The Week in Parliament

LOK Sabha took up a discussion on crop loss due to various reasons and its impact on farmers. Speaking on the subject, A M Ariff said the country is passing through a huge farm distress that is breaking the backbone of the economy. Natural reasons and manmade reasons are responsible for this. Natural reasons include flood, drought, cyclone, diseases affecting the crop, etc., but I feel that manmade reasons are worsening the situation. Sadly, the government policies are aggravating the farm distress. Prices are soaring up, but the farmer is still living in poverty.

The Rise in Inflation Rate

EVEN as the growth rate of the Indian economy is slowing down, and the index of industrial production actually showing negative growth for three consecutive months, August to October (over the corresponding months a year ago), the inflation rate in the economy has started accelerating. Significantly, the acceleration in inflation has been the sharpest precisely during these very months when the contraction in industrial output has been the most pronounced.India’s retail price inflation for the month of November 2019 (over November 2018) was 5.54 per cent.

AIDWA Holds Ten-day March for Liquor-free Tamil Nadu

THE state of Tamil Nadu stands first as far as the revenue from sale of liquor is concerned. Even during the festival of Deepavali, the state government fixed a target for sale of liquor through the state owned TASMAC shops and ‘achieved’ it. Alcoholism is prevalent even among school students and the number of young widows is increasing in the state. The fact that in many instances of violence, whether it is domestic violence or sexual violence, the culprits were found to be drunk proves the connection between violence and high consumption of liquor.

CPI(M) to challenge CAA in SC

THESE were the emphatic remarks of Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI(M) in a press conference held on December 16 at Delhi. He said that the Party has given final shape to the petition challenging the Constitutional Amendment Act(CAA), which was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the recent parliament session, despite strong opposition from the people and some of the political parties.

Challenging Imperialism from the Dock – Meerut Conspiracy Case

THE Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929) is a landmark in the history of India’s national liberation struggle. It came at a time when the entire capitalist world was reeling under the Great Depression, whereas, the newly born socialist State of Soviet Russia was making tremendous advances.

Aravukadu Declaration: A Milestone in Kerala’s History

AFTER fifty years, on a rain-drenched day, the Aravukadu temple ground turned red again – in the memory of the legendary declaration that made people, who had no place to live, the owners of the land on which they toiled turning their blood into sweat for generations.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury inaugurated the 50th memorial function of the legendary Aravukadu temple ground declaration by AK Gopalan that whether the president gives his approval or not, “we will claim our rights for the land.The fiftieth anniversary of the declaration, which altered the social structure of Kerala

Industrial Relations Code is for Capital to Maximise Profits

THE Industrial Relations Code, 2019 has been introduced in Lok Sabha in the ongoing session. It seeks to replace three important labour laws – the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; the Trade Unions Act, 1926; and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The BJP government, in its first tenure itself, mooted this bill, and uploaded it on the labour ministry’s website, in April 2015. The draft was then circulated among the central trade unions in October.

Britain: Ambivalent Labour lost the elections

IN the General Elections held on December 12 in Britain, ruling Tory party has increased its vote share and secured a huge majority. Out of 650, the Tories under Boris Johnson have won 364 seats providing them with a 78 majority, compared to the Labour Party reduced to 203 MP’s in the House of Commons (Lower House).How or why it happened, after the opposition itself agreed to an early election?

New Data Protection Bill: From Protecting our Data to Creating a Surveillance State

THE government has come out with a Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 which differs significantly from its earlier version drafted by Justice BN Sri Krishna in 2018. Justice Sri Krishna has called these changes as dangerous and with potential for creating a surveillance state. In another major change from the original Sri Krishna draft, the Data Protection Authority of India has been made entirely subservient to the government.

Country Rises in Protest against Citizenship Amendment Act

KeralaHuman Chain against CAA on Republic DayN S SajithTHE Left Democratic Front(LDF) will organise a human chain on January 26, 2020 in Kerala, on the 70th Republic Day of India, as part of the continuing protests against the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA). This was announced by A Vijayraghwan, convenor of LDF in Thiruvananthapuram on October 16 while deliberating on the decisions of the LDF meeting.All persons who oppose the divisive agenda of Modi government can be a part of the human chain.

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