Crimea Returns to Russia

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin, despite the loud threats of sanctions and other punitive actions by the West, went along with the wishes of the people of the Crimean peninsula and duly signed a treaty incorporating the region into the Russian Federation on March 21. The overwhelming vote by the Crimeans in favour of rejoining Russia in the March 16 referendum had left President Putin with no other choice. In his speech to the Russia parliament, President Putin pointed out that Crimea’s referendum was in line with the UN Charter which speaks of the right of nations to self-determination.

Education & Health in Gujarat

THE state of Gujarat was formed in the 1960s by carving out 17 Gujarati speaking districts that were part of the erstwhile Bombay state. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India. It is one of the major industrial hubs of India. During the British Raj, the country’s first ever textile mill was established in Gujarat. Surat has been known for diamond cutting and polishing industry, the best of its kind in the world.

Udupi Sri Krishna Math Resorts to Caste Discrimination Once Again

ANOTHER incident of ‘pankti bedha’ came to light recently at Udupi Sri Krishna math (temple). The practice of serving food (prasada) to Brahmins at one place and to all other castes separately is called ‘pankti bedha’. The discriminatory practice of ‘pankti bedha’ is being practiced at Udupi Sri Krishna math inspite of being opposed by progressive sections and organisations.

NETmundial or the Internet Governance World Cup

NETmundial – a global conference on Internet governance – was held last week in Sao Paulo (April 23-24) and ended with a non-binding outcome statement that was weak on surveillance and with some gains for big business. Big business managed to smuggle in some measures to help them on intellectual property and managed to bury net neutrality, considered a major issue for Internet users, into a future action section.

The Taxation of Wealth

A BOOK which is attracting much attention in the United States at present is Capital in the Twenty-First Century by a French economist named Thomas Piketty.

Is More Proof Required to Debunk the Gujarat Model?

IN his column ‘No Proof Required,’ Surjit Bhalla has been regularly deriding left and secular intellectuals who oppose the fascistic corporate Hindutva ideology represented by Narendra Modi and the BJP. Last week he once again defended the indefensible by calling upon the critics of Modi to ‘give evidence’ against the Gujarat model (The Indian Express, April 26, 2014). He says that the criticism of Modi is “just name calling” and based on no hard evidence.

CPI(M) ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Below we publish some reports of the CPI(M) campaign across the country for the 2014 General Elections.

ANDHRA PRADESH

Widespread Rigging in West Bengal

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on April 30, 2014.

THE third phase of polling held in West Bengal on April 30, 2014 was marred by widespread rigging, violence and capture of polling booths. Hundreds of polling booths were affected in the Bolpur, Birbhum, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Howrah and Uluberia Lok Sabha constituencies. Polling agents of the CPI(M) and the Left Front were driven out in a number of booths and blatant false voting has taken place in the presence of polling personnel.

BJP Baring its Communal Fangs

AS we go to the press, the seventh phase of the 16th general elections has been completed out of this marathon nine-phase election. This phase has been marked by widespread violence, terror and rigging indulged by the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Complaints in this regard have been registered with the Election Commission with the demands for a re-poll under the proper supervision and scrutiny of the central forces. We shall have to wait for the Election Commission to take the appropriate decisions.

CPI(M) Submits Memo to EC on Widespread Rigging in West Bengal Polls

A delegation comprising of CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and S Ramachandran Pillai met the Election Commission of India and submitted the following memorandum on the widespread rigging in the third phase of elections in West Bengal on April 30, 2014.THERE has been large-scale rigging and violence in the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha held in West Bengal on April 30, 2014. This has completely distorted the process of conducting free and fair polls.

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