New Data Protection Bill: From Protecting our Data to Creating a Surveillance State

THE government has come out with a Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 which differs significantly from its earlier version drafted by Justice BN Sri Krishna in 2018. Justice Sri Krishna has called these changes as dangerous and with potential for creating a surveillance state. In another major change from the original Sri Krishna draft, the Data Protection Authority of India has been made entirely subservient to the government. The data localisation provisions for sensitive personal data have also been considerably weakened.

Country Rises in Protest against Citizenship Amendment Act

Kerala

Human Chain against CAA on Republic Day

N S Sajith

THE Left Democratic Front(LDF) will organise a human chain on January 26, 2020 in Kerala, on the 70th Republic Day of India, as part of the continuing protests against the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA). This was announced by A Vijayraghwan, convenor of LDF in Thiruvananthapuram on October 16 while deliberating on the decisions of the LDF meeting.

BJP False Campaign Exposed

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 18, 2019

Rising Opposition to CAA

THE latest assault on secularism and the constitution in the form of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is meeting with strong opposition all over the country. The entire Northeast, with Assam in the forefront, has erupted with mass protests. Five young men were killed in police firing, curfew was imposed and internet shutdown. But this has not prevented continuing protests by the people from all walks of life.

Maharashtra: CITU State Conference

THE 15th Maharashtra state conference of CITU was held at Uran in Raigad district. The

conference venue was named after the pioneer of the working class movement in India, Satyashodhak Narayan Meghaji Lokhande. The hall was named after Comrade M K Pandhe, and the stage was named after Comrade Prabhakar Dhonde.

CAB: A Nefarious Design

THE Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (CAB) has been passed by parliament despite strong opposition to it both within and outside parliament. The CAB is a dangerous legislation which runs contrary to the basic principles of the constitution. The provisions of the bill undermine the secular concept of citizenship enshrined in the constitution. Article 14 states that the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or equal protection of the law within the territory of India.

Ghastly Fire in Delhi

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 8, 2019

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep shock and anguish over the ghastly fire in a luggage factory in Anaj Mandi, North Delhi that claimed 43 lives and scores of others are being treated for acute burns in various hospitals.

Comrade Meitram Shamu

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 9, 2019

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) mourns the passing away of Comrade Meitram Shamu, veteran leader of the CPI(M) and former secretary of the state committee of Manipur, at the age of 92.

Punjab: Comrade Surjeet’s death anniversary observed

ON December 8, the death anniversary of Comrade HKS Surjeet, former general secretary of the Party was observed at his native village in Bundala Manjhki in Jalandhar district of Punjab state. A large number of Party workers and sympathisers participated in the function from all over Punjab. Leaders of various political parties and state committee members of CPI(M) were also present.

Scientists Demand Withdrawal of Citizenship Amendment Bill

A group of Indian scientists and scholars from within and outside the country have issued a statement against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, on December 9. Over 1500 scholars from around the world have signed the statement, including the directors of three major research institutions: Sandip Trivedi (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai), Rajesh Gopakumar (International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru) and Atish Dabholkar (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy). Below we publish the full text of the statement.

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter