ISRO added another feather to its cap by successfully launching, on May 23, 2016, the first of four experimental versions of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) programme under which a series of calibrated tests with serially upgraded versions would be tested towards the ultimate objective of developing a two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle. Once again, India joins a small group of countries working to develop an RLV, and has show-cased the vision and strengths of its multi-faceted space programme.
NOAM Chomsky has called it a “soft coup”, presumably because no guns or tanks have been involved as yet; but the forced resignation of Dilma Rousseff, the democratically elected president of Brazil belonging to the Left-wing Workers’ Party, and her replacement by a Right-wing politician Michel Temer, who has lost no time in constituting an all white and all male conservative cabinet, is nothing short of a coup.Dilma Rousseff is to be impeached on charges of “corruption”, but this “corruption”, contrary to the impression conveyed both at home and abroad by a powerful segment of the Brazilia
THE Delhi State Committee of CPI(M), in a statement issued on June 1 noted that the Modi government has decided to appoint former Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which is a constitutional post with a term of five years. Bassi was directly involved in the police action on the JNU students in February and later on was also seen giving unsubstantiated statements claiming JNU to be a den of anti-national activities.
Q. Huge amounts of money was confiscated in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Distribution of money and other goods to voters takes place everywhere. How can elections be fought in these conditions? What is the CPI(M) view on this?
Thiruchelvan, Thanjavur
A three-day extended State Committee meeting of the CPI(M) Madhya Pradesh was held in Amarkantak, the famous cultural centre of Madhya Pradesh. The meeting, held from May 26 to May 28, proved to be fruitful in rejuvenating the Party and its mass organisations. The meeting critically reviewed the organisational setup of the Party and decided on concrete steps to be taken to intensify struggles on people’s issues.
THE Haryana state secretariat of the CPI(M) has taken exception to the manner in which the total negligent role of the BJP government and its political leadership before and during the Jat reservation violence was not held responsible by the Prakash Singh Committee that probed the violence during the stir. Giving reactions on the report submitted on May 31, the Party in a statement issued on June 1 has questioned how the chief minister could escape from his accountability especially he being in charge of the home portfolio as well.
THE CPI(M) has taken up the cudgels for a fair compensation and rehabilitation for people affected by land acquisition on a large scale by the TRS government in Telangana in the name of encouraging setting up of projects and industries, deciding arbitrarily to pay lesser compensation and take inadequate rehabilitation measures in violation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on June 1.THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel once again in a span of a fortnight.
THE death of an African student from Congo, Masonda Kitanda Olivier, after being brutally assaulted on May 21 in South Delhi has brought to the fore the deep-seated racism which exists in India. There are thousands of students from Africa studying in various educational institutions in the country. It is a shameful fact that these black students are often subject to racial discrimination and attacks.
POLIT BUREAU COMMUNIQUÉPB Hails LDF Victory in KeralaCalls for United Resistance Against Violent Attacks in BengalThe Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on May 29-30, 2016.