THE people of Assam are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 (CAB) which is unconstitutional, communal and violative of Assam Accord, right from the moment it was introduced in 2016. Though the bill was passed in Lok Sabha in January 2019, it was not tabled in Rajya Sabha due to united protest of all opposition parties and massive protest in Assam and north east.
AMIT Sengupta was one of the pioneers of the people’s health movement in the country and worldwide. His life is an example of unwavering commitment to the global struggle for health rights and equity. In addition to the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Amit was also a key figure in the All India People’s Science Network, committed to bringing science and reason into the daily lives of people.
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.
THOUSANDS of people, in a determined show of resistance, are marching through towns and villages in West Bengal protesting against disinvestment of public sector units and demanding jobs. A ‘long march’, the mainstay in South Bengal, started from the gate of Chittaranjan Locomotive Workshop on November 30 which would traverse 283 kilometres and would culminate in a massive public rally in Kolkata on December 11. This march, at the time of the writing has already crossed 130 kilometres.
RECENT revelations made by Ram Vilas Paswan, union minister of consumer affairs that the water quality in Delhi and in other 20 cities is not fit for drinking, made everyone apprehensive of the systems that are responsible for providing water, and as normal reaction were curious to find out what is in depth.
MANIK Sarkar, former chief minister of Tripura wrote to the union home minister regarding the invitation extended to him to attend a proposed meeting on November 29. While thanking the minister for the invite, Sarkar showed his inability to attend the meeting owing to pre scheduled programmes.
WHEN income growth slows down in an economy, so does the growth of tax revenue within the given tax regime. Since the government has certain expenditure obligations, to meet these obligations it has to either impose additional taxes or expand its fiscal deficit.
THE major private operators, along with the State run operators in the telecom sector, are currently reeling under a three year price war with Reliance Jio. This has hit their profitability, with Jio buying its entry into the market with very low call and data charges. This has been compounded – in the case of the private operators – by not honouring the obligations of paying their license fees as a percentage of their revenue. After the Supreme Court order to pay Rs 92,000 crore as license fees, it has created a crisis for these companies.
A YEAR-long, statewide struggle has compelled the Tamil Nadu government to revoke a steep hike in property tax implemented last year. The minister for municipal administration, S P Velumani, has announced that the existing property tax collection will be discontinued and the old rates levied before April 2018 will continue.
“THERE is a commonality between the British rulers and the present Sangh Parivar ruling dispensation; both were/are inherently anti-communists and cannot digest their(communist’s) presence,” thus spoke Sitaram Yechury, while placing the first booklet on the hundred years of the formation of the Communist Party in India. Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) was also present in the press conference, which was held on December 4 at Delhi. The booklet is titled, “Communist Party @ 100 with the People, for Freedom 1920-1947.”