MAHARASHTRA FLOODS: Callous Govt Exacerbates Tragedy

WHAT the first fortnight of August this year brought to a population of over a crore of people in the three districts of Southern Maharashtra – Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara was a deadly combination of nature’s wrath and the criminally insensitive attitude of a callous state government. This area, which has to its west the Western Ghats, experienced, once again, unprecedented rains. Once again, because heavy and very heavy rains are not a novelty to this region.

KERALA: Govt Trying to Convert J&K into India’s Palestine

THE Centre is trying to convert Kashmir into India’s Palestine by removing Article 370, splitting it into two and converting both into union territories, said Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary earlier this week.Hitting out at the Modi government for an ‘Israeli-model military occupation’ in Jammu and Kashmir, Yechury called on Indian patriots to join the battle for the soul and character of the country.Delivering a lecture organised by the AKG Padana Gaveshana Kendram and the CPI(M) Trivandrum district committee on the centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and convert the state

Kashmir Caged

BELOW we present a report released by a group of people who visited Kashmir valley after the abrogation of crucial provisions of Article 370 and 35 A of the constitution by the parliament. This group comprised, Jean Drèze-economist, Kavita Krishnan-CPI(M-L), Maimoona Mollah-AIDWA and Vimal Bhai-NAPM.We spent five days (August 9-13, 2019) traveling extensively in Kashmir.

SFI Golden Jubilee Celebrations Begin

IT WAS a rainy afternoon. Two student rallies withstanding heavy rain, culminated at Dumdum, the very locality where the seeds of SFI were sown, in August 1970 through the formation a preparatory committee. SFI president, V P Sanu hoisted the white flag of Independence, Democracy and Socialism, marking the beginning of the golden jubilee celebrations of SFI.

Govt Action in J&K Ominous for Indian Republic

WITH unprecedented speed – between August 5 and August 9 – the BJP government at the Centre amended the Constitution, dissolved and dismantled the State of Jammu and Kashmir and brought its entire geographical territory and 1.25 crore population under its direct control.As a first step, on August 5, bypassing Parliament and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a Government’s order -- The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 - making “all the provisions of the Constitution, as amended from time to time, shall apply in relation t

Nuclear Irresponsibility

THE recent remarks by union defence minister Rajnath Singh with regard to nuclear weapons have set alarm bells ringing. He said that while India has firmly adhered to No First Use (NFU) policy with regard to nuclear weapons in the past, what happens in the future “depends on circumstances”.Ever since India came out as a nuclear weapons power in 1998, it has adhered to the NFU, which was formally established as part of India’s strategic doctrine by the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs on January 4, 2003.

Defence Employees’ Historic Strike

82,000 defence employees working in the 41 ordnance factories of our country started one month strike on August 20. More than 40,000 contract workers have also joined the strike. The strike started as scheduled at 6 o’clock in the morning on August 20, 2019, despite the threats by the government. The defence employees have only one demand – ‘Withdraw the unilateral decision taken to corporatise the ordnance factories in violation of the agreement and assurances given by the government of India’.

IPCC on Climate Change and Land

THE ‘special report on climate change and land’, (SRCCL), was recently adopted at the 50th session of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at Geneva.

Chattisgarh: AIDWA State Conference

THE 5th state conference of the AIDWA Chattisgarh state was inaugurated by Mariam Dhawale on August 11. She said the struggle for equality is a struggle against feudalism and patriarchal values in the society. Targeting the BJP, she said that the BJP is a party that believes in and also practices feudal and patriarchal values. During BJP’s regime, the attacks on the women have increased; the BJP has unashamedly come forward to defend the culprits of Unnao and Kathua rape and murder cases.

Discriminatory Attitude

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat has written a letter to Hardeep Puri, minister for urban development, on August 16, demanding that the demolished Guru Ravidas temple is rebuilt and the samadhis are restored in their original place. Below we publish the text of the letter:is to draw your attention to the demolition of the Guru Ravidas Mandir and four samadhis in the “forest area” in Tughlaqabad extension on August 10.

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