Country-Wide Bank Strike on March 15-16

TILL the year 1969, all thebanks except State Bank of India and its subsidiaries were in the private hands. During this period more than 500 private banks collapsed due to bankruptcy with the result the people lost their considerable portion of their money deposited in these banks. Remaining banks were in the hands of a few corporates who used the banks’ funds for the improvement of their own business. These banks did nothing either to improve the economy of the nation or to improve the standard of living of the common people.

Condemn this Blatant Misuse of Central Agencies

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on March 6, 2021THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the Customs Authority’s attempt to falsely implicate Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, three other ministers and the speaker of the assembly of Kerala in an alleged dollar smuggling case.The customs have cited an affidavit by one of the accused, who is in judicial custody in the gold smuggling case, for this purpose. The fact that this tutored statement was recorded some months ago and presented after the elections were announced shows the politic

Condemn ED Action in Kerala

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on March 5THE Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) action of registering a case against the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) is a blatant misuse of the agency as a political tool by the BJP government at the centre.The finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while addressing a BJP election meeting in Kerala made unfounded allegations against the KIIFB and the LDF government. Following this, the ED has taken this totally unwarranted action.The ED had registered a case of violation of FEMA norms and s

TRIPURA: ADC Elections: A Challenge to Restore Democracy

THE notification for elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which had been pending since March last year, was finally issued by the State Election Commission on March 4. After the expiry of the tenure of the elected Left Front Council in May last year, the state government, taking advantage of the Covid-19 situation, was keen to reign in the TTAADC through appointment of an administrator. But following a Tripura High Court verdict, the government was compelled to hold elections to the council.

CPC Theorises Poverty Alleviation Efforts

THIS year marks the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as the starting point of a new journey to build a modern socialist China. Declaration of victory over absolute poverty signals the achievement of its strategic goal of building a ‘moderately prosperous society in all respects’.CPC is known for its long-term planning, as well as focusing on medium-term and short-term goals to achieve its strategic goals. The Programme of the CPC states that ‘China is at the primary stage of socialism’, at which it will remain ‘for a long period of time’.

KERALA: CPI(M) Releases the List of 83 Candidates

IN a run up to the 15th assembly elections in Kerala, CPI(M) has released a list of 83 candidates on March 10, which includes the name of Pinarayi Vijayan, Polit Bureau member of the Party and chief minister of the state. CPI(M) fielded 85 candidates for the 140 member legislative assembly. While releasing the list of candidates, A Vijayaraghavan, CPI(M) state secretary in-charge has said that 74 will contest as Party candidates and nine will contest as independents and candidates for Manjeswaram and Devikulam constituencies will be announced later.

Fiscal Policy in a Bind

EVEN the blinkered BJP government sees the need for a fiscal policy that would stimulate the economy by increasing government expenditure; but it finds itself in a bind since it does not know how to finance such larger government expenditure. Simply spending more by borrowing, that is, by enlarging the fiscal deficit, is frowned upon by international finance capital, and our government, notwithstanding its much advertised “hyper-nationalism”, does not have the gall to violate the dictates of globalised finance.

The Unholy Trinity in Kerala elections

THE Kerala Assembly elections are being fought by three alliances – the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA. Both the Congress and the BJP have been targeting the LDF government with a string of false allegations which began with the gold smuggling case in July last year. Now there is a third party in the electoral fray.

Neither Contempt nor Malice in the letter: Brinda Karat

ON March 5, 2021, Brinda Karat, Member Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) issued a response letter to the Bar Council of India. It may be mentioned here that Brinda Karat had written a letter to the chief justice of India regarding his remarks in open court in two cases pertaining to women. This letter was published in these columns in the previous issue.

CPI(ML): Wrong Turn in West Bengal: A Political Commentary

THE general secretary of the CPI(ML), Dipankar Bhattacharya, has been airing his views in the media for some time, about the tactics that the Left should adopt for the West Bengal assembly election. He has been criticising the CPI(M) and the Left Front for equating the BJP and the Trinamool Congress and for calling for a fight against both the BJP and the TMC.He has, in an interview to The Hindu, dated March 8, said that the political line taken by the CPI(M)-led alliance is “narrow, short-sighted, suicidal”. He has also said that the Left Front is “underestimating the BJP while targeting

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter