TAMIL NADU: CPI(M) Contests Six Assembly Seats

IN the ensuing elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly to be held on April 6, the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state committee has decided to fight along with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Front. Following the discussions with the DMK, CPI(M) will contest six assembly seats. Similarly, CPI, VCK, MDMK are also contesting in six seats each.Following this agreement with the DMK, the state secretariat and the state committee of CPI(M) met and finalised the candidates for the six assembly seats as follows:1. Keelvelur (SC) – Nagai Mali2. Thiruparankundram – S K Ponnuthai3.

Successful Two-Day Bank Strike

THE two-day all-India strike on March 15-16 was a huge success across the country. The call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), against the move to privatise two public sector banks.

SKM Gives Clarion Call for Bharat Bandh on March 26

ON March 26, the farmers’ struggle completes four months. On that day, the SKM has given a clarion call for a Bharat bandh to support the struggle and to put the Modi-led BJP regime on the mat. The last Bharat bandh was on December 8, 2020, and it had turned out to be a massive countrywide success.STRUGGLE CALLSThe various SKM struggle calls in the month of March were well implemented not only at the Delhi borders, but also throughout the country. On March 6, to mark the completion of 100 days of the struggle, lakhs of farmers blocked the KMP highway at all the borders.

Repeal the Three Farm Laws: ICWA

IN a letter written on March 11, to the Counsel General of India based in Vancouver, Canada, the Indo-Canadian Workers Association(ICWA) demanded the immediate release of the three farm laws in India.The ICWA expressed its strong support to the farmers who have been peacefully demonstrating since August 2020 for their demands to repeal the anti-farmer laws and to ensure a legal guarantee of minimum support price.The ICWA, in the letter stated that in September 2020, the parliament of India hastily passed the three farm bills without any proper consultation of required stakeholders, especial

Vaccine Wars, the ASEAN and the Quad

THE recent Quad declaration of the US, India, Japan and Australia has not foregrounded the military axis of their meeting but stressed more on the vaccine thrust against the Covid-19 pandemic. With the threat of a second or a third wave in various countries, vaccines are emerging as the centrepiece of not only global recovery but also of global diplomacy.

Anti-Privatisation & Anti-Corporatisation Day Held on March 15

ON March 15, at the call of the Central Trade Unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, joint protests were held outside hundreds of railway stations against the BJP led union government’s drive for the privatisation of public sector assets, against corporatisation of agriculture through the farm laws, and against the massive rise in diesel, petrol and gas prices. These actions were held all over the country. Pamphlets detailing the harmful effects of these anti-people policies of the government, were handed out to the commuters at the railway stations.

Book review: An overview of the Peasant Movement in Bihar

“LAND struggles in Bihar”, is a recently published book by JankiPrakashan.

Privatising Indian Insurance

WITH the cabinet approving amendments to the Insurance Act of 1938, to raise the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance companies from 49 to 74 per cent, the process of implementing the next stage of reducing public control over Indian insurance has begun.

Provide Refugee Status to Myanmar People

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on March 13THE Polit Bureau expresses its deep concern at the central government’s instruction to the north-eastern state governments to check the influx of people coming in from Myanmar.

1991 Places of Worship Act Should Remain

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on March 13IT is unfortunate that the Supreme Court has opened the way for a re-examination of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991. The Act mandates that the character of all religious places of worship should be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947, and no suit or proceedings shall lie in a court of law with respect to the character of places of worship.This effectively barred courts from entertaining cases which raise disputes over places of worship that existed as of August 15, 1947.

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