The Week in Parliament

IN the concluding week, Lok Sabha discussed about the situation arising out of drought and drinking water crisis in many states and the need to consider inter-linking of rivers and water resource management for sustainable solution to mitigate the crisis. Speaking on this, Md. Salim said farmers are worst affected by drought. They are not able to repay their debts due to crop failure and are driven to commit suicide. Drinking water crisis has also arisen due to the drought like situation in the country. We have not been able to increase the irrigated area during the last 20-25 years.

Danger of Salwa Judum Style Displacement & Division of Villages Arising Again

A DELEGATION comprising of Sanjay Parate, Chhattisgarh state secretary of CPI(M), Vineet Tiwari from Joshi-Adhikari Institute, CPI member, New Delhi, Archana Prasad from Jawaharlal Nehru University and CEC member of AIDWA, and Nandini Sundar, Delhi University visited Bastar Division from May 12-16, 2016.

The Making of a Hindu State

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi during his first two years has sent a clear and unambiguous message to fanatically and ideologically committed anti-Muslims belonging to the RSS or stray groups like Abhinav Bharat of Lt.Colonel Prasad Purohit or Kumari Pragya that they will be fully protected by the State apparatus even if they had broken the law of the land. May 13, 2016 charge sheet submitted by the National Investigation Agency in the Malegaon Blast case of 2008 has overturned the investigations and charges filed by the Maharashtra ATS against Lt.

Jungle Law for Journalists

KILL, bash, terrorise and exploit. This is the new law for keeping journalists under control today, be it the print media, the electronic media or the new social media. Of course, from time to time government backed ‘carrot and stick’ approaches follow as breathers in a murky world of money and power for a select few.The recent murder of Rajeev Ranjan in Sewan and before that Akhilesh Pratap in Jharkhand are just pointers. Killings, murders, attacks and encroachment into press freedom in the year of grace 2015 provide clearer indicators of emerging jungle law.

Oppose the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy

THE cabinet has approved the national IPRs policy on May 12 2016. It is India’s ‘first of its kind” policy which covers all the forms of intellectual property and follows a common set of principles to govern the rights of intellectual property owners without bothering to pursue the concerns of development. In the recent past, India has been under pressure from the US government under Section 301. India has been asked to strengthen the intellectual property regime beyond TRIPS Agreement to which India reluctantly acceded to in order to be member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

India’s Industrial Stagnation

THE index of industrial production for 2015-16 which has recently been released shows that the growth rate of the industrial sector for the financial year (over the previous year) comes to a meagre 2.4 percent. This virtual stagnation in industrial output is not just some sporadic occurrence. In fact the industrial growth rates for the last four financial years have been as follows: 2012-13: 1.1 percent2013-14: -0.1 percent2014-15: 2.8 percent2015-16: 2.4 percent This constitutes industrial stagnation with a vengeance.

AIKS-SFI Lead Militant Action on Aurangabad Divisional Commissionerate

ON May 3, 2016, around 1000 peasants and students from all the eight districts of the Marathwada region, led by the AIKS and the SFI, broke two police barricades and marched right inside the compound of the Aurangabad Divisional Commissioner’s office. This militant and unprecedented action was conducted on the burning demands related to the grim drought situation in the region.

Thinking Together

Is there any constitutional provision that a person who is under jail custody is deprived of their right to vote whereas any accused has the right to contest any kind of election from jail custody. There are quite large number of voters detained in several jails (near about 4 lakh) throughout the country during 16th Lok Sabha election in 2014. What is your view?G K Seal, Kazipara, Barasat, Kolkata AS per the present law, any person who is in jail or in the “lawful custody” of the police is not eligible to vote in an election. This includes both convicted prisoners and t

On Elections in West Bengal

THE result of the West Bengal assembly polls clearly puts TMC as the decisive winner. TMC has bagged more than 200 seats. Left Front has won 30 seats whereas Congress has got success in 45 constituencies. Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra, leader of opposition, has lost from Narayangarh constituency. Asok Bhattacharya, the mayor of Siliguri, has won from Siliguri assembly constituency.

Thumping Victory for the LDF in Kerala

AFTER a gap of five years, LDF scored a huge victory in Kerala. It is a verdict against the UDF government’s anti-people policies, corruption and appeasement of communalism. People’s ire was against the Congress in the election. The verdict clearly shows that the LDF has got support from all sections of the people. Secular minded people from the majority and minority communities stood behind the LDF this time. Women whole heartedly lent their support for the LDF in the light of Jisha’s murder.Congress, the leader of the UDF lost badly in the elctions.

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