Electricity Bill: An Aggressive Push to an Old Agenda

THE Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2022, is yet again another attempt to privatise electricity distribution, reduce subsidies, and leave India's poorest to the caprices of the market. Such attempts to amend the Electricity Act of 2003 were made in 2014, 2020 and again in 2021. It now has reappeared in new clothes in 2022.

Seminar on Future of Farmers’ Movement

ON August 22, 2022, the P Sundarayya Memorial Trust, along with LeftWord Books, organised a seminar on “The Future of the Farmers’ Movement in India”, along with a discussion on the book “When farmers stood up: how the historic kisan struggle in India unfolded”, written by AIKS president, Ashok Dhawale.Farmers from Haryana and Punjab, activists of class and mass organisations and progressive individuals from Delhi attended the programme in large numbers at the Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi. The hall was jam-packed.Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, Yogend

Remembrance Meeting of Comrade Birender Singh and Comrade Rajeev Jha

A CONDOLENCE meeting was organised on the evening of August 16, at CPI(M) headquarters, A K Gopalan Bhawan, to pay tributes to Comrade Birender Singh and Comrade Rajiv Jha. The two comrades, who had been associated with the Party centre for more than four decades as full-fledged workers, died recently.

Instead of Liveable Cities, Unequal and Unsustainable Urbanisation

“HELL is a city much like London…….”, wrote P B Shelly exactly two centuries back, defining life in the British capital.

Towards Self-Reliant Industrial Growth

ONE of the major promises of independent India was to embark upon a path of self-reliant economic development and industrial growth breaking free from the international division of labour imposed by the imperial order. India happened to be one of the countries in the East with some industrial base and until 1938 the average industrial growth rate in India was higher than the world average.

HP: Government Apathy Fuels Apple Farmers Agitation

THE apple growers in Himachal Pradesh are protesting since July 11, 2022, on their 20 demands. The GST on apple cartons was increased from 12 per cent to 18 per cent. Therefore the cost of a carton increased by Rs 25 per carton and the cost of trays increased by Rs 200 per bundle.

Academics Condemn Kerala Governor’s Remarks

OVER 50 historians and prominent academics issued a statement on August 22, deploring the baseless remarks made by the governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan about the vice chancellor of Kannur University, Gopinath Ravindran and expressed their support for him.The historians said “We are shocked to learn from the media that the governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan, has described the vice chancellor of Kannur University, the eminent historian, Gopinath Ravindran as a “criminal.”Professor Gopinath Ravindran is one of India’s leading historians, with a particular specialisation in the agrar

Scuttling Electoral Democracy in J & K

THREE years after the virtual abrogation of Article 370 and nullification of the special status on August 5, 2019, the Modi government is continuing its efforts to reorder the electoral system in Jammu & Kashmir to suit its interests by disempowering the Muslim majority population.The chief electoral officer of J&K announced on August 16 that anyone ordinarily resident in J&K can enrol as a voter in the union territory. He also added that 20 to 25 lakh voters are expected to be added during the special summary revision of the voter list.

Kerala: Lakhs of youth joined Freedom Street by DYFI

To protect democracy and secularism, demanding employmentLAKHS of youth joined the 'Freedom Street' event organised by DYFI Kerala at various district centres on independence day. DYFI organised ‘Freedom Streets’ across the state under the slogan 'My India - Where is my job, where is democracy - safeguard secularism'.DYFI central executive committee had given a call for conducting prolonged campaigns and movements within different states against unemployment, one of the major threats India's youth is facing today.

Agricultural Workers Hold Protest Demonstrations

THE all India protest day on August 1, was organised successfully throughout the country. On the call of five organisations of agricultural workers, protest actions were organised in hundreds of districts and memoranda were sent to the President of India. Agricultural and rural workers participated in these protest actions in huge numbers.

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