric attack on a procession by BJP-backed goons in Dharmanagar right in front of police on November 26, in which 12 people including former CPI(M) MLA Amitabha Datta and senior party... |
Stop Flawed SIRCPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 29, 2025THE CPI(M) reiterates its strong opposition to the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls is being carried out across the country. |
Stop the SIR in Andhra Pradesh immediatelyThe round table meeting held at M. B. Vijnana Kendram, Vijayawada, unanimously demanded that the state and central governments stop the programme of Special Intensive Revision of the voters list in Andhra Pradesh. |
The BJP Playbook to Hand Over Power Sector to Private PlayersThe BJP’s anti-farmer face always gets exposed despite its numerous farmer-friendly announcements, advertisements, and claims. This time, the BJP’s mask has been removed by power companies. An order was issued stating that if electricity is supplied to farmers for even one minute longer than 10 hours, the salary of the supplier employee will be deducted.... |
