The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has issued the following statement on February 21:

AIDWA condemns the interim budget which claims to be swayed by “equity concerns” but which has imposed heavy additional burdens on women, making it even more difficult for them to exercise their right to a violence free life.

IT is a hundred and four years since when the International Women’s Day is being observed all over the world. The day, which used to be the day of working women, has now become International Women’s Day, focussing on the demands of women as a whole.

It is also to be noted that, as about other occasions nowadays, this day of struggle is being commercially exploited by vested interests. At the same time, this is also utilised to divert attention from the realities of class exploitation and oppression being perpetrated against women.

THE toiling masses of Haryana and the country have to strengthen the red flag to strengthen their position in politics, and this is also important for raising our issues in parliament for which we have been fighting in the streets everyday. This was the idea conveyed by several speakers who addressed the Vikalpa (Alternative) Rally organised on February 23, in Hissar. Attended by thousands of Haryana people, the rally was organised by the Communist party of India (Marxist) and the Communist party of India jointly.

THE viability of democracy requires a belief among people that they can make a difference to their lives by participating in the democratic process. This belief may be a false one; it may be a mere illusion. But unless this illusion exists, people become not just cynical about the democratic process but despondent about their capacity to make any difference to their lives through their own efforts. Such despondency then leads to their quest for a “saviour” or a “messiah” supposedly endowed with extraordinary powers who can come to their rescue.

ELEVEN non-Congress, non-BJP political parties resolved to work together to present an alternative before the people of the country for the coming Lok Sabha elections. They also issued a joint declaration that called for throwing out the Congress from power and defeating the BJP to prevent it from coming to power. Leaders of CPI(M), CPI, All India Forward Bloc, RSP, JD(U), Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, JD(S) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha held a meeting on 25th February at Tripura Bhavan in New Delhi and released the joint declaration.