Cronyism and the Optical Illusion of ‘National Interest’

THE impact of the short seller Hindenburg report on Adani’s share values and the consequent political response of the government reveals some of the worrying trends that the Indian economy seems to be witnessing at the moment. It is not so surprising that the Indian State came forward in defense of big capital which in any case it had been doing for the past couple of decades and also ‘cronyism’ is not a new trait in India’s history of State-business relationship.

Tripura: CPI(M) Protests Party Activist’s Brutal Killing

Two BJP leaders and an MLA have been named in the FIRHUNDREDS of CPI(M) workers and supporters protested the brutal murder of Party activist Dilip Sukla Das (55) in Kalyanpur, in Teliamura subdivision of Tripura, on February 19.The names of BJP gram panchayat pradhan Krishna Kamal Das, Kalyanpur mandal secretary Manoj Dev and local BJP MLA figure in the FIR lodged by Das’s sons.Das was dragged out of his house and brutally attacked with stones, sticks and bricks in Dwarikapur village, under the Kalyanpur Police Station, around 11 pm on February 18.

Union Budget and What It Means For Cities

THE last full budget of the NDA government continues to be plagued with the idea that “the private capital will ameliorate some of the basic problems of India and that large capital-intensive technologies will usher in development, including inclusive development.”How fallacious is this argument we have seen in the last 3 decades. The structural difference brought in by the Manmohan Singh budget in 1991 was to “shift India’s economy away from the hands of the government to the hands of private enterprise, and embraced free trade.”This was a global phenomenon.

On Tripura Assembly Polls

THE electors of Tripura have set a unique example of determined and powerful role to restore democracy, peace, harmony and the rule of law in the state in the assembly elections on February 16. In this amazing battle, practically, the heroic voters themselves emerge as victorious. This election would be a historic example in the state for the zeal that has been exhibited by the electors to exercise their fundamental rights by casting vote by themselves thwarting all machinations, defying intimidation, obstacles, physical attacks in various places plotted and unleashed by the ruling party.

The Week in Parliament

THE budget session of parliament began on January 31 with an address of President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the union budget for 2023-24. Thereafter, both the houses began the debate on the motion of thanks on the president’s address. The treasury benches praised the welfare schemes of the government while the opposition raised the Adani issue and pressed for a joint parliamentary committee probe into it.

SC Judgment on EPF Pension: Unending Travails of Pensioners

THE Supreme Court of India has delivered an important judgment on November 4, 2022 on the Employees’ Pension Scheme-95 (EPS-95). At the outset, it is all the more relevant here to clarify that this judgment has nothing to do with the question of enhancement of minimum pension under EPS-95, on which lakhs of industrial workers have been agitating since long.Over time, the EPS-95, for which huge workers’ money is taken away, became a mockery with lakhs of workers getting less than Rs 100 per month as pension.

The Fourth Red Books Day, 2023

ONE hundred and seventy-five years ago, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels celebrated the publication of the Communist Manifesto on February 21, 1848 and then watched as Europe’s peoples rose up against one monarchical system after another. The text seemed to anticipate the Springtime of Nations, which included the attempt by the French people to redeem the promise of their 1789 Revolution, whose promise had been squashed by the restoration of the monarchy.

Dangerous Politics of Cow Vigilantism

The CPI(M) has strongly condemned the brutal killings of Junaid and Nasir and the dangerous politics of cow vigilantism promoted by right-wing groups in India. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat and Central Committee member, Amra Ram visited Ghatmika village in Rajasthan on February 18, to meet the families of the victims and express condolences and support for them. They criticised the lack of action by the state government and law enforcement agencies in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Let’s Not Forget the Cost of Tech-Convergence with Imperial America

EXTERNAL affairs minister S Jaishankar is not shy of wearing nationalism on his sleeves. He thinks there is nothing to be apologetic about being nationalist. His public display of nationalistic fervour has earned him many likes of social media. After Modi he is the most liked political figure in Sanghi circles and is generally appreciated as a hardworking and efficient minister. His valiant defence of Russian crude oil imports by India has certainly catapulted his public ratings. He unhesitatingly blamed Europe for following double standards.

Neoliberal-Hindutva Cocktail of Karnataka

KARNATAKA minister’s hate-speech that hit national headlines and the budget presented last week clearly brought forth the Karnataka BJP government’s dogged pursuit of neoliberal-Hindutva agenda. Minister for higher education C N Aswathnarayana in a rally in Mandya gave a call to ‘finish off’ Congress leader Siddaramaiah the way “Vokkaliga chieftains Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda finished off Tipu Sultan”.According to recently revised history of Hindutva brigade, Tipu did not die fighting British, but was killed by Vokkaliga chieftains for betraying Mysore Wodeyars!

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