UK General Elections 2017: Youth Awakens

ONE of the biggest gambles by any sitting prime minister in the history of British politics has spectacularly backfired on the cautious Prime Minster Theresa May.When May called a snap general election, she required a change of legislation to repeal the fixed time parliament that had three years to run.The main opposition parties of Labour and the Scottish National Party were confronted with Hobson’s choice to either endorse the call for an early election or be highlighted as running scared of the will of the people.Theresa May influenced by opinion polls that were placing the Conservative

CITU Congratulates Bengal Tea Garden Workers for Heroic Strike

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on June 15, has congratulated the tea garden workers of West Bengal for successful two-day strike action on June 12-13, demanding enhancement and implementation of statutory minimum wage.

United Actions against Anti-Peasant BJP Governments

FARMERS across the country joined in a united action of solidarity and militant protests against the brutal killing of six people in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh and against the anti-farmer policies of the BJP government. On June 16, in many places, farmers blocked roads, burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.According to reports, protests were held in all the 355 blocks in West Bengal with huge participation of people.

BJP Govt Mocks Peasant Protests by Announcing MSP below Cost of Production

AMIDST countrywide protests by farmers demanding fixing minimum support prices according to Swaminathan Commission recommendation of cost of cultivation (C2)+50 per cent ie, at least 50 per cent over and above the cost of production, the BJP government has made a mockery of the peasantry by announcing MSP of kharif crops for 2017-18, which is even far below cost of production. AIKS, in a statement issued on June 19, has condemned this insensitive move and approach of the BJP government towards the plight of the peasantry.There are a few things to be noted.

Rajasthan: Another Lynching

UNDER the BJP government in Rajasthan, killing by lynching is becoming a common occurrence. The latest shocking incident is the killing of Zafar Hussein, a CPI(ML) worker and trade union activist.

Why Presidential Contest?

THE nomination of Ram Nath Kovind as the presidential candidate of the BJP alliance confirms the expectation that the RSS would not let this opportunity slip by to place one of its men in the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the first time.The choice of Kovind is sought to be projected as the concern of the BJP for a dalit to occupy the highest office in the land.

Darjeeling: Hold Tripartite Talks

DARJEELING hills have been engulfed in a violent agitation which has paralysed normal life. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) call for an indefinite strike has shut down all activities. Three GJM supporters have died as a result of police firing and one police officer was killed.The GJM has revived its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. The agitation was sparked off by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s provocative statement that Bengali would be taught compulsorily in all schools in the state.

AIKS Team Meets Families of Farmers Killed in Mandsaur Police Firing

AN All India Kisan Sabha team visited Mandsaur on June 14 and met the families of farmers killed in police firing. They met the families of two martyrs Chain Ram Patidar (aged 23 years) at Nayakheda village in Neemuch district and Abhishek Patidar (aged 17 years) at Barkheda Panth in Mandsaur district and conveyed their condolences. The team met farmers and expressed solidarity with their struggle. Farmers explained their situation and said that unprovoked firing was with an intention to kill. Most of the injuries were above the waist, on the chest, head etc.

All-India Conference of Road Transport Workers’ Federation Held

THE 10TH national conference of the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF) was held in Visakhapatnam from June 4 to June 6. It began with a rally of 5,000-strong workers, which culminated with an open meeting at the Gandhi statue near the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation office. The delegate session was held at the Kalabharathi Auditorium in Maddilapalem, which was named as Sujit Das Nagar in memory of the founder-general secretary of the federation.

South Korea’s New President Aims to Restore Calm in the Korean Peninsula

THE victory of Moon Jae-in, former trade unionist and human rights activist in South Korea's presidential polls with a large majority, is the first bit of refreshing news to come out of the Korean peninsula this year. The region has been witnessing political turmoil and military tensions since last year. The newly elected president had vowed on the campaign trail that his first priory would be to restore calm in the Korean peninsula.

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