KARL was eighteen years old when he spent the late summer weeks of 1836 in his parent’s home after leaving Bonn University and before proceeding to Berlin to continue his studies. During these weeks, he wooed Jenny von Westphalen, who had not only unusual beauty but also an unusual spirit and character.The Marx and Westphalen families were friends and Jenny was the daughter of Government Councillor Ludwig von Westphalen who, in contrast to most of his colleagues in his social position and profession, was a highly educated man with liberal ideas.
VETERAN CPI(M) leader Subodh Das passed away at G B Pant Hospital in Agartala on February 24 after remaining bed-ridden for several months. He was 74. A former member of the CPI(M) Tripura state committee and a former minister in the third Left Front government, Das was a bachelor. Das was born in Habiganj in Syllhet district of undivided India (now Bangladesh) on January 15, 1964. After completing matriculation, he, along with his family members, migrated to Dharmanagar, North Tripura.
MEGHALAYA Governor Tathagata Roy, in yet another outrageous statement, has endorsed a call for boycott of Kashmir and Kashmiris in the wake of the Pulwama tragedy. This comes at a time when Kashmiris, particularly students, in various parts of the country are being attacked, tormented and forced to leave. The governor holds a constitutional office. As the representative of the president of India, he is expected to act as the custodian of the Indian constitution.
THE massive turn-out of farmers, poor peasants and agricultural workers on February 18, under the banner of joint Kisan Sangharsh Samiti gave a befitting reply to the hate mongers who are utilising the tragic incident in Pulwama (Kashmir) to polarise the masses on communal lines by using abusive languages against the minority community and even attacking the Kashmiri small traders in Patna.Eleven kisan organisations had given a joint call to stage a state level march during the budget session of Bihar assembly to raise the various issues concerning the farmers and agricultural labourers and
AS the Kerala Samrakshana Jathas are travelling across the state, huge crowds are greeting the LDF leaders in the jatha, indicating that many sections of people are supporting the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The two jathas led by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran each, would culminate on March 2 at Thrissur. The southern jatha headed by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has begun from Putharikandam in Thiruvananthapuram on February 14 and the northern jatha led by Kanam Rajendran, began at Kasargod two days later.
Anchor AFTER many decades, Ahmedabad witnessed a three kilometre-long, 10,000-strong huge rally carrying red flags on February 17. The rally was organised by CITU, AIKS, Gujarat Anganwadi Karmachari Sangathan, Gujarat Asha-Facilitator Health Workers Union, AIDWA, SFI, DYFI and AARM.
MARXISM is a key to end all sorts of exploitation that exists in society and that can only be achieved through revolutionary movements of working class by applying Marxist doctrine of concrete analysis of concrete conditions, said Sitaram Yechury, general secretary CPI(M) while addressing a gathering in New Delhi on the occasion of celebration of 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx.The programme was organised by CPI(M), Delhi state committee.
THE vote-on-account presented by the Telangana chief minister on February 15 does not lay down any definite path for the development of the state, the CPI(M) has said. The chief minister should have formed the cabinet and introduced a full budget in February itself. But in view of the parliamentary election and taking into consideration the interim budget placed by the central government, the chief minister, also holding the finance portfolio, presented the vote-on-account.
IN these columns of the previous issue, the main points of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Accounts (CAG) on the Rafale deal were discussed. It was noted that all price figures had been redacted, rendering the reader incapable of informed assessment.
Forty Lakh Signatures Collected against Scanty Budget for ICDSHUNDREDS of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers from all over the country under the leadership of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH), marched to the parliament on February 25 protesting against the inadequate budget allocation for implementation of increased remuneration, and against the introduction of direct cash transfer in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).The AIFAWH collected more than forty lakh signatures from anganwadi employees and beneficiaries on a memorandum seeking strengthening o