New Thrust to International Solidarity

THE 18th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) saw a renewed vigor and determination in the resolve to work together in the coming days. This is quite natural as the IMCWP was held for the first time in a socialist country, Vietnam, ever since the process began with the first meeting held in 1999 in Greece.India can legitimately claim to have given the inspiration for this idea as the CPI(M) organised an international seminar on the 'Contemporary World Situation and the Validity of Marxism' in 1993, coinciding with the 175th birth anniversary of Karl Marx.

Towards the Eleventh Conference of AIDWA

1981 to 2016 – these thirty-five years span AIDWA’s progress so far from struggle to struggle towards its objective of ‘Democracy, Equality and Women’s Emancipation’. As AIDWA completes its thirty-fifth year, it also prepares for its 11th triennial conference to be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from December 10-14, 2016.

CPI(M) Holds Workshop on Caste Oppression for Hindi States

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a two-day workshop on caste oppression for the Hindi speaking states. 68 comrades from 10 states attended the workshop. The workshop underscored that for developing the Party and the Left and democratic movement in the Hindi-speaking states, it is essential to take up social issues. Among the various social problems, the major issue is of the deep-rooted caste system and the caste oppression engendered by it. Class exploitation and caste oppression are inextricably intertwined.

Mid day Meal Workers Hold Padav in New Delhi

MID Day Meal Workers, at the call of the Mid Day Meal Workers’ Federation of India, held a big ‘Padav’ at Parliament Street in New Delhi on November 10-11, 2016, against the move to dismantle the School Mid Day Meal Scheme and for the long pending demands of minimum wages and social security for the 25 lakh mid day meal workers.Modi led NDA government has in the last two years cut the budget allocation for the MDM scheme by one-third.

Was BJP Aware of Note Ban Decision?

WHILE the nation grapples with worthless 500 and 1000 rupee notes which have lost their premier value as legal tenders from the midnight of November 8-9, the prime minister’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal has proved to be a smart Alec. In the afternoon of November 8th the Kolkata’s Central Avenue branch of the Indian Bank (Branch code: 00C004; IFS Code; ID IB 000C004; MICR Code: 700019008) received a deposit of Rs 60 lakhs, all in the denomination of 1,000 rupee notes.

Thinking Together

What is the CPI (M)’s critique of the Modi government’s demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes. Is it not a step to root out black money in the economy?Raghunathan, CoimbatoreLET us examine the claims made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he declared the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. He said that “corruption, black money and terrorism are festering sores” and demonetisation “will strengthen the hands of the common man in the fight against corruption, black money and fake currency”.

The Chimera of a Cashless Economy

A SECONDARY justification for the demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes, apart from its presumed deterring effect on “black money”, is that it ushers in a move towards a “cashless” economy. This argument too, however, like the perception that “black money” is just held in the form of a hoard of currency notes, is staggering in its simple-mindedness.All money consists of the liability of the banking system. (The only exception was the one-rupee note which was the liability of the Government of India, but its amount, always small, has now dwindled into insignificance).

Syria: First Anniversary of Russian Military intervention

IT was at the end of September last year that Russia in a surprise move dispatched its planes and troops to Syria at the request of the government in Damascus. The jihadi forces and their western backed allies were intent on delivering the coup d'grace to the legitimate secular government before the end of that year. More territory and towns, including the historic city of Palmyra, had fallen to the terrorist Daesh (IS) and the Jabhat al Nusra Front. Washington and its allies were waiting for the much heralded regime change in Syria even as the country was awash in blood and suffering.

Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on November 15. It has issued the following statement: WITHDRAWAL OF RS 1000/500 NOTES: CRISIS OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS The Polit Bureau heard reports from various states about the effects of the withdrawal of the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes. The reports indicate that there has been a total disruption of the payments and settlements system and has impacted all citizens in one way or the other. In the rural areas, the crisis is much more grave. Markets are closed in various places.

Chaotic Situation

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 14.THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses serious concern at the hardships faced by the ordinary people because of the haphazard manner in which the central government handled its demonitisation decision.The day-to-day life of every section of the common people has been thrown out of gear because the government had not taken the requisite and appropriate steps in advance to meet the contingency.

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