Peoples Democracy newsletter

Peoples Democracy newsletter

Dismantling of J&K: Authoritarian Assault on Democracy and Federalism

THE Modi government has conducted a lightning strike against the Constitution and federalism. Under the aegis of the Modi-Shah duo, Article 370 of the Constitution has been disemboweled and the subsidiary provision stemming from it – Article 35A – nullified.  They have then proceeded to launch a brazen attack on the very existence of Jammu & Kashmir by abolishing the state and dividing it up into two centrally-run union territories. 

All-Round Assault on States’ Rights

WHAT was notable about the spate of legislations presented in the first session of parliament was the hurried manner in which they were passed without any legislative scrutiny.  There was no reference to the standing committees or select committees to get the bills vetted and considered. Using its big majority in the Lok Sabha and the manipulated majority in the Rajya Sabha, none of the bills underwent proper scrutiny.

Hacking Elections: Tales from Far and Near

THE Netflix film, The Great Hack, relates Cambridge Analytica’s role in Trump’s 2016 elections to a much larger issue – the threat to our democracy from global tech giants.  It is not the Facebook data that Cambridge “hacked”, but the election itself.  And what is at stake is not just an election, but the very future of democracy. If elections can be hacked, so can our democracy. The film poses a fundamental question for our times: are more elections in more places going to be won by the best data “team” that money can buy?

The Week in Parliament

THE CPI(M) opposed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and requested the government to withdraw it so as not to dilute the powers and autonomy of the transparency panel. In Lok Sabha, P R Natarajan said the power of the legislature should not be allowed to be taken over by the executive. He asked the government not to dilute the original Act. In Rajya Sabha, K K Ragesh said the amendment would make the Information Commission just another government department. The proposed amendment would kill the very underlying principle of the RTI Act.

Shri S Jaipal Reddy

Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary, expressed his profound grief at the passing away of Shri S Jaipal Reddy. He issued a condolence message on July 28.

Yechury said, “During his long political life, he consistently and steadfastly worked to uphold and strengthen the secular democratic foundations of India as enshrined in the constitution. An honest and upright politician, he will be known for his erudition and scholarship.

Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on July 31, 2019.   It has issued the following statement:

Devastating Economic Slowdown

The overall economic slowdown and the menacingly rising unemployment accompanied by deepening agrarian distress are having a devastating impact on the livelihood conditions of the vast majority of our people. 

Virtual Games as a Site of Resistance

DURING President Obama’s tenure, his administration created an Agency with its major goal as the creation of educational software ‘as compelling as the best video game’. This might have been inspired by a statement made by Professor Edward O. Wilson, of Harvard, who declared that “Games are the future of learning”. Military, corporates and businesses have already started using games as a means of ‘learning’ and ‘influencing’. It is time for us to explore how games can be used to subvert capitalism.

National Convention against State Complicity in Hate Crimes

BRUTAL hate crimes against minorities have become more frequent and more widespread after the Narendra Modi government got re-elected. Hindutva storm-troopers are imparting to ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Bharat Mata’ slogans etc an aggressiveness that is shocking the nation. The most disturbing aspect of these developments is the complicity of the State machinery. Officials in the civil administration and the police force are coerced to side with the perpetrators of hate crimes.

Through the Minds of the People

THE activity of CPI(M) activists reaching out to people to enquire the reasons for the defeat of LDF in the parliament election, is ongoing.  It had been decided by the CPI(M) state committee that the visit should be conducted in the 70 lakh homes of the state between July 22-28.  There are 35,000 Party branches and 5.15 lakh Party members.  All Party members from the state level leaders to branch committee members are involving themselves in this activity.

PARTY WILL GO AHEAD BY

TAKING PEOPLE INTO CONFIDENCE

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