Jute Growers, Workers Facing Severe Crisis

THAT the jute farmers and jute mill workers in India are facing the worst ever crisis today, and are being pushed into destitution, due to the faulty policies of the union textile ministry and the food ministry, was what the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) recently sought to highlight once again.

EMS Smriti Stresses Relevance of Left

AT a critical juncture in Indian politics, which has witnessed a temporary setback to the Left and democratic forces in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, a meaningful two day debate pointed out the responsibilities the Left has to take up. At EMS Smriti, a national debate programme organised on June 19 and 20 by the COSTFORD at Thrissur, there was a threadbare discussion on the role of the Left in the new circumstances, and on how to overcome the challenges.

Environment, Development and Corporate Hindutva

ALMOST a year before it came to power at the centre, the present minister for environment, Prakash Javadekar termed environmental clearances as a new form of “license raj.” This comment was made in the context of the slowdown of the economy and he accused the ministry of environment and forests of being a “roadblock” in the path of development.

Inspiring Experience of Left-Led Tribal Movement in Tripura

THE glorious history and inspiring experience of the Left-led tribal movement in Tripura was highlighted by the newly-elected member of parliament from the Tripura East (ST) seat and former minister in the Left Front government of Tripura, Jitendra Chaudhury, in the CPI(M)’s Thane district study camp held recently in the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhavan at Talasari. Over 300 leading activists of the Party – most of them tribals – attended this camp which was specially held in the wake of the Lok Sabha poll results.

Communal Provocation and Violence in Pune: A Brief Report by AIDWA

The following is a report based on discussions with the All India Democratic Women’s Association activists and youth from different areas of Pune city. They were coordinated by the AIDWA state secretary Sonya Gill, vice presidents Kiran Moghe, Saraswati Bhandirge and Subhadra Khilare, state committee member Jaya Ghadge and photo-journalist Vidya Kulkarni.

AIKS Condemns Dole to Sugar Barons

THROUGH a statement issued from New Delhi on June 23, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) condemned the latest decision of the Narendra Modi led government to appease the sugar lobby by doling out further benefits to them without any concrete action to ensure that the lobby clears the arrears due to the cane farmers which, by the government’s own admission, is as high as 110 billion rupees or 1.84 billion US dollars.

Govt must Refrain from Any Unilateralism

ON June 24, the new union labour minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, had had his first meeting with the central trade unions at Shram Shakti Bhawan in New Delhi. The minister of state for labour, Vishnudeo Sai, was also present in the meeting along with the labour secretary, chief labour commissioner (central), central provident fund commissioner, financial commissioner, and ESIC and other labour department officials.

Better Days Ahead For Insurance Companies & Corporate Hospitals

SINCE being installed in government, the BJP’s ministers have announced a slew of measures to usher in “better days”. True to this pattern, the new government’s health minister – Dr Harsh Vardhan – has articulated a number of priorities in the health sector. None of them come as a surprise as they are true to the BJP’s core ideology of further promoting the neo-liberal agenda of the previous UPA government.

The “Role” Governors Play

EVER since the Congress’ monopoly of power ended, first in the states and then at the centre, the governor’s post has been mired in controversies. It began with the first breach in the Congress’ monopoly of power in 1957, when in Kerala the then undivided Communist Party of India won the elections. The Communist Legislature Party, which included five independent MLAs, elected EMS Namboodiripad as their leader, who in turn staked claim to form the government. Governor Ramakrishna Rao, refused to accept the claim.

The Dangers of Regressive Income Redistribution

THE budget season is upon us, and soon there will be pundits appearing on television channels to tell the government what it should do. And the typical advice will be: restrict or wind up the “populist” schemes of the UPA; use the funds generated by such restrictions to provide “incentives” to capitalists to stimulate growth, so that the Indian economy, which has been woefully stagnant of late, experiences a revival. The moral of their story in short would be: an income redistribution from the poor to the rich is good for growth. Is it in fact the case?

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