Kerala: Clarity on SC order needed

IN a response to the Supreme Court’s decision on Sabarimala, Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on November 14 said that the government has already clarified that it will abide by whatever the apex court decides. However, more clarity is needed on today's decision to leave the matter to the seven member bench. This is majority decision while two judges expressed their dissent. Earlier judgement of five member bench still exists. Apex court did not stay the previous judgement.

Pathetic State of the Economy: Modi Government Hides Data

THE National Statistical Office (NSO) has decided not to release the quinquennial survey data on consumer expenditure for 2017-18. This is because these data, leaked by The Business Standard (November15) show a drop of 3.7 per cent in real per capita consumer expenditure between 2011-12 and 2017-18, from Rs 1,501 per month to Rs 1,446 per month (at 2009-10 prices).An actual drop in per capita consumer expenditure is an extremely serious matter.

Ministers Playing Hide and Seek in Parliament on Pegasus

THE two sets of questions in the Parliament to two different ministries on the Israeli software Pegasus being used to hack smartphones of Indian activists have drawn different replies. It makes clear that the government is hiding more than it is willing to reveal. The Minister of State for Home, G Kishan Reddy, replying to Dayanidhi Maran’s question on whether the government “does tapping of WhatsApp calls and messages” and the “protocols being followed”, stated on November 19th that the government has powers under the Section 69 of the IT Act, “...to intercept, monitor or decrypt or cause

Roll Back Privatisation of Public Sctor

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 21THE Cabinet approval for the sale of government’s stake in the highly profit-making Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited(BPCL) is completely detrimental to India’s sovereignty. Along with BPCL, four other PSUs including the Shipping Corporation of India and the Container Corporation of India, THDCIL and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation are on the block.

No Extension of NRC

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 21THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) reiterates its opposition to the extension of the National Register of Citizens to the entire country. The home minister, Amit Shah, has announced in Parliament that an NRC will be created for the whole country and along with that the NRC will be repeated in Assam.Though he has not specified when this will be undertaken, the NRC process is starting with the enumeration for the National Population Register (NPR) which is to begin on April 1, 2020.

Polit Bureau Communiqué

AYODHYA DISPUTE: VERDICT DELIVERED; NOT JUSTICEThe CPI(M) has always maintained that the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute must be through a negotiated settlement, failing which, the only way is to resolve the matter through a court verdict. This is the only manner in which a secular republic governed by the rule of law can deal with such a dispute. The verdict has now been delivered. There are however certain premises of the judgment that raise serious questions.

Order of the Day: Militant and Sustained Protests

MILITANT and sustained protests have become the new norm in many countries. Just a few days back (November 17), the Yellow Vests (gilets jaunes) protests in France observed their first anniversary, protests in Haiti breached the ten-week mark, while the Chilean protests crossed thirty days, similarly in Lebanon and Iraq.

Kanpur Communist Conference - 1925

THE Kanpur communist conference held from December 26 to 28, 1925, was the first meeting on Indian soil, where almost all the communist groups and elements had joined. The idea of holding a conference involving different groups at Kanpur during the Congress session was first announced by Satyabhakta, who was not a member of any communist group of that period, in a leaflet dated June 18, 1925. Maulana Hasrat Mohani was the chairman of the reception committee for the conference.

NPRD condemns attack on disabled

THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) strongly condemns the brutal violence perpetrated by the Delhi Police on students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University who were holding a peaceful protest against the massive hike in fees and their right to an affordable and accessible education on November 18.The viciousness of the police is much more atrocious given the fact that even students with disabilities were not spared. A visually impaired student was subjected to indiscriminate beating.

Central Trade Unions also lend support to JNU students

ON November 19, joint platform of central trade unions comprising INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, LPF, SEWA, UTUC, AICCTU, TUCC and MEC has strongly condemned condemns the police action against the JNU students during their Parliament march. In this police action many students have sustained serious injuries and women students have been assaulted by male constables. We demand that action be taken against the police officials responsible for such an action.

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