ON January 28, 2016, the AIKS Maharashtra council held a vibrant state-level convention in Nashik that gave a clarion call for an unprecedented statewide siege (mahapadav) of one lakh peasants from March 29 onwards in Nashik city. It was attended by over 700 leading activists from 21 districts. This struggle call was the culmination of a four-month long AIKS campaign in Maharashtra.
THE Dravidian parties have betrayed the cause of Periyar and strayed away from the principles of the Dravidian movement leaving in the lurch the Dalits and the poor of the state, said CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat at Dharmapuri on February 13.
Addressing a public meeting of Makkal Nala Kootani (Peoples' Welfare Alliance), the CPI(M) leader said that people had become pawns in the political power play between the two parties, the AIADMK and the DMK.
THE Delhi Union of Journalists, in a statement issued on February 15, has strongly deplored the beating up of journalists, students and teachers in the Patiala House Courts today by goons. JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced in court today. Several of them including a few journalists were severely injured and had to be taken to the hospital. Even women journalists were not spared by the goons.
It is surprising that though there was a heavy presence of the Police, it refused to intervene despite repeated requests by those who were being beaten up.
THE call to intensify struggle and take initiative in building up joint struggles on common issues in the states emerged out in the recently held central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM).The organisation held its CEC meeting on February 10-11, 2016 in Delhi, attended by members from 13 states and representatives from the students, peasants and women’s organisations. ATTACK ON FOREST RIGHTS ACTThe meeting, while congratulating its members on successfully organising the national convention in Aug
JINGO patriotism and pseudo right wing RSS nationalists have found a suitable partner in CIA double agent David Coleman Headley who has been given clemency in return for turning ‘approver’ in the 26/11 case. This cover for Headley has given him the license to make claims that are politically suitable for the ruling regime and that help it to wipe out the taint that Modi accumulated as chief minister of Gujarat. As part of this exercise, the public prosecutor claims that Headley has given evidence to suggest that Ishrat Jahan was a Lashkar ‘suicide bomber’.
CPI(M) Delhi observed the legendary communist Comrade Major Jaipal Singh’s birth centenary on February 11, 2016. The well-attended meeting in Constitution Club was addressed by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, Central Secretariat member Joginder Sharma and Central Committee member Pushpinder Singh Grewal. KM Tiwari, secretary, Delhi presided over the meeting.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on February 14, 2016.THE Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) pays homage to the memory of poet and lyricist ONV Kurup.A winner of the Jnanpith award, ONV Kurup, was part of the progressive and Left movement in Kerala and wrote some of the most remembered poems and film lyrics. His association with the Kerala People’s Arts Club and the penning of several songs for it made some of its plays memorable.
THREE main factors explain why the effect of the world capitalist crisis that erupted in 2007-08 and is still continuing was not felt by the Indian economy for a long time. Each of these three countervailing factors, however, has now run its course, leaving the government with no means of coping with the ongoing crisis.
THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on February 15, has strongly condemned the killing of Comrade Swapan Malik by TMC goons at Raina Block of Burdwan District on February 11 during a protest by peasants and agricultural workers against the anti-people Mamata Banerjee regime. TMC goons attacked with weapons and bombs when a massive rally was held demanding ration cards for the poor peasants and agricultural workers. Many people were injured in the attack. Com Swapan Malik, a poor farmer who was an activist of the Kisan Sabha was killed in their attack.
THE movement demanded legitimate food grains for all, the movement protested the TMC-BJP joint conspiracy of eliminating eligible people from rationing system and the movement in Bengal has already witnessed martyrdom of Swapan Malik due to the attack of TMC hooligans.When the BJP eliminated almost four crores of people in the name of National Food Security Act (NFSA), the TMC had never voiced protest. 9 crore 23 lakh people were covered by the rationing system in Bengal and NFSA will cover only little less than 5 crore 49 lakh of them.