DELHI: Declare Right to Work as Fundamental Right, Unions Demand Amidst Soaring Unemployment Rates

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) unitedly protested on March 22, against the centre’s policy decisions and alleged that they are only worsening the situation of unemployment in the country.While many issues ranging from the privatisation of public sector units to the implementation of labour codes were discussed, what struck a chord with almost everyone was the demand to declare the Right to Work as a fundamental right.The loss of jobs has increased under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP

Fight to Defend and Strengthen the NFSA

AS on March 1, 2021, India has a huge buffer stock of food grains of 9.2 crore tonnes (including unmilled paddy) which is three times more than the mandated buffer. In 2019-2020 when the buffer stock was slightly less, according to the annual report of the FCI, the carrying costs of the buffer stock was over Rs 12,000 crore.

WEST BENGAL: Left Front Manifesto Ushers New Avenues

WITH dates for elections to the West Bengal state assembly having been declared, the manifesto of the Left Front was released by the chairman of the Left Front, Biman Basu, in the presence of other Front leaders. These elections are being held in the backdrop of a year which was marred by a pandemic against which the entire human race is fighting a grim battle. The past year is also marked by a lockdown which was thrust upon the unsuspecting masses and which ruined lives and livelihoods of crores of people of this country.

Kisan Mazdoor Marches Reflect Steely Resolve

THE AIKS, CITU and AIAWU jointly organised three Shaheed Yaadgar Kisan Mazdoor Padayatras (Martyrs’ Memorial March of Farmers and Workers) remembering the martyrs of the freedom struggle and the nearly 300 martyrs of the on-going historic kisan struggle. The padayatras took around a clear message of resistance against the anti-farmer, anti-worker acts brought by the Narendra Modi led BJP government.

Harmful Recommendation

THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on March 20, has condemned the recommendation by the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and PDS headed by the Trinamul Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

TAMIL NADU: CPI(M) Contests Six Assembly Seats

IN the ensuing elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly to be held on April 6, the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state committee has decided to fight along with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Front. Following the discussions with the DMK, CPI(M) will contest six assembly seats. Similarly, CPI, VCK, MDMK are also contesting in six seats each.Following this agreement with the DMK, the state secretariat and the state committee of CPI(M) met and finalised the candidates for the six assembly seats as follows:1. Keelvelur (SC) – Nagai Mali2. Thiruparankundram – S K Ponnuthai3.

Successful Two-Day Bank Strike

THE two-day all-India strike on March 15-16 was a huge success across the country. The call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), against the move to privatise two public sector banks.

SKM Gives Clarion Call for Bharat Bandh on March 26

ON March 26, the farmers’ struggle completes four months. On that day, the SKM has given a clarion call for a Bharat bandh to support the struggle and to put the Modi-led BJP regime on the mat. The last Bharat bandh was on December 8, 2020, and it had turned out to be a massive countrywide success.STRUGGLE CALLSThe various SKM struggle calls in the month of March were well implemented not only at the Delhi borders, but also throughout the country. On March 6, to mark the completion of 100 days of the struggle, lakhs of farmers blocked the KMP highway at all the borders.

Repeal the Three Farm Laws: ICWA

IN a letter written on March 11, to the Counsel General of India based in Vancouver, Canada, the Indo-Canadian Workers Association(ICWA) demanded the immediate release of the three farm laws in India.The ICWA expressed its strong support to the farmers who have been peacefully demonstrating since August 2020 for their demands to repeal the anti-farmer laws and to ensure a legal guarantee of minimum support price.The ICWA, in the letter stated that in September 2020, the parliament of India hastily passed the three farm bills without any proper consultation of required stakeholders, especial

Vaccine Wars, the ASEAN and the Quad

THE recent Quad declaration of the US, India, Japan and Australia has not foregrounded the military axis of their meeting but stressed more on the vaccine thrust against the Covid-19 pandemic. With the threat of a second or a third wave in various countries, vaccines are emerging as the centrepiece of not only global recovery but also of global diplomacy.

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