Electoral Bonds: Evading the Real Issue

THE Supreme Court has declined to stay the issuance of electoral bonds in its current tranche from April 1 to 10. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, had made an urgent plea that the issuance of bonds meant for the four state assembly elections be stayed.The Court noted that the scheme has operated for the past three years without impediments and certain safeguards have been put in. These are unconvincing reasons. The whole point is that the scheme itself is an opaque way of funding political parties and it is in-built to favour the ruling party.

Biden Woos EU to Break Eurasian Connectivity

THE inevitable integration of the Eurasian supercontinent is one of the most enduring realities of the ongoing century. The coming together of China and the European Union (EU) and Russo-German collaboration on building a pipeline to usher in the multi-polar world order is a nightmare that continues to haunt American strategic elite.The Biden administration wants its partner countries to offer a combined challenge to both Russia and China.

WEST BENGAL: Morcha Campaign Touches Chord

WEST Bengal is in the throes of the most crucial assembly elections which proposes to be a turning point in the history of the state. On one hand the state is plagued by the mal-administration of the Trinamool Congress government and on the other it is facing the danger of BJP’s aggression and politics of communal polarisation and divisive agenda. The two pronged attack by the central and the state governments have trapped the people of Bengal in a quagmire from which they desperately want respite.

Bharat Bandh Call Gets Nationwide Response

THE Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) call for a Bharat Bandh on March 26, the day the farmers’ struggle completed four months, and for burning the three hated farm laws on the day of Holi, March 28, received enthusiastic response all across the country.The Bharat Bandh call had been given for the following five demands: Repeal the three farm laws; make law on MSP and procurement; cancel all police cases against farmers; roll back the electricity bill and the pollution bill; and reduce prices of petrol, diesel and gas.The Bharat Bandh got a large response in states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar P

TAMIL NADU: DMK led Progressive Secular Front Marching towards Victory

GENERAL Elections for the 16th Tamil Nadu legislative assembly is taking place on April 6. Tamil Nadu elections had always been a binary between the AIADMK on one side and the DMK on the other since 1972. This particular election is unique in that the very popular and experienced leaders like K Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa are not available as the leaders of their respective fronts.

The Modi Government and the Public Sector

THE Modi government has made no secret of its intention to hand over India’s public sector to its favoured corporate houses and foreign multinationals. And this is backed not by any economic argument, but rather by its desire to raise resources for government expenditure, thereby betraying both its utter ignorance of economics and its bloody-minded determination to favour its crony corporate houses.The public sector in India emerged out of the anti-colonial struggle.

Budget Lays Ground for Total Privatisation of CPSUs

THE revised Public Sector Policy announced in the budget 2021-22 is fully oriented towards total privatisation of central public sector undertakings. It is no longer mere “divestment of equity” of CPSUs. Now it is whole-hog privatisation. The Congress (I) government led by P V Narasimha Rao with Manmohan Singh as finance minister started divestment of equity through IPO. With the NDA led by Vajpayee in power, the attack of divestment coupled with outright privatisation was doggedly intensified, so much so, a full-fledged ministry of disinvestment was established.

AP: Inspiring Struggle against Privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant

THE fight being put up by the employees and workers’ unions of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) against its privatisation is inspiring to those unions of public sector units (PSUs) and other establishments which are proposed to be privatised, across the country, said Tapan Sen, CITU general secretary.Addressing a large public meeting, ‘Ukku Karmika Garjana’, organised by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee, at Trishna grounds in VSP, on March 20, he raised the questioned as to why the centre is interested in the privatisation of the VSP rather than coming up with solutions to

CPI(M) Writes to EC on EVMs & Electoral Bonds

On March 22, Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has written the following letter to the chief election commissioner, Election Commission of India on certain concerns on the functioning of the EVMs along with the VVPAT and on the impact of the electoral bonds.

KARNATAKA: Withdraw Anti-Farmer, Anti-Worker Laws

“A second freedom struggle is being waged in the country. It is being waged against a government that is making laws to handover lands owned by peasants and the whole of agriculture to Indian and multinational corporates. It is being waged in Karnataka too.

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