CPI(M) Nationwide Campaign from August 15-31

Demands: · Loan waivers for the kisans· MSP at one and a half times the production costs and a central legislation ensuring this· Implement BJP’s electoral promise of creating two crore jobs every year.· Stop the large-scale privatisation of public sector and public services.· Immediately legislate the Women’s Reservation Bill as promised by the BJP in 2014 elections. · Conduct anti-communalism programmes all over the country during the month of September· Protesting against the growing attacks on dalits and Muslims, campaign for

Successful One Day Strike in BSNL

THE one day strike on July 27, called by the unions and associations of BSNL, was near total. The officers and workers of BSNL have massively responded to the strike call. The strike took place demanding wage revision from January 1, pension revision, superannuation benefits to the directly recruited employees and to stop the attacks on trade union rights in BSNL. The success of the strike was beyond expectations in almost all circles. Most of the customer care centres, administrative offices, and telephone exchanges wore a deserted look.

AIKS Calls for Intensified Struggles against Anti-farmer Policies

THE All India Kisan Sabha held its kisan council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Aug 1-2. It has called upon the peasantry to be prepared for countrywide united struggle to achieve its two main demands of remunerative prices at 50 per cent above the cost of production for all crops with procurement centres and comprehensive loan waiver including private credit, to stop mounting peasant suicides.AIKS units will participate in the August 9 district rally/jail bharo call of the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan and organise the campaign/ strike in many districts across the country.

Thinking Together

Q. What is the CPI(M)’s basic stand on GST? Sarvartrik Brahma, KolkataTHE Central Committee of the CPI(M) in its meeting held from July 24 to 26, 2017 has adopted a resolution on Goods & Services Tax, which sets out its basic stand on GST. Earlier the Party had in a piecemeal fashion reacted to some aspects of GST particularly of how the GST would affect state governments and their rights.The Party has stated that the introduction of GST is part of the neo-liberal drive.

Build United Struggles for a Credible Alternative

THE political somersault by Nitish Kumar will rank as one of the biggest of its kind in India’s political history which, anyway, is replete with such opportunistic behaviour by bourgeois politicians. Nitish Kumar, after the success of the mahagathbandhan in the assembly elections in Bihar in 2015, had become the most prominent advocate of a grand anti-BJP alliance at the national level. Even as late as in April this year, he had advocated the unity of opposition parties to take on the BJP.

ILC Holds its 106th Session in Geneva

THE 106th International Labour Conference was held on June 5-16, at Geneva. The governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) after several rounds of meetings held throughout the year finalised four topics for discussion and adopting resolutions.

THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

THE monsoon session of parliament started on July 17 with the presidential election. Both the houses met and adjourned after obituary reference. All our MPs casted their votes. The counting of votes was scheduled on July 20 and subsequently, Ram Nath Kovind, fielded by the ruling NDA, was elected the 14th president of India. He is the first from the BJP and the second dalit to enter the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Immediately Ban Vigilante Organisations

Below we publish excerpts from the speech made by Sitaram Yechury, leader of the CPI(M) in Rajya Sabha on July 19, during a short duration discussion on situation arising out of increase in incidents of lynching and atrocities on minorities and dalits across the country.I AM standing with my head hanging in shame. Where has our Republic come to? Seventy years earlier, we had the pride in the world to say -- while no other western democracy could have the courage to say -- that from day one, we shall give universal suffrage for everybody in our country.

Resolution on GST

THE Central Committee of the CPI(M) expresses its deep concern at the adverse impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented from July 1, 2017. The GST has put new burdens on the common people, small and tiny enterprises, traders and unorganised sector occupations. Industries and services like textile, beedi, pharmaceuticals, construction, transport, tailoring, small newspapers, matches and fireworks also have been badly affected; agriculture and allied sectors are also impacted.Though the government claims that the GST has brought down the prices of many commodities, the actual f

Kisan Curfew in Rajasthan

THE peasantry in Rajasthan faces very difficult conditions not only due to the climate which swings from -3 degree centigrade to +50 degree centigrade but also because two thirds of the state is not irrigated. On top of this, the policies of the centre and the state have made the condition of the peasantry much worse. The government is not buying crops at the minimum support price.During these years, it is the falling prices of their produce rather than the famine, which has led to a grave crisis for the peasantry in the state.

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