TO facilitate its agenda of wholesale privatisation, the Modi government brought in the Essential Defence Services Ordinance, 2021. The President of India promulgated it under the garb of “maintaining the essential defence services”. But its real aim is to throttle any strike and protest by defence civilian employees’ federations amid continued opposition to the government’s move to dismantle the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and corporatise the 41 ordnance factories situated across the country into seven companies so as to paveway for their ultimate privatisation.
EXTENDED pandemic crisis has disrupted the lives of millions and we understand that its impact is not the same for all. In the midst of this crisis, rising cases of sexual harassment of school children are being reported in Tamil Nadu. This shocking reality hit the public consciousness after a few teachers were accused of sexually harassing girl students by alumnae of not just one school but from some of the most reputed schools in Chennai like Padma Seshadri Bala Bavan (PSBB), Sushil Hari International Residential School, Chettinad Vidyasharam and so on.
THE reason behind the merger and acquisition of nationalised banks in our country is now clear. It is another surrender to the corporate demands for disinvestment of nationalised banks in India. A meeting was held recently under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary of central government- a high-power committee.
The chronology suggests new security collaboration initiated with Israel during NSO Ajit Doval’s visit in March, 2017 preparatory to Modi’s visitTHE Pegasus spyware scandal is not just a case of violation of privacy, or illegal surveillance or snooping by security agencies. It is all that, and much more. The Pegasus is military grade spyware which takes surveillance and hacking to a new level altogether. The bigger picture must not be obscured.The Pegasus usage is part of the larger authoritarian architecture that has been built up over the past seven years.
CITU, AIKS & AIAWU to observe August 9 as ‘Save India’ DayAUGUST 9 is an important day in our struggle for independence. It was on that day in 1942 that hundreds of thousands of people of our country came out on to the streets demanding the British imperialists ‘Quit India’, responding to the call for a ‘Do or Die’ battle to attain independence.The country is now getting ready to celebrate 75 years of independence.
BORN on July 15, 1922, Comrade N Sankaraiah, widely known as NS, enters the hundredth year of his life on July 15, 2021. He has made his mark as a versatile leader in the fields of politics, society, economy, ideology, culture and so on. His life is a model of what it means to be a communist both in the political arena and in family life that continues to guide and inspire us.While in his teens, NS was attracted to the self respect movement with its policies of social reform and atheism. It was a time when there was an upsurge in the national movement for freedom.
TRADE unions and other mass organisation leaders reiterated that the agitation will go on to protect the Vizag Steel Plant in the public sector. Huge rally and public meetings were organised in Visakhapatnam on July 10, on completion of 100 days of the relay hunger strike camp run by trade unions and various mass organisations at Gandhi statue near GVMC office.A scooter rally started from the Steel Plant and thousands of workers and people joined it on the way, which culminated at the public meeting.
A VILLAGE in Faridabad, Haryana on the outskirts of Delhi has been in news. Houses here, constructed by workers with great difficulties, are being demolished by bulldozers. What is the issue?In the middle of skyscrapers, flats, hotels and marriage palaces constructed by big business people, nearly 150 acres of land can be called a village or a basti. This basti was developed in the last 30-35 years, and there are around 10,000-12,000 houses. These are all pucca houses.Recently, on June 7, Supreme Court ordered the demolition of the village and ordered the unauthorised houses to be vacated.
IT came like a bolt from the blue – the news of Mahendra Singh’s sudden demise by heart attack in Mumbai on the morning of July 4, 2021. It was unbelievable and shattering. Just the previous evening he had guided a CITU meeting at the Bhandup office. A week ago, on June 26, he led the joint demonstration at the historic August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai to mark the ‘Save Agriculture, Save Democracy’ nationwide call and led the delegation that met the governor of Maharashtra. He told the governor to his face that his BJP-RSS central government was running an undeclared emergency.