Thinking together

Q. High Court justice Karnan has been sentenced to six months in prison by the Supreme Court for contempt of court. Is this punishment justified? What is the stand of the CPI(M)?G Ramesh, Chennai Ans. Justice C S Karnan was a sitting judge of the Kolkata High Court. Earlier he had been serving as a judge in the Madras High Court since 2009. Throughout his career, Justice Karnan has behaved in an outrageous fashion violating all norms of higher judiciary.

Immiserising the Peasantry to Fill Corporate Coffers

THE BJP had come to power three years ago promising “Achhe Din” for the farmers and agricultural workers as well as toiling masses. It had promised an end to farmers’ suicides, ensure remunerative prices for crops according to the Swaminathan Commission recommendation of at least 50 percent above cost of production, more investment in agriculture, expanded employment opportunities and higher wages under MGNREGA, irrigation facilities to all farms, effective insurance, pensions, scientific land acquisition legislation to protect interests of the peasantry and much more.

Saharanpur: Rampage by Communal-Casteist Forces

THE attack on dalits in Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district is symptomatic of the communal and caste forces unleashed in Uttar Pradesh after the BJP victory in the assembly election and the formation of the Adityanath government.Immediately after the new government assumed office, attacks on Muslims and dalits began. The closing down of meat shops and abattoirs directly affected the livelihoods of lakhs of Muslims and dalits. What is ominous is that with Yogi at the helm, rabid communal and upper caste forces are asserting themselves.

Conflicting Processes of Justice

TWO judgments, one from the Supreme Court in the Nirbhaya case and that of Bilkis Bano in the Mumbai High Court provide a snapshot of differing standards of justice. The Nirbhaya case had aroused the conscience of India in an unprecedented way, calling into action thousands of young people who had perhaps never earlier joined street protests. The bravery and courage of the young woman Jyoti, the brutality of the crime against her, now detailed in the judgment, the utter injustice and horror of her death symbolised so much that is rotten in our system, it reflected so many real fears and ex

Willing Youth – Expose the RSS

RSS is a very slimy organisation. It claims that it is a ‘cultural’ organisation and has got nothing to do with politics. Its declared objective is to ‘carry the nation to the pinnacle of glory’ and ‘bring to life the all-round glory and greatness of our Hindu Rashtra’. With these objectives, it dabbles with elections, decides on the heads of various levels of government wherever it is possible and influences how those governments need to go about their work.

ODISHA: To Have a Better India, First We Have to Save India: Yechury

AS part of a two-day session of the CPI(M) Odisha state committee, a seminar on ‘Challenges Before India Today’ was organised on May 3 at the Institute of Engineers hall in Bhubaneswar.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, addressing the gathering of a cross-section of people, called upon them to be vigilant and fight back the danger posed today by communal forces led by the RSS-BJP. “Whether India, as we see it today, will remain the same? A combination of many religions, communities, castes – will it remain unaffected by the onslaught unleashed by Hindutva forces?” he asked.

Civil War: Fighting Counter Revolution

The victorious October Revolution saw the gathering of the counter-revolutionary forces who unleashed a Civil War assisted by armed intervention by fourteen imperialist and capitalist countries. For three years – 1918 to 1921 – a Civil War raged in Russia. The class conscious workers of Petrograd and other cities became the core of the new Red Army which battled the White Guards. It is only after defeating the White Guards and the imperialist armed intervention that the new Socialist State was consolidated. The Civil War saw the sacrifices of tens of thousands of class conscious w

KERALA: Centenary of October Revolution Observed with Fervour

A VIBRANT march of red volunteers was organised in Kollam city observing the centenary of the Great October Revolution. 140 platoons from 140 local committees marched to the city. Around 5000 volunteers participated in the march which began from the QAC grounds. It culminated into a massive rally at Asramam Maidan. CPI(M) general Secretary Sitaram Yechury along with state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan received salute from the volunteers.The rally was inaugurated by Sitaram Yechury. CPI(M) district secretary KN Balagopal presided over the function.

American Aggression against Syria

THE sudden reversal of the Trump administration’s policy on Syria just two days after an alleged chemical explosion in the Jabhat al Nusra (an al Qaeda affiliate) controlled town of Khan Shaykhun in the rebel dominated Idlib province on April 4, did not come as a big surprise to many, given Donald Trump's flip-flops on other major issues since taking office. More than 70 civilians, some of them children, were reportedly killed in the attack by the Syrian air force on Khan Shaykhun. Idbib is described as “the heartland of Jabhat al Nusra”.

JHARKHAND: Protest Meeting against Forcible Land Acquisition

THE CPI(M) has been struggling against forcible land acquisition by the BJP government in Jharkhand for a power plant to be set up by the Adani group in Godda district.The 1,600 MW power plant is proposed to be set up in Godda district in Santhal Pargana region by the Adani group, a favourite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The district administration is trying to acquire five thousand acres of land for the plant in Poraiyahaat and Godda blocks by hook or by crook on the direction of the BJP-led government. of the district.

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter