THE PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has finally assumed office. This was preceded by two months of intense negotiations between the two parties. While Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is the chief minister, Nirmal Singh of the BJP has become the deputy chief minister. This is the first time that the BJP has become part of the state government in Jammu & Kashmir. This has disturbing implications.
THE success of President Barack Obama’s decision to rebalance the power equation in East Asia with the “pivot to the East” policy depends a lot on cooperation from major powers in the region, notably India. India under both the NDA and UPA has been portraying itself as the “natural partner” of the USA. The leaderships of the two countries revel in describing themselves as the two largest democracies in the world that also share core values. Since the signing of the defense partnership agreement between the two countries ten years ago, strategic and military relations have indeed deepened.
COMRADE S K Vyas, veteran leader of the Central Government Employees and Pensioners, is no more. He passed away on February 13, 2015 at Jaipur Metro Hospital, where he was admitted after a massive heart attack a few days back. When I, along with leaders of the central government employee’s organisations, Giriraj Singh, Vrighu Bhattacharya, Gita Bhattacharya and AK Mehta went to Jaipur on February 7 instant and visited Comrade Vyas at the hospital ICU, he seemed better. The family members told that Vyasji was recovering. But by the night of 13th, Com Vyas was no more.
A HUGE mass meeting at Swami Vivekananda Stadium marked the beginning of the CPI(M)’s 21st state conference of Tripura on February 25.Slogan shouting colorful rallies filled up the stadium bearing the heat of February.CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat addressing the meeting said the nine months of Modi government has shown that ache din have arrived for the big corporate houses while one after another attack is being launched on the toiling masses.
THE 21st conference of CPI(M) Kerala state committee was held in Alappuzha, the land of historic Punnapra Vayalar struggle. The four-day conference began on February 20 with veteran Communist and opposition leader in the Kerala legislative assemby V S Achuthanandarn hoisting the Party flag in Krishnapillai Nagar (S K Convention Centre, Kalarkode) in the presence of all-India leaders, delegates, Red volunteers and thousands of other people.
THE 21st Tamil Nadu state conference of the CPI(M) began with veteran leader of the Party as well as of the communist movement of the country, Comrade N Sankariah hoisting the flag, which was brought from Keezh Venmani in memory of Venmani martyrs.Torches in memory of Coimbatore Chinniyampalyam martyrs and the legendry communists M Singaravelar, B Srinivasa Rao and VP Cintan brought from various parts of Chennai were also handed over to the leaders.The conference which was held from February 16-19 was held in Chennai. K Bhimrao MLA, chairperson of the reception committee welcomed all.
THE 14th Haryana state conference of the CPI(M) held from February 14-16 concluded with a clarion call to launch a decisive movement to end miseries of toiling masses and to strengthen the Party as a major political force in the state. Newly elected state secretary Surender Singh Malik asked the rank and file of the Party to go to the people at grass root level and organise them against economic exploitation and social oppression. “Our struggle should focus on concrete solutions to the burning problems of rural and urban poor, youth, students, women, dalits and minorities,” he said.
THE recent spate of infections and deaths, caused by the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus across many states in India has once again brought into focus India’s ailing health care system. It is unfortunate that discussions on the country’s non-functioning public health system surface only in periods when the health system is faced with a challenge. WHAT IS SWINE FLU?Influenza caused by the H1N1 virus is also popularly called ‘swine flu’.
WHITE flags flutter in the air as hundreds of student activists from across the country, holding SFI banners, marched in the national capital on February 26 to ward off the threat of saffronisation of education.