ENTRAPPING all intellectual discussion within a particular discourse is the commonest method that neo-liberalism uses for establishing its hegemony. There was for instance the debate recently on the question of the “autonomy” of the Reserve Bank, where one side wanted control over the RBI by the government and its coterie of “crony capitalists” while the other wanted an RBI catering to the whims and caprices of globalized finance. The question of popular or parliamentary control over the institution was simply never raised.

THE Left-Democratic Manch (LDM), Assam-a common platform of 10 political parties comprising of the CPI (M), CPI, CPI (ML), AAP, SP, NCP, RCPI, Janata Dal(S), LDP and Asom Sangrami Mancha, staged a massive 'sit-in-demonstration' at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on  December 28.

IN a statement issued on December 23, prominent artists of Bengal film industry, noted that the way in which the organisers of the Ajmer Literature Festival in Rajasthan, buckling under the pressure of some militant ‘Hindutva’ groups, called off an event set to be addressed by veteran thespian Naseeruddin Shah, is a matter of great concern for all those who want to see our country strong and united rather than fragmented. The 68-year old actor was due to deliver the keynote address at the beginning of the festival on December 21.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statements on December 21. An Unconstitutional Order THE ministry of home affairs has issued an order authorising ten central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer”. This is a brazen attack on the fundamental right to privacy given to every citizen by our constitution.  This order goes against the spirit of Supreme Court judgements on telephone tapping guidelines, the right to privacy judgement and the Aadhaar judgement. The

CM Enjoys Lutyens’ Luxury While a Mother Sells her Girl ChildOFTEN such news reaches the newsrooms late, but however delayed they don’t lose the news value. We are talking about Binata Chakma of Kalagang-Charki ADC village of Pecharthal RD block, North Tripura. Parents of five children, Shek Chakma and Binata Chakma were forced to sell their fifth child, barely of 25 days to Sumanjoy Reang of Dainchharra ADC village on December 6 for a mere 2,500 rupees to feed their four children.