EFFORTS to convert societies into cashless economies gathered traction since the 2008 global economic crisis. Finance capital felt that this is a necessary transition to be made in order to overcome the deep-rooted crisis that is continuing in spite of, and in addition to, the various steps already undertaken.

“THERE can be no alternative to socialism in the history of human civilisation”, said veteran CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. He was speaking on the occasion of Ganashakti, the daily organ of CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee, completing its 50 years of glorious existence. To commemorate the occasion, a special gathering was organised at Promode Dasgupta Bhavan, the Kolkata district headquarters of CPI(M) on January 3, 2017.

RECENT cases of action against adivasi rights activists, lawyers and intellectuals have shown that demonetisation has become one more tool of State repression. At the start of the demonetisation drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed that this measure would strike at the root of the funding to ‘terrorist groups and maoist insurgents”. This claim was further buttressed by unverified police media leak that the ‘maoists’ had stashed rupees seven thousand crores in the jungles and were now forcing villagers and sympathisers to exchange their old notes for new ones.

A WELL attended public meeting called by the CPI(M) was held in Kathputli Colony on December 2. It was addressed by Brinda Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member. State CPI(M) leaders, Nathu Prasad, Asha Sharma and Pushpinder Grewal as well as members of the Party’s Karol Bagh committee were present. The police refused to permit use of loudspeakers and the meeting was held without a mike. Some DDA officials and agents of the private builder (Raheja Constructions) tried to disturb the meeting and disrupt people’s unity against the PPP project in the area.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on December 29, has denounced the retrograde decision of the union cabinet to wind-up two public sector drug companies – IDPL and RDPL and to privatise two more -- Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd and Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL).The most dubious is the game plan of selling the huge land assets at prime locations at the disposal of IDPL and RDPL which could be utilised for funding the revival and revamping of the long ailing sick PSUs like IDPL and RDPL.