New Rafale Deal: Almost Done, Some Questions

IT has been reported that the Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary has approved the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault of France under the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender. The deal now awaits clearance from the Defence Acquisition Council headed by the Defence Minister, and finally from the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by the Prime Minister, which will finally bring the curtains down on one of the most long drawn out defence acquisitions India has been involved.

In BJP’s Ramrajya of Madhya Pradesh, Poison in the Name of Water

THE spate of deaths due to consumption of contaminated water in Bhagirathpura in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, continues unabated. The death toll has reached 27, with two more deaths reported. News has also emerged from Dr. Ambedkar Nagar -- the headquarters of Mhow tehsil in Indore district -- that jaundice has been spreading rapidly there due to the mixing of the borewell water line with the sewage line. So far, 30 people have fallen ill there. Of them, 24 are children. Ten of them had to be hospitalised.

Republicanism under Severe Attack: Long Live the Republic

FROM Plato’s Republic till today, republicanism has traversed a long journey. It has been enriched at junctures of the French Revolution and its clarion call for liberty, equality and fraternity. The journey has witnessed major ruptures with the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the advent of fascism as orchestrated by Mussolini and Hitler. The idea of republicanism achieved a new life with the defeat of fascism and the unfurling of the red flag atop the Reichstag.

Malda to Lalgarh: Struggles for Democratic Space

The political focus in West Bengal has shifted dramatically during the final week of January 2026. What began as a desperate administrative attempt to disrupt the CPI(M) rally in Malda escalated into a widespread, multi-district display of defiance. From the congested Malda flyovers to the 'martyr's soil' of Lalgarh, the Left Front's actions signal more than just a protest; they represent a solemn declaration of a struggle for democratic space in the lead-up to the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Sea of People

Defeat the Corporate-Communal Onslaught!

THE working class of India has once again sounded the bugle of resistance. The Central Trade Unions (CTUs) have collectively called for a nation-wide General Strike on February 12; the eighth major one since the BJP came to office in 2014. With the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and agricultural workers’ organisations extending unconditional support to the strike, it will not merely be a day of protest, but it is going to be a massive assertion of the toiling masses against the predatory anti-people policies of the RSS led regime.

CPI(M) Palghar March ends in Victory on Key Demands

THE massive two-day march of over 55 Km by 50,000 farmers, which was organised by the CPI(M) from Charoti to Palghar in Maharashtra between January 19 and 21, 2026, ended on the night of January 21 after the Palghar District Collector Dr Indu Rani Jakhar held a seven-hour marathon discussion with a large CPI(M) delegation and finally conceded most of the demands in writing within a time frame.

Class Struggle in the Era of Fragmentation of Production Process & Precariousness of Jobs

Fragmentation and segmentation of the production process and scattering of global production locations have brought before class-oriented trade union movement dimensional challenges. The Global South has become intermediate manufacturing or assembling hubs as these being the global hunting ground for extreme exploitation of labour. But brand value addition is controlled by MNCs of the Global North. Side by side, growing precarity of the job market is used as a tool by the capitalist class to vilify the doctrine of class struggle.

Crony ‘Haircuts’ for Crony Capitalists

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) came into effect on May 28, 2016, with the President's assent. It was introduced in Parliament as a framework to resolve insolvency proceedings between corporate giants and individuals within a specific timeframe. In 2025, certain amendments to this code were introduced and passed. Under the IBC, if a company goes bankrupt and a resolution is not possible, there are clear procedures to sell the company’s assets through an auction. This is known as the liquidation process.

Assam on the eve of Assembly Election

ALONG with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, Assam is going to Assembly poll in March-April this year. The ruling BJP-led front is seeking its third term. On the other side, the anti-BJP forces are gearing up to unseat the ruling parties this time.

BENEFICIARY SCHEMES

Anusuya Is a Fighter Today

ANUSUYA… she is a postgraduate. She belongs to a Scheduled Caste community at Udayarpalayam, a small hamlet in, Ariyalur district.

Subash… he too is a postgraduate. He was born into a Backward Caste community in Arunagiri village, Uthangarai, Krishnagiri district. Both Subash’s and Anusuya’s families had migrated to the industrial town of Tiruppur after failing to find employment in their native villages. Their residences in Tiruppur were close to each other.

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