WEST BENGAL: Brutal Attack on Democracy

‘DACOITY in Daylight’, ‘Blood on the streets as Bengal goes to the polls in civic elections’, ‘Hide, Didi, Hide’, ‘ Unabated Lumpenraj’, ‘Elders stand up to goons of Trinamool in Bidhannagar’- these are some of the headlines in leading newspapers on October 4. They were reporting polls in three Corporations in West Bengal the day before.

Black Money Farce

NARENDRA Modi’s boastful claim that he will bring back all the black money stashed abroad is fast turning into a farce. Modi had promised during the Lok Sabha election, to bring the lakhs of crores of rupees illegally kept abroad. He had declared that when all this money comes home, every person in India would get Rs 15 lakhs. The government had got a legislation passed in parliament Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income & Assets) Imposition of Tax Act 2015.

West Bengal: War on the People

THERE was an all-out assault on democracy when elections to the Bidhannagar municipal corporation, the Greater Asansol corporation and the Bali corporation were held on October 3. Trinamul Congress gangs led by its leaders indulged in booth capturing and false voting. The elections in Salt Lake under the Bidhannagar corporation were completely falsified with fake voters being deployed from outside, attacks on genuine voters who tried to vote and assaults on journalists who sought to cover the rigging of the elections. The fact that 13 journalists were injured here shows the ferocity wit

Keep the Momentum Alive, says CITU Secretariat

THE full secretariat of the CITU met in New Delhi on September 23- 24, to have a preliminary review of the countrywide general strike on September 2, 2015 and formulate future tasks to carry the movement forward. 31 out of the total 35 secretariat members from all over the country attended the meeting. The initial assessment of the central trade unions that the strike was massive and unprecedented was endorsed by the full secretariat of the CITU.

Thailand: Deadliest Terror Attack

THAILAND experienced its deadliest terror attack on August 17 when a bomb went off at the Erawan Shrine. It is a popular Hindu and Buddhist shrine, frequented throughout the day by large numbers of tourists. 22 people were killed and more than 120 injured in the attack which was designed to cause maximum casualties. Many foreigners, seven of them from China and Hong Kong, were among those killed. Many of the wounded are also from China and Taiwan. Two unexploded bombs were discovered after the carnage.

Explaining the Rise of Rightwing Social Forces in India

THE unexpected and unprecedented expansion of the right wing social forces in India in the twenty first century deserves special attention and analysis because Indian rightists and “counter social revolutionary forces” are determined to destroy the idea of pluralist, secular and democratic India and replace it by an anti-people and anti-secularist full-fledged idea of “Hindu Nationhood”.

India’s Higher Education: Threat of Commercialisation

THERE are clear signals that India’s higher and technical education is being thrown open to ‘for profit’ private entities. The threat of global competition via the WTO route is already here, and it is likely to aggravate in future.Under WTO, educational services, particularly the tertiary educational services like higher education, are treated as globally tradable services.

Reckless Privatisation of Professional Education

THE All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to cut over 6,00,000 seats in engineering colleges across the country from the current 16.7 lakh to around 11 lakh. This move is being supposedly made due to the poor quality of engineering education, low ‘employability’ of the students graduating from these institutions, and the huge increase in the number of vacant seats.

First All India Convention of Sugarcane Growers Held

THE first all India convention of sugarcane growers, held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on September 27-28, resolved to organise militant struggles in front of sugar mills across the country on various issues. The first ever convention of the sugarcane growers was held under the direction of All India Kisan Council of the AIKS. It was a memorable and historic event in the Kisan movement of the country, held in the historic city of Madurai, which contributed immensely in building the Kisan movement.

Memo Submitted to NCW on Disabled Women’s Issues

THERE has been a manifold increase in the number of reported cases of sexual assaults against girls and women with disabilities. Considered as soft targets, disabled girls and women are more vulnerable to sexual assaults. While specific provisions are contained in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as well as the amendments to the criminal laws post Verma Committee with regard to disabled girls and women, it is a matter of grave concern that provisions contained therein are not implemented at all or are not implemented in full.

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