VETERAN leader of the communist movement and one of the founder leaders of the CPI(M), Comrade N Sankariah turned 94 on July 15. Com Sankariah’s long political career spanning over seven decades included nearly eight years in jail. He is one of the 32 members of the National Council of the Communist Party of India who walked out of the National Council meeting and later formed the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on July 22.
THE Mumbai blasts of 1993 was a heinous terrorist attack killing 257 innocent people and causing injuries to scores of others. It is imperative that the criminals responsible should be brought to book and punished. There is ample evidence that the main culprits have escaped the law with the help of agencies across the border. Every effort has to be made from all fora available to bring them back to India to stand trial and consequent punishment under law.
THE BJP government is caught between its own aggressive postures and the contradictory realities as far as Pakistan is concerned. This is what has emerged from the episode of the joint statement issued after the prime ministers of India and Pakistan met at Ufa in Russia on July 10 and the events thereafter. The Ufa statement signaled the resumption of talks between the two countries. The joint statement talked of the resolve of both sides to discuss all outstanding issues.
IT is ten years since the Indo-US nuclear deal was announced on July 18, 2005. As is well known, the CPI(M) and the Left had strongly opposed this nuclear deal seeing it as a crucial part of the wide-ranging strategic alliance which the Manmohan Singh government was seeking to forge with the United States of America.
PROTEST rallies and demonstrations were held across the country on July 20 on the call of CPI(M) and other Left parties to expose corruption at high levels in the BJP-led central government as well as in various state governments. Thousands of Left activists and supporters took to the streets and expressed their anger against rampant corruption and nepotism of BJP ministers and chief ministers and demanded their resignations.
THE Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was carried out between June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2011 by the ministry of rural development, government of India. The three stated objectives of this Census were to enable state governments to prepare below poverty line (BPL) lists, to arrive at a caste-wise enumeration of the population, and to ascertain the socio-economic and educational status of the enumerated castes.
A YOUNG Dalit youth who was subjected to a severe third degree torture in lockup by the Kerala police and as a result had underwent an eleven day long painful treatment, has passed away on July 11. P V Sibi (39), a head load worker from Marangattupilly village of Kottayam district was the new victim of custodial torture. Sibi was taken into custody for an alleged reason of drinking alcohol in public place. Sibi is survived by wife Priya and three children.
GODAVARI Maha Pushkaram started off in the state of Andhra Pradesh on an unimaginable sad note resulting in the loss of precious lives and grievous injuries to many. It is for the first time in the history of Godavari Pushkaralu that such a massive tragedy has taken place. This ghastly incident has severely dented the credibility of the TDP government and remained as the worst nightmare for the people of Rajahmundry.
THE Indo Canadian Workers Association of Canada held a public meeting in Surrey, Canada on June 21. This public meeting was to remember and pay tributes to the Victims of 1985 Air India flight no 182 bombing and two baggage handlers at Tokyo Airport.
Surinder Sangha, the president of ICWA and Jinny Sims, MP were the main speakers. It was a full hall meeting. Several members from the victims family came to attend and shared their emotional feelings who have been waiting for justice even after 30 years.