THE Chhattisgarh state conference of Samyukt Kisan Morcha was held in Raipur on September 20. The conference saw participation from over 300 representatives representing more than 20 organisations actively engaged in working with farmers, tribals, dalits, and those affected by displacement in Chhattisgarh.
THE Association of Progressive and Democratic Organizations of British Columbia and the Indo-Canadian Association (Canada) have given a memorandum to the minister of external affairs, government of India, through the consul general, Indian consulate, Vancouver, Canada, on September 28, urging urgent restoration of visa services for Canadian nationals.
CHANGING production structures, pervasive intermittent employment and rising income inequalities have necessitated a discussion on income protection in different forms. Sometimes it is designed for a particular group or segment of population on condition of satisfying certain social behaviours or fulfilling human development goals. In others they are conceived as unconditional and universal claiming to protect a minimum income for the citizens at large.
The BJP’s now nine year rule at the centre starting from 2014 has given us what its economic philosophy and its practice is: the destruction of the planned development of the country, its statistical system, accompanied by the enormous growth of inequalities within the country. While the country’s economic growth has continued, though not at the pace it claims and certainly lower than the earlier years, it has largely benefited the rich.
THE Madras High Court’s judgment, on September 29, 2023, upholding the human rights of the people of Vachathi in Tamil Nadu is remarkable – as a constitutional court, it unmasked and recognised that coordinated and large-scale repression by uniformed forces cannot take place without orders from or complicity at the top levels of the government.The court said, “In order to safeguard the actual smugglers and the big-shots, the revenue officers, police officials and also the forest officials, with the help of the then government, played a big stage drama (sic), in which the innocent tribal wom
IN order to take the message of the Left and democratic forces of Tamil Nadu to the people of the southern-most districts in the state, the fifth edition of Theekkathir was launched from Tirunelveli (Nellai) on September 22. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat inaugurated the edition.
A SPECIAL session of parliament commenced on September 18 and concluded on September 21. During the session, one bill was introduced and passed – the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, or the women’s reservation bill, to reserve a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.
THE state committee of the CPI(M) organised a three-day political camp from September 19-21, in the scenic town of Rajgir, a town with historical significance as the seat of the Magadh empire and pivotal in Jain and Buddhist religions. Rajgir is renowned for its association with the ancient Nalanda University and other historical movements.
THE crisis in education has been mounting since the lockdown announced to contain the Covid-19 epidemic. All institutions, offices and organisations including all educational institutions were closed down. In the field of education, online teaching and learning was introduced during the lockdown period, which was accessed largely by the urban rich students; students belonging to poor families, particularly in rural areas could not avail of this option due to unaffordability and inaccessibility.
THE president of US, Joe Biden visited the picket lines of the striking workers on September 26, 2023 and expressed his solidarity. This is big news and should have found a prominent mention in the media all over the world. The president of the most advanced capitalist country and leader of the imperialist pack, expressing his support to workers is after all not a small matter.