West Bengal: Farcical Panchayat Elections

THE three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal have seen a repetition of an escalating scale of violence and intimidation unleashed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on their political opponents and against people who were perceived to be voting against it. At every stage of the polling process – from filing of nominations, campaigning, the polling day on July 8 and the counting day on July 11 – there were attacks on candidates, supporters of opposition parties, intimidation and prevention of voters going to polling booths, capturing of ballot boxes and polling booths and large-scale manip

R Umanath: A Towering Communist

COMRADE R Umanath’s centenary was held on April 25, 2023 at Pudukkottai district. CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan, Central Committee member, U Vasuki, state committee members S Sridhar, IV Nagarajan, M Chinnadurai MLA, M Jayaseelan, R Raja, Sami Natarajan, Sinnai, Pandiyan, S Kavivarman, district committee leaders and around 1000 comrades participated in the centenary celebrations.Comrade R Umanath who is affectionately remembered as RU was one of the most important stalwarts of the Communist movement in Tamilnadu state. His work had deep imprints beyond Tamilnadu also.

Third World External Debt in the Light of Simple Economics

INDIA and other third world countries can morally justify their being a part of G-20 alongside the imperialist powers, only if they raise common and pressing problems of the third world as a whole at G-20 meetings. Perhaps the most pressing of such problems today is the problem of external debt, which the current crisis of neo-liberal capitalism has brought to the forefront. India, as the chairman and host of the next G-20 meet, must raise the issue of relief from external debt for the third world at this meet.

Solidarity with the People of West Bengal Struggling for Democracy

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 12THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is outraged at the developments in West Bengal in the wake of the counting process of the votes cast by the people for the three-tier panchayats in the state. The state administration and the state Election Commission, acting in complicity with the ruling party, engaged in large-scale falsification of the choice exercised by the people, violating the orders of the State Election Commission.

Punjab: Bal Sangam Workshop Held at Chandigarh

A ONE-day Bal Sangam workshop was organised at Cheema Bhawan, Chandigarh, on June 23, 2023. More than 100 boys and girls from ten districts of Punjab participated in the workshop. They mainly belonged to the age group of 12-18, but a few were even less than 10 years old. MA Baby, CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member and former education minister of Kerala, highlighted the importance of sports, music, dance, cultural activities, and entertainment in addition to studies in the lives of students.

Greeting the People of West Bengal on their Courageous Resistance

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on July 11THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) congratulates the people of West Bengal, the Left Front and other democratic forces who have shown extreme courage and resilience in fighting back the unprecedented violence unleashed by the TMC and the obnoxious partisan role played by the state administration and the state Election Commission during the panchayat elections held on July 8 across the state. Sixty people have been killed and hundreds injured in course of the electoral battle.T

Consumption Growth Slows but Corporates Bag High Profits

THE recent press release by the National Statistical Office on the provisional estimates of National Income quarterly estimates for the fourth quarter (January to March) together with the provisional estimates for the year 2022-23 deserves attention. It provides estimates for GDP and related figures of 2022-23 in current and constant 2011-12 prices with the corresponding figures of 2020-21 (2nd Revised estimates) and of 2021-22 (1st Revised Estimates).The crucial headlines of the statistics from the recent press release are the following.

Crying Need for Universal Pension in India

India has low pension coverage and the pension system is unable to fulfill its purpose. A non-contributory basic pension can guarantee a regular income in old age to all residents of the country, regardless of earning or occupation. A state convention organised by the Kerala unit of the All India Insurance Pensioners Association (AIIPA) at EMS Town Hall, Ernakulam, demanded introduction of non-contributory basic pension that will guarantee a regular income in old age to all residents.Prof.

Disabled Persons Protest Non-Revision of Pensions Since 2011

HUNDREDS of disabled people from various states in India assembled at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on June 10, protesting against the union government’s refusal to enhance disability pensions, provide other social security measures or Antayodaya Anna Yojana cards, or jobs under MNREGA, etc. The protest was organised by the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), an affiliating body of state-level disability rights organisations.A six-member delegation met the secretary of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (DEPwD) Rajesh Aggarwal, and submitted a detail

Karnataka: Electricity Reforms will Ruin Development

THE Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which aims to accelerate electricity privatisation, will jeopardise the 'Gruhajyothi' scheme. This scheme guarantees 200 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers. The amendment will not only increase the cost of electricity but also pose a threat to the electricity sector and hinder industrial development. Therefore, the Congress government of Karnataka should pass a resolution in the current assembly session stating their refusal to implement the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the state.

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