THE World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the only class-oriented international trade union, has called upon the working people to observe its foundation day – October 3 – as International Day of Action. This year the call is to observe the day as ‘a day of struggle against unemployment’.
THERE were three distinct visions for an independent India during freedom struggle – the Nehruvian vision, the Left vision and the right-wing ‘Hindutva’ vision. Pandit Nehru represented the mainstream vision for a ‘secular democratic’ India, while the Left vision was for a ‘secular, democratic and socialist’ India. The third was for converting independent India into a rabidly intolerant ‘Hindu Rashtra’. This vision originated with the formation of the RSS in 1925. The Muslim League was a ‘twin brother’ of the RSS.
The following is the text of the Ambedkar memorial lecture delivered by Prabhat Patnaik at the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies in September.
I WOULD like to use this occasion to dwell upon a point to which Dr Ambedkar had drawn attention in his closing speech to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949.
THE 4th Berhampur district conference of Odisha Sales Representatives' Union (OSRU) was held at Sahid Laxman Nayak Community Hall in Berhampur on September 7. CPI(M) state secretariat member Ali Kishore Pattnaik inaugurated the conference. OSRU general secretary Subhnkar Das, who was the chief speaker, discussed the organisational functioning and developments in the sector. Das opposed the anti-worker policies being pursued by the central and state governments.
MORE than 20,000 tribal youth and students marched through the streets of Agartala on September 10, to voice their stern warning against the divisive forces aiming at dividing Tripura.
THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), in a statement issued on September 13, has welcomed the judgment of the Supreme Court setting at rest all hitherto misinterpretations of the three percent reservation provided to persons with disabilities as per the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. The Court has ruled that the three percent reservation applies not just to recruitment to all categories, but to departmental promotions as well.
INDIA'S Mars Orbiter mission – the Mangalyaan – is now moving into its last and most critical phase. The Mars Orbiter is going to be transferred on September 24 from its current heliocentric or sun-centric orbit and into a Mars-centric one. This is no mean feat, as this phase has defeated many an earlier mission. If it succeeds, India's ISRO will be the fourth space agency to manage such a feat; the others are US's NASA, the Russian and the EU space agencies.
RULING class offensives against the labouring poor in conditions of economic crisis are typically sought to be justified by advancing theories that attribute the crisis to the labouring poor themselves.
THOUSANDS of people are coming out on the streets demanding punishment for all those involved in Saradha scam and compensation for the depositors by selling the properties of the fraudsters. CBI investigation into the largest financial scam in the history of the state has already exposed the nexus between Saradha owners and Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers. The role of the chief minister herself has come into question.