The Week in Parliament

THE winter session of parliament began on November 16. The government’s recent decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from circulation rocked parliament for the first three days. On the first day, the Lok Sabha was adjourned after obituary reference as a sitting member died in the period between two sessions. In the Rajya Sabha, a motion was moved to suspend whole business of the day to take up discussion on the issue of demonetisation of high-value banknotes.

The Crisis of the Power Sector Reforms – Part I

THE crisis of the power sector reforms, carried out over the last three decades, particularly after enacting the 2003 Electricity Act, is now becoming worse. It is estimated that 25,000 MW of capacity today is lying idle, as the distribution companies are not able to pay for electricity. Under pressure from the finance ministry, banks have lent money to the private power companies. As a consequence, Indian banks’ exposure to the power sector stand at Rs 5.8 lakh crore (September 2015), which is 22 percent of all outstanding banking loans to industries.

On Pukrayan Rail Accident

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 20.THE Polit Bureau expresses its shock and sorrow at the loss of over 63 lives reported till this morning in the terrible railway accident that took place in Pukrayan near Kanpur early this morning.

Currency Crisis: Callous Steps

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 18.THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) reiterates that till adequate supply of currency notes are available, transactions with old notes should be allowed till December 30, the date announced by the government after which they will be illegal. The people of the country are being subjected to extremely inhuman harassment and collapse of their day-to-day livelihood.

Attack on Surya Kanta Mishra Condemned

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 17.THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the attack by workers belonging to the Trinamul Congress on CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and secretary of the West Bengal state committee, Surya Kanta Mishra on November 17.Surya Kanta Mishra was leading a procession in the connection with the bye elections to the Tamluk parliamentary constituency in the Haldia segment.

Observe November 28 – All India Protest Day

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 23.THE six Left parties had decided yesterday to observe a week-long mass mobilisation of protest from November 24 to 30 against the miseries imposed on the people due to the withdrawal of the 1000 and 500 rupee notes. The opposition parties in parliament have now decided, through separate calls by parties, to observe November 28 as an All India Protest Day – Akrosh Divas.The CPI(M) calls upon all its units across the country to organise an All India Protest Day on

Media and Minority Rights Under the Scanner

JOURNALISTS gathered at a seminar on media and minority rights called upon their colleagues to ensure fairer and wider coverage of the issues of dalits, tribals and religious minorities in the media. The seminar was organised by the Delhi Union of Journalists on November 12, 2016, in association with Kerala Union of Journalists and Delhi Media Centre for Research and Publication Trust. It was chaired by DUJ president S K Pande.Research shows that there are few dalit journalists today, pointed out veteran journalist and media analyst Sukumar Muralidharan in his overview address.

Left Parties Call for All India Protest

Left Parties Call for All India Protest Against growing agonies of the people due to Withdrawal of Rs 1000 & Rs 500 notes The leaders of the Left parties, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)- Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party, All India Forward Bloc and Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) met on November 22 and issued the following statement.THE Left parties have decided that an all India protest action will be organised against the continuing mountin

Kerala Protests against the Move to Destroy Cooperative sector

THE entire state of Kerala is voicing its vehement opposition to the curbs imposed on the cooperative sector following the withdrawal of the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.District and rural cooperative banks are prohibited from exchanging old notes of these values or accept deposits in these denominations even from their own customers.

Karnataka: Jail-Bharo Agitation Demanding Land-Housing Rights

KARNATAKA witnessed a powerful struggle last week, on November 18 with thousands of landless people courting arrest demanding land and housing rights. Responding to the call given by more than 15 mass organisations including Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), Karnataka Prantha Krishi Kooligarara Sangha and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the toiling masses participated in the agitation with enthusiasm.According to the reports available with the state centres of these organisations, the agitation evoked good response at around 27 district and 57 taluk centres across the state.

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