‘Forest Land Cultivators’ Fight Back Police Action

IN Karnataka “Forest land cultivators” or “Bagair-Hukum” cultivators is how the government describes the peasants who have been cultivating the forest land for generations. There are more than 16 lakh such cultivators in the state who have applied for getting the rights over their land. The government however, summarily rejected 12 lakh applications and also the future of the rest is hanging in doubt. These cultivators have been termed as “encroachers”, equated with land grabbers and the government has filed an affidavit to that effect in the High Court.

KERALA: Professor Ninan Koshy Passes Away

EMINENT international political analyst, Christian theologist and Left sympathizer Prof Ninan Koshy passed away on March 4, at Thiruvananthapuram. He was the LDF candidate from Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency in the 1999 elections.Born on February 1, 1934 at Thiruvalla, Ninan Koshy completed his education from St Beckman’s College Changanasseri and St John’s University, Agra.

Comrade Bireswar Lahiri

CPI(M) West Bengal state committee member Comrade Bireswar Lahiri passed away on March 3, late in the night. He was 68. Comrade Lahiri, former secretary of North Dinajpur district committee was suffering from various illnesses and was admitted at a Kolkata hospital.Comrade Bireswar Lahiri was a leading student leader in northern Bengal in the late sixties. Later he was the president of DYF in the undivided West Dinajpur district. In 1992, when the district was divided, he became the CPI(M) district secretary of North Dinajpur, a responsibility he served until last December.

Reconversions, Quotas & the Implications of The Supreme Court Judgment

ON February 26, 2015 the Supreme Court of India pronounced that those Christian dalits who reconvert to Hinduism can get the benefits entitled to any Scheduled Caste as long as the caste community accepts that person as a member of their caste. This pronouncement will obviously give a fillip to the aggressive ghar wapasi campaign initiated by the Sangh Parivar in the recent months. Given the current political situation, the Sangh and its affiliates will use the judgment to induce Christians and Muslims to embrace Hinduism in a bid to increase their own social and political base.

Agricultural Workers March to Karnataka Assembly

THOUSANDS of agricultural workers marched from Bangalore City Railway Station to Freedom Park and staged a dharna on February 10 demanding proper implementation of MGNREGA, budgetary allocation for a welfare fund for agricultural workers, allocation of house sites to agricultural workers, and regularisation of unauthorised cultivation of government lands by the landless poor.

AARM Condemns Huge Cuts in Tribal Sub-Plan

The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has issued the following statement on March 4 THE Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch strongly protests against the sharp cuts in allocations for the Tribal Sub-Plan from Rs 26,715 crores in 2014-2015 to Rs 19,980 crores in 2015-2016. Even if the MGNREGA account is subtracted it still will be woefully inadequate since the allocations to MGNREGA also have been cut.

Solidarity with Venezuela

ON the occasion of the Second Death Anniversary of Commandante Hugo Chavez, a commemoration meeting was held on March 5 in New Delhi. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI secretary D Raja and Venezuelan ambassador addressed the meeting.

Brutal Lathicharge on Anganwadi Workers

THE anganwadi workers and helpers were brutally lathicharged , tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse thousands of workers who were agitating on their demands in Chandigarh on March 11, 2015. The Anganwadi Workers Union Punjab (CITU) organised a massive rally in front of the office of director, social welfare department. The workers were marching in a procession to submit a memorandum when the Chandigarh police resorted to lathicharge on the workers. Many workers got seriously injured.

India's Daughter Reflects Structural Reasons Behind Proliferation of Rape Cultures

THERE is no need to make too much about differing opinions about a film. There may be very rare occasions when there is unanimity among film viewers. Thus some may like the documentary made around the Nirbhaya case called India's Daughter and some may not. But can the grounds for banning the film be supported? In India, the right to freedom of expression is not an untrammeled right like it is in the United States or some other countries.

PM Modi’s Anti-Communist Tirade: Fabrication of Facts

THE annual address by the president of India to a joint session of the parliament is always a balance sheet of the past year’s work of the government and a roadmap of its proposals for the next one year. This speech is both prepared and endorsed by the union cabinet and subsequently delivered by the president. In both the houses of the parliament, a motion of thanks is moved by the ruling party expressing gratitude to the president for having delivered his/her speech.

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