Kaala Times and Politics

IT is unusual for this paper to discuss a movie. But Kaala is an unusual movie. Of course all movies end with the hero defeating the villain or the ‘victory of the good over evil’. In that sense, Kaala is also a usual movie. It is the timing, the issues that are discussed and the political symbolism that layer the movie, which makes it unusual. Discussing the technical details, the treatment of the plot or the performances of the actors, is not the intent here.

The DPRK-US Singapore Summit

COMING out of the historic summit that took place in Singapore on June 12, between the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the US, the president of DPRK, Kim Jong-un declared, “The world will see a major change”. Donald Trump, US president joined, stating that “Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace!” Analysts across the world, including nay-sayers are poring through the one and half page declaration adopted in the summit and passing their judgements.

Continuous Persecution of Dalits: CPI(M) Leaders Visit Victims Families in MP

THE CPI(M) held a two months campaign since April 2, 2018 against the continuous persecution of dalits and held a massive public meeting in Fulbagh, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Through the meeting the CPI(M) demanded immediate release of innocent dalits, arrest of the murderers, a judicial inquiry by a High Court judge, compensation of Rs One crore to the families of the deceased and an ordinance to correct the Supreme Court order on the Prevention of Atrocities Act.Addressing the meeting, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury termed the repression against dalits as highly reprehensible.

Gramin Dak Sevaks Hold 16-Day Historic Strike

IN the department of posts, there are 1,55,000 post offices out of which 1,29,346 are branch post offices functioning in rural villages. Out of five lakh employees, 3.07 lakh employees are gramin dak sevaks (GDS) mostly working in branch post offices. They are not treated as government employees but as ‘extra departmental employees’. The service conditions of GDS are very bad. They are paid a meagre monthly allowance instead of regular salary. Depending upon the work hours, it varies from Rs 2,290 to Rs 4,575 and a DA per month.

From Revolutionary Democrat to Communist

UNDER Marx’s editorship, the Rheinische Zeitung soon began to flourish. The Prussian authorities imposed strict censorship on the paper and demanded that it change its tune. For a while the paper, before publication, had to be submitted daily to the Government President for his approval.

Workers Oppose Power Bill; To Go On Country-Wide Strike on Dec 7

A NATIONAL Convention organised by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) has called for a nation-wide strike on December 7 to oppose the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Bill curbs the right to electricity for poor people of the country. The convention was held at Ghalib Institute Auditorium in Delhi on June 8 and had participants from all corners of the country.The NCCOEEE exposed the hidden object of the Bill to widen the scope of business for private enterprises without any investment.

4 Years of Systematic Destruction of Education under Modi Regime

EDUCATION must create minds free from superstitions, hatred and violence and become an important vehicle to cement national unity, social cohesion and religious amity. Our endeavour should be to inculcate moral, ethical and humanistic values in the individuals and the society.” These words are from the BJP’s elections manifesto for the 2014 parliamentary election. Now, four years down the line, it seems that either these words have a different meaning in the BJP’s dictionary or these too were ‘jumlas’ like everything else.

Large-Scale Repression on Dalits

THE two months that have elapsed since the Bharat bandh of April 2 against the dilution of the Prevention of Atrocities against SCs/STs (POA) by the Supreme Court judgment have seen the most vicious and vindictive attacks on dalits in the BJP-ruled states of UP, MP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.They have displayed the deep anti-dalit bias of the BJP run state governments and the upper-caste chauvinism of the Hindutva forces.At least eight dalits were killed during the bandh, some of them by RSS goons but no one responsible for their killing has been arrested or punished. Some of the familie

‘Civil war in G7’: The Free for All in Quebec

THE allegations and counter allegations were flying thick and fast! The summit of the G-7 in Quebec in Canada saw these fireworks. This was not an abrupt development; but the magnitude of spat was mind boggling. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office released a photo of multiple leaders appearing to confront a displeased Trump. Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton, used the image in his own Twit criticising foreign leaders observed, “Just another #G7 where other countries expect America will always be their bank. The President made it clear today.

ASHA Workers on Indefinite Strike in Haryana

The ASHA workers of Haryana are on an indefinite strike since June 7 as the agreement between them and the state government arrived on February 1, 2018 has not been implemented as yet.The CITU Haryana state committee has supported the strike of the ASHA workers and will participate in the court arrest call on June 15. The CITU has asked its unions to participate in large numbers to make the call a success.The Haryana CITU state committee has strongly condemned the state government for not releasing the notification of the agreement with the ASHA Workers Union.

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