Differing Concepts of Populism

The same term is often employed by different people with different meanings, and this can be a source of immense confusion. The World Bank has done this to good effect in the past, taking over terms that are being used in a particular sense, especially by the Left, and using them in a very different sense, in order to create deliberate confusion and exploit in some way the sympathetic feeling that the term had attracted from people in its initial usage. “Structural adjustment” is a prime example of such appropriation by the World Bank.

Nuclear Energy in India: From Self-Reliance To Import Dependence

India was an early entrant in the field of nuclear energy. It was Dr Homi J Bhabha who initiated nuclear science research in India by setting up the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1945 and later the Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay (now known as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre or BARC) in 1954 to intensify effort to deploy nuclear technology for generating electricity.

Stop Misuse of “Money Bill” Route

The government is increasingly resorting to the money bill route to avoid the Rajya Sabha having any say in the legislation making process. Since the BJP-led government has no majority in the Rajya Sabha, it has been resorting to the device of the “Money Bill” to overcome this hurdle. All democratic forces must extend support to the demand that the misuse of the money bill be ended forthwith.The Modi government is systematically downgrading the Rajya Sabha by misusing the definition of “Money Bill” to get legislations passed in parliament by bypassing the upper house.

Act to Stop the Death of Farmers, CPI(M) Pickets 300 Centres in Tamil Nadu

More than sixty thousand cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) courted arrest for picketing across the state condemning the anti-people policies of the state and central governments on February 7.The protesters demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the families of farmers who had committed suicide due to drought in the Cauvery Delta. They also demanded compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre for paddy, Rs 50,000 per acre for banana, plantains and Rs 75,000 per acre for sugar cane farmers as drought relief.

SC Verdict on DA case will Give Fresh Impetus To Fight Against Corruption

The Supreme Court on February 14 has convicted Sasikala setting aside the Karnataka High Court verdict acquitting her in the 18 year-old disproportionate assets case that also involved the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The CPI(M) has welcomed the Supreme Court judgement and said this serves as a warning to all those in public life who indulge in corruption.After 18 years of legal proceedings, Justice Michael D' Cunha in 2015 convicted former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi, in a disproportionate assets case.

Decree on Peace

The Bolsheviks under Lenin’s leadership had opposed the participation of Tsarist Russia in the First World War. Lenin had declared the war to be an “imperialist war” which had destroyed the lives of millions of workers who were drafted by the imperialist governments in Europe as soldiers to fight the war.Unlike the Social democrats of various European countries, the Bolsheviks opposed the war and called for an end to the conflict.

CPI(M) Seeks Drought Relief

The entire South India has been facing massive droughts including Tamil Nadu. CPI(M) is holding a state wide protest in Tamil Nadu demanding higher compensation (Rs 10 lakhs) for families of those farmers who have died and is also demanding 200 days of employment guarantee under MNREGA. Road roko is being staged all over the state in which thousands of people have participated and have been arrested.

Nagaland Imbroglio

WOMEN’S groups have been leading a struggle for 33 percent reservation in the local bodies in Nagaland for the past many years. Elections for 32 urban local bodies (ULBs) notified on December 21, 2016 were to be held after a gap of 16 years. Unfortunately some tribal groups opposed reservation for women under the garb of protecting customary laws. Women who filed their nominations were forced to withdraw and a call was given to boycott the elections.

THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

THE Budget Session began as usual with the President’s Address to the Joint Session of Parliament on January 31. After this, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met and made obituary references. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley laid the copy of the Economic Survey 2016-17 in both the Houses.The next day, after former Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Indian Union Muslim League E Ahamed, who collapsed during President Pranab Mukherjee's address and died in hospital, there was a long suspense over whether the government would adjourn the House or the Finance Minister would present the budget.

Union Budget: Deadly Push to Privatisation

A NATIONAL convention of central public sector workers was organised in Bengaluru on January 29, jointly by CITU, AITUC, HMS, INTUC, LPF, Joint Action Front (JAF), Bengaluru, and the Coordination Committee of CPSU Unions of Hyderabad. It was attended by more than four hundred leading representatives of trade unions from all the major central public sector undertakings (CPSU) in the country.

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