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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
THE World Health Organisation is set to elect a new director general at the World Health Assembly in May 2017, marking the completion of two four-year terms of the current director general, Margaret Chan.
THE Union Budget 2017-18 was preceded by the Economic Survey, 2017-18 which comprehensively outlines the long term economic strategy of the government. Though the survey is rigorously researched and referenced by the chief economist, it displays a strong ideological commitment and focus to pushing India into the next phase of neo-liberal reforms, both in terms of policy and societal changes.
THE Mahajana Padayatra being conducted by the CPI(M) in Telangana has crossed the milestone of 3000 kilometres at Thallada in Khammam district on February 5. A pylon constructed there was inaugurated by V Srinivasa Rao, CPI(M) central secretariat member, to mark the occasion. The team of padayatra led by the Party’s state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram was given a rousing reception by different sections of the people.
TAMIL NADU witnessed the mammoth struggle for Jallikattu which was not only spontaneous but also attracted each and every section of the people of the state. Never before in the recent memory there was such a massive struggle. The depth of the struggle can be gauged from some interesting manifestations. The Muslims and Christians also took part in large number giving the clear message that Jallikattu and Pongal festival belongs to all irrespective of religions.