THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions in a statement issued on April 1 has registered its strong protest over the government’s decision to invest 5 to 15 per cent of workers PF accumulation in speculative share market, ignoring the total opposition to this by the entire trade union movement.
CONDEMNING the spurt in cases of murder, many of them due to caste issues, in Thirunelveli and Tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu, CPI(M) cadres observed one day's fast on March 31. Led by Party state secretary G Ramakrishnan, more than 2,000 cadres observed the fast at Jawahar Grounds, Palayamkottai in the city of Thirunelveli.Nearly 100 brutal murders have taken place in both the districts in the past 10 months. Of these, 25 per cent were due to caste related issues.
THE government in India continues to kow-tow to corporate lobbies at the cost of the environment and public health including occupational health. While always an integral part of ruling class politics in India, as witnessed in the seemingly never-ending saga of the Bhopal Gas Disaster, this has reached new heights under the BJP government led by PM Narendra Modi which is rapidly dismantling even the already weak environmental regulatory structure. Its mantra seems to be “development” at any cost.
THERE is a common perception that with the government accepting the recommendation of the Fourteenth Finance Commission to raise the share of the states in the divisible pool to 42 per cent, there has been a substantial increase in the resources available to the states; and that a new “progressive” era has dawned in the Indian economy, since the states, which are the main spenders on welfare and social sector activities, will now have more resources at their command. This perception is the very opposite of the truth. The Finance Commission’s raising the share of the
THE central executive committee (CEC) of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) met at the EMS Academy, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on March 29-30, 2015. The meeting, attended by 61 members from 18 states was presided over by its president Malini Bhattacharya.
YET another battle for defending democracy has started in West Bengal. In the ensuing elections to 91 municipalities and Kolkata Corporation, the ruling party has already launched a campaign of terror. As it has become a practice in West Bengal now in every election, the TMC initially targeted to capture as many municipalities as possible without contest. They have succeeded in Arambagh, Tarekeswar and Gayeshpur municipalities.
ON March 27, the Tripura Left Front Committee announced its list of candidates for the forthcoming elections of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), to be held in May. CPI(M) Tripura state secretary, Bijan Dhar released the list at a press conference. He was accompanied by CPI(M) state secretariat member Gautam Das, CPI leader Prashanta Kapali, RSP leader Dipak Deb and AIFB state secretary Shyamal Ray. Bijan Dhar said, like all other elections, the Left Front will fight this election unitedly.
Below we reproduce the text of the speech of CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, delivered on March 25, 2015, at the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of India.
HUNDREDS of activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a militant protest demonstration in front of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla on March 31, 2015. Similar such protests were held throughout the state, right from Poanta Sahib in the eastern part of the state to Chamba and from Kinnaur to Una. Huge demonstrations were held in Mandi, Kullu, Hamirpur, Solan,Nahan,Una, Kangra, Dharamshala, Baijnath, Joginder Nagar and several other Tehsil headquarters.