What is CPI(M)’s position on the recent decision of the government to regulate prices and royalty of Bt cotton seeds and the response of MNC agribusinesses like Monsanto?G Srinivasan, KhammamCPI(M) holds  that new technologies should not lead to a monopoly of global MNCs over any agricultural inputs including seeds. CPI(M) demands a Seed Bill that will guarantee right of access to affordable, quality seeds and planting material to farmers through public sector addressing bio-safety concerns.

THE last few days have seen a surge of violence in Coimbatore district and neighbouring areas in Tamil Nadu as the Hindu Munnani, (a part of the Sangh Parivar) let loose a reign of terror. The incidents began after the murder of their leader Sasikumar and the bandh called by the organisation. Many activists of the Munnani and associated organisations gathered outside the hospital and there was a planned and concerted outbreak of violence. There were quite a few incidents of arson in which shops and establishments owned by Muslims were targeted.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on September 27, 2016.PRIME Minister Modi's announcement that India would ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is both surprising and violative of the assurance that this BJP government had given to parliament.Soon after the Paris Summit, the parliament was assured that India would not ratify the Paris Agreement until the national laws relating to environment, forests and energy are examined in the light of their capacity to implement the various provisions of the Paris Agreement.

AT the invitation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), a CPI(M) delegation headed by Sitaram Yechury, general secretary and Mridul De, Central Committee member and West Bengal CPI(M) state secretariat member visited Greece from September 21 to 26. This visit has further strengthened the relations between the CPI(M) and the KKE.  The programme organised by the KKE for the visit was very intensive.  Apart from detailed discussions with the general secretary of the KKE, D Koutsoumpas, the delegation had separate meetings discussing substantive issues of mutual interest and concern with the

The eighth BRICS Summit is going to be held in Goa in the month of October 2016. How does the CPI(M) view the role of BRICS in the background of the internal political developments in these countries?R Sengupta, KolkataTHE eighth BRICS Summit is going to be held in Goa on October 15-16, 2016. BRICS is a grouping of five developing countries, which together constitute 42 percent of the world's population and more than 14 percent of the world's GDP. The global economic crisis has enhanced the importance of the developing countries in the world economy.