THE CPI(M) and the Left Front and the people supporting them in West Bengal have been facing unprecedented violence and attacks by the Trinamool Congress after the Assembly elections were over. The nature of the widespread violence and terror has not been fully comprehended outside the state given the fact that the mainstream media has stopped reporting these events after the victory of the TMC.
“DALIT atrocity is Gujarat model, that is why Modi is silent”, said CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat after visiting Samadhiyala Village in Junagadh, Gujarat. A CPI(M) delegation led by Brinda Karat with P K Biju MP, Arun Mehta, Central Committee member and many other state leaders met Sarviya Babu Bhai and Kavita Bai at their home, parents of the young men who were brutally beaten and humiliated by a vicious mob of gau rakshaks. They told the delegation that they were not at all satisfied with the investigation.
Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) organised a protest on July 25 against the increasing atrocities on dalits in Gujarat and seeking a ban on the cow protection committee vigilantes. Hundreds of activists in spite of the rains stayed put and expressed their anger through the protest. Brahmjeet Singh, president DSMM–NCR, presided over the protest meeting.
Today, wealth inequality in India is much sharper than ever before. The top 1 percent that owned a little more than a third of India's wealth in 2000, now own more than half the wealth in the country. In this same period, the share of 99 percent of India's population went down from almost two-third to less than half.
What is the Party’s response to the promotion of Yoga by the central government? Even Left-led governments are announcing that they will also introduce Yoga classes in schools. Some people are criticising this as being part of the ‘Saffronisation Programme’.P Shaju, TrivandrumYOGA has become very popular all over the world not only because many of the asanas practiced as part of yoga have proved to be very beneficial to people suffering from a wide variety of ailments.
GIVING a major jolt to the United Democratic Front (UDF), Kerala Congress (M) chairman and former finance minister K M Mani boycotted the front’s meeting held at opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala’s official residence, on July 25. In a clear message to the UDF that the party will no longer take the insults to its chairman lying down, none of the KCM leaders also attended the meeting, throwing the allies into jitters.
THE Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 18. In the Lok Sabha, newly elected member took oath on the first day and the House was adjourned for the day after obituary reference and observance of one minute’s silence on account of death of a sitting member. In the Rajya Sabha, after new members took oath, there was an obituary reference to the victims of natural calamities. There was also a short-duration discussion on the situation arising out of recent incidents of violence and turmoil in Kashmir Valley resulting in huge loss of lives and property.
WEST Bengal has passed two blood-soaked months after the assembly elections. Almost every day, news of attacks on Left activists, supporters and common people have become regular.From the electoral process began, till date, a total of 12 people have been murdered by the TMC goons. On June 8, CPI(M) activist and polling agent Amit Pradhan (32) was murdered at Bhagwanpur, East Midnapur. Nirmal Mondal was murdered in Khejuri as he was active in the election campaign for the Left candidate.
Below are the edited excerpts of CPI(M) general secretary and MP Sitaram Yechury’s speech in Rajya Sabha during a short-duration discussion on ‘recent incidents of atrocities on Dalits in various parts of the country’ on July 21. The discussion was held following reports that some dalit youths, who were skinning a dead cow, were beaten up by cow vigilantes in Gujarat’s Una town.THIS discussion is being held today. There was immediate provocation. Then, the kinds of words that have been used against Mayawati, we all disapprove that.
A Four day state-level study class was successfully organised by the SFI Maharashtra state committee at CITU Bhavan, Nashik last month. 194 delegates from 15 districts, among whom 42 were girls, attended the class.
The class was inaugurated by the CITU state general secretary Dr D L Karad by paying homage to Shaheed Bhagat Singh. After the inauguration he took a session on “Today’s Student, Tomorrow’s Worker”. In the second session of the day, Prof Milind Wagh took a session on “Commercialisation of Education”. This session was followed by cultural activities.