FOR Kausalya, a battle has been won but the war lies ahead. The young woman from Tamil Nadu has scored a legal victory in her fight for justice for her slain husband, but she is determined to carry forward her battle against caste-based violence and honor killings.Kausalya, in her early 20s, and her husband V Sankar came under a mercenary attack in Udumalpet town in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur district in March 2016 for their inter-caste marriage. While Kausalya survived the attack, perpetrated by her father, Sankar succumbed to his injuries.
IN the run-off for Chilean presidential elections held on December 17, right-wing, businessman Sebastian Pinera (representing the coalition ‘Let's Go Chile’) won securing 54 per cent of the votes. He has defeated centre-left ruling coalition (New Majority) candidate Alejandro Guillier. The run-off was called as the election could not be decided in the first round with no candidate able to secure the mandatory 50 per cent of the polled votes.
THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), in a statement issued on December 23, has condemned the utter insensitivity displayed by the Delhi Development Authority in demolishing a hostel housing visually impaired students at Janakpuri, Delhi. This thoughtless and callous action on the part of the DDA has left around 25 of the hostel’s inmates to face the vagaries of nature.
THE third national convention of women employed in the banking sector was organised by the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) in Chennai on December 17. The convention gave a call to defend the public sector, protect national unity and fight for gender equality.Inaugurating the convention, AIDWA general secretary Mariam Dhawale said even after 70 years of Independence, people are struggling for their basic needs and a demand prioritised in this women’s conference report is for a separate toilet for women employees in bank branches.
THE constitution of India is the foundational document that guides our country's polity. For every Indian citizen, the constitution secures justice, freedom of thought, expression, belief, worship and faith as well as equality of status. The constitution was the outcome of our national movement for independence from colonial rule that involved people from all strata of Indian society.
THE president of India gave a sympathetic hearing to a delegation led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat and Jharkhand Adivasi Adhikar Manch secretary Praful Linda who submitted a memorandum to him on December 22. The delegation which comprised adivasi leaders of the Chotanagpur area of Jharkhand were from three project affected areas in which more than three lakh people, a large number of them adivasis will be evicted. They were Mohan Oraon, Dr Ashok, Anita Tirkey, Deepika Bara, Aloys Minz, Surendra Oraon, Mukesh Oraon and Fildri Toppo.
ON behalf of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sitaram Yechury, general secretary, has sent messages of greetings to KP Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) on the victory of their alliance in Nepal elections.
THE secretariat of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in session in New Delhi has expressed its shock over the sudden demise of Comrade NM Sundaram, one of the senior leaders of Indian Trade Union movement and especially that of the insurance workers movement December on 26, 2017 at Chennai.
THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), in a statement issued on December 27, has said that it is deeply disturbed by the government of India’s presentation of the amendment to the The Indian Forest Act, 1927 before the parliament on December 27, which has removed the bamboo plant from the status of a tree after 90 years.
AN unprecedented wave of workers’ and farmers’ struggles spread across the whole country through the year that is coming to an end. It challenged the Modi government and its pro-rich, anti-working people, anti-farmer policies, forcing the government to reverse course in some cases. These battles spanned issues related to falling living standards, growing inequality and loot by the ruling classes, as also the communal politics of the Sangh Parivar that is trying to divide people on religious identity lines.