SYRIZA, which literally means, 'coalition of the radical Left', broke, with 25 of its members of parliament and a section of the central committee, coming out to form another platform called the 'Popular Unity'. This move in fact, had immediately followed after Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister of Greece and leader of the Syriza, resigned and recommended for immediate elections.
THE All India Agricultural Workers’ Union General Council, which met at the Mazdoor Kisan Bhavan in Jaipur on 17-18 August, has called on the agricultural workers to demonstrate before Parliament during the upcoming winter session to protest against the anti-poor and anti-rural policies of the BJP government at the Centre. In preparation to the demonstration before Parliament, the council decided to carry out an extended outreach programme to contact at least one million agricultural workers across the country.
THE Students' Federation of India, SFI and Democratic Youth Federation of India, DYFI have jointly organised a massive rally to the Film and Television Institute of India, FTII, Pune on August 23 in solidarity with the ongoing struggle by the students against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the governing council of the institution. The march was followed by a human chain set up in front of the FTII and a vibrant public meeting.
ON the call of the All India Kisan Council to organise crop-wise movement, a jute growers’ convention was held on August 15 at the West Bengal state Krishak Samity office in Kolkata. A total of 33 delegates from jute-growing states, such as West Bengal, Bihar and Assam, attended the convention. Delegates from Andhra Pradesh could not attend the meet. Madan Ghosh, vice-president of AIKS, presided over the convention, and AIKS state secretary Nripen Choudhoury and general secretary Hannan Mollah attended the convention. Mollah introduced the subject and explained the AIKS decision.
KASHMIR Handicraft Workers and Artisans Union held a day long convention at Srinagar on August 25 in which hundreds of workers and artisans participated. Participants were very enthusiastic and there was a sizable number of women workers and artisans.
The All India Democratic Women’s Association has been at the forefront of the struggle for food security for all in India. In this connection it has over the years been actively engaged with the question of identification of beneficiaries for government schemes which is the responsibility of rural development ministry.
In a letter written to the prime minister on August 18, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has expressed support to the legitimate demand of the ex-service men of our country who have been justly demanding one-rank-one-pension. For this they are sitting in a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for the last three months and now they have started an indefinite hunger strike.
THERE is a strong view in certain Left circles, especially in certain European Left circles, that any de-linking from global capitalism conduces to a promotion of domestic reaction.
BJP and RSS have been making relentless efforts to hurt and provoke the political sentiments of people of Jammu and Kashmir by raising issues like the abrogation of constitutional Article 370, which gives special status to the state, and settlement of non-state subject soldiers in Kashmir, CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, and warned that similar moves in the past have always proven counter-productive and against the interests of the state as well as the country.Addressing a Party convention in South Kashmir’s Qazigund on August 19, the Kulgam MLA said it is unfortunate that the RSS
Q Why are the Left parties fighting the Bihar elections alone? Is it not the need of the hour to build a broader secular unity to fight BJP in Bihar? Hemanandan, Lucknow A THE CPI(M) is very conscious of the need to fight the BJP in Bihar and everywhere in the country. This is essential for the defence of secularism and democratic institutions.