AIDWA Calls for Movement on Mass Issues Concerning Women

THE AIDWA central executive committee (CEC) meeting held on June 30-July 1-2, 2017 in Bengaluru took several important decisions to take forward the movement on mass issues concerning women. 75 out of 99 CEC members and 8 out of 12 special invitees from all states attended this meeting. The central secretariat meeting was held prior to the CEC.The AIDWA Karnataka state committee had made excellent arrangements.

Artists Condemn CBFC’s Censorship

EXPRESSING shock and anger at the recent Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) demand that certain words be excised from a film based on the work of the Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, many academics, artists and cultural activists issued a statement on July 13, condemning this censorship.

West Bengal: Another Round of Study Circle

A TWO day study circle on Party Constitution and Organisation will be organiSed in West Bengal on August 5-6. All CPI(M) branches will hold this study circle on those two days throughout the state. This will be a follow up to the first of this kind held on March 19, on Party Programme. The unique experiment in March created an enthusiasm among the Party cadres and there was a demand for more such initiatives at Party education.In West Bengal, the birth anniversary of Muzaffar Ahmad is celebrated on August 5.

Thinking Together

Q: In the background of competitive communalism by the TMC and the BJP in West Bengal what is our approach to revive the Left? Can you explain?K Raju, TrichyA: The recent communal violence in Bashirhat in North 24 Parganas district is an example of the growing communal activities which are taking place in West Bengal. The BJP and RSS have been conducting communal activities through various organisations like the Hindu Jagran Manch, Hindu Sanhati Manch and so on. Communal clashes took place in Dhulagarh, Chandranagar and other places.

Fourteenth Congress of the SACP Held Successfully

THE 14th Congress of the South African Communist Party (SACP) held in Birchwood Conference Centre, Ekurhuleni, near Pretoria from July 10-15, 2017 was a resounding success. The key slogan was: `Defend, Advance, Deepen the National Democratic Revolution and the Vanguard Role of the SACP’. The key task focused by the party was to anchor its medium term strategic outlook around driving a second and more radical phase of the transition in the country with the demonopolisation of the economy of South Africa. One of the core points of the debate in the SACP Congress was the future of t

Taxing Disability:Finance Ministry’s Misleading Response

AFTER several protests and noises over the ill-advised move to impose GST on a range of aids and appliances used by the disabled, finally the government responded and issued a press statement on July 4. What we get as a clarification is a misrepresentation of facts and an attempt to mislead the gullible.Even while the figures are disputed, the 2011 census places the count of the disabled population in the country at 2.1 per cent of the population. The vast majority of them come from poor economic backgrounds which is one of leading causes for disability.

Malabar Naval Exercises: In Whose Interests?

THE Malabar joint naval exercises held off the Chennai coast has concluded. This 21st edition of the Malabar exercises saw the participation of the US, Indian and Japanese naval forces. This was one of the largest joint naval exercises in the region involving 16 ships, two submarines and 95 aircraft from the three countries.The joint naval exercise between the United States and India began in 1992 and it marked the beginning of the military collaboration between the two countries.

SFI Demands Immediate Withdrawal of Added Taxation on Sanitary Napkins

THE Students’ Federation of India, in a statement issued on July 10, has demanded an immediate withdrawal of the added taxation on sanitary napkins and ensure the maximum reach of the menstrual protection tools at lowest prices. In the recent GST effected by the Modi government, sanitary pads are considered as luxury items and taxed accordingly, when the reality is that these are a basic necessity for a woman’s healthy life.

Flogging a Lie to Undermine Public Healthcare

THREE seemingly unconnected developments in the past weeks are emblematic of the current approach to public services in general and healthcare services in particular.The first development pertains to the Institute for Liver and Biliary Services (ILBS), in Delhi, where workers, including nursing staff have been on agitation for better working conditions. Recently one of the leaders of the agitating workers has been handed a termination letter, and workers were forced to go on hunger strike.

The Most Unkindest Cut of All

CAN any Indian citizen imagine in his wildest dream that the central government will contemplate to liquidate the State Bank of India, the largest public sector bank in our country, doing yeomen service to the common man, serving more than 25 crore account holders and commanding one third of the total banking business? Can anyone think that the government at the centre will attempt to close down Life Insurance Corporation of India, the largest public sector insurance company with no match in the private sector and which has doubled its contribution to the 12th Five Year Plan compared to th

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