ORGANISATIONS representing tribal communities from across India joined hands to give a call for a national convention during the forthcoming parliament session against the NDA government’s systematic attack on the rights of adivasis.  At a recent joint meeting held in New Delhi, the organisations expressed concern that, at such a time, when every institution and regulation that protects the resource rights of tribals and other forest dwellers is being undercut, the voice of adivasis has not been heard in the critiques of policy making over the last year.Some of the recent examples of the an

MIRED by controversies and scandals, the NDA government has now secured another rare achievement. Recent disclosures, first reported in the Economist magazine, indicate that the government has taken great pains to suppress a survey on child health, conducted by the UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of India.

THOUSANDS of workers in Durgapur-Asansol industrial belt blocked the National Highway on July 7, protesting against successive closure of factories, retrenchment and forced ouster of workers from factories by the ruling party.This steel-coal-power-metal industry belt is suffering from unprecedented crisis for the last four years. Many factories have been closed - some of them succumbing to extortion by the TMC mafia gangs. Even larger units are facing acute crisis. The latest victim is the prestigious Durgapur Power Limited; its coke oven plant has been shut down.

SIX Left parties in Jharkhand have decided to stage protest demonstrations before the Governor House’s in Ranchi and at all district headquarters on July 20 on the issues affecting the people of the state including spiralling price rise, delay and non-supply of text books in government schools and privatisation of public health services.At a meeting in Ranchi on July 6, leaders of the six parties -- CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), Marxist Co-ordination Committee (MCC), RSP and SUCI(C) -- took serious note of the high-level corruption in BJP governments in various states as well as at the Centre.

THE People’s Democracy had in earlier years carried a regular column called “Thinking Together”. This column would answer questions sent by readers on topical issues and the Party’s view on such issues. The column also used to answer questions regarding the Party’s policies and understanding on major national and international developments.

Since some readers and comrades have requested for revival of the column, we have decided to restart this column from the August 3-9 issue. Readers are invited to send their questions.