ON the joint call of five Left parties consisting of CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), RSP and FB, strong protest demonstrations were held throughout the country. This call was given in the background of severe crisis gripping the Indian economy, which has further worsened the miserable conditions of the people in the country.
THE Bank Employees Federation of India(BEFI) has stated that the interest rate cuts will not reverse the slowdown presently witnessed in the country. Reacting to the bimonthly policy statement of the RBI released on October 4, the BEFI issued the statement.
OCTOBER 13, 50 leading young adivasi activists of the Shiv Sena in the two big villages of Ambesari and Nagzari in Dahanu tehsil of Palghar district in Maharashtra quit the Shiv Sena out of disillusionment, publicly joined the movement of the Red Flag and resolved to work for the victory of CPI(M) candidate, Vinod Nikole in this assembly election.
WOMEN activists from the Left progressive parties and movements gathered at Essen, Germany last month in the Feminist Futures Festival organised by Rosa Luxemburg Stiflung to share their experiences about their struggles when combating the right-wing forces in their respective countries and discuss strategies and ideas for an international networking to strengthen this movement. The participants included women from the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. This event was organised for the first time.
ON October 8, 2019, in Dassault’s plant in Merignac in the south of France, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh personally took delivery of the first of the 36 Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft India had acquired from France in 2015-16, the latter year being when the deal was signed. The handover was, of course, mostly symbolic since the first 4 Rafale fighters would arrive in India only in May 2020, while the first full squadron of 18 fighters would hopefully be available in India only in mid-2021 and the remaining 18 more than a year later in April 2022.
THE Centre of Indian Trade Union, in a statement issued on October 12, has expressed its grief at the demise of Comrade R Srinivas, vice president of Karnataka state CITU. He passed away on October 11, 2019 at Bangalore due to massive heart attack while attending a meeting.
OCTOBER 2, 2019 marks the 150th birthday of the ‘father of the nation’, Mahatma Gandhi. It is also 45th anniversary of ICDS since it was launched on the day in 1975.
The All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) has launched an yearlong campaign from October 2, 2019 against communal hatred, mob violence and caste and gender discrimination with a slogan- “For real development and freedom; against hate and discrimination; for Harmony and Equality.”
THE Haryana state assembly elections for 90 constituencies will take place on October 21. Both the CPI and the CPI(M) are contesting seven seats each. The CPI(M) has announced the following candidates:
THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on October 16, has strongly condemned the totally authoritarian move by the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration, with active connivance of the BJP government at the centre, to evict the students union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from the office allotted to it.
THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on October 11, has strongly opposed the move of Narendra Modi government to sign Regional Comprehensive Economic Pact (RCEP) neglecting the interests of the small and middle farmers and working class of India. If India becomes partner in RCEP, the agriculture as well as the domestic economy will face its detrimental impact. The Indian markets will be dumped with cheap industrial products from other countries and the diary sector will be heavily devastated.