Railway Reforms: Pursuit of Profit Trumps Public Interest

NEO-LIBERAL economic policies are set to unbound the Indian Railways, the country’s largest public transport. “Rail by market and not by the government” is the mantra of the Modi regime. The Indian Railways is crying for funds for capacity expansion and safety, but the government refuses to acknowledge it. Why should this network be a “Sarkari monolith”?

Using the Indian Armed Forces to Bailout Cronies

DEFENCE reforms is the new mantra of the Modi government. Internal restructuring of armed forces organisation and changing the procurement and production procedures of defence products are the twin objectives of the reforms. How the reforms will eventually impact the Indian armed forces is not what the government seems to be concerned with.

On Media Reports

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on September 8SOME reports have appeared in the media that the Polit Bureau meeting held on September 6-7 has decided that the situation warrants a change in alignment.The Polit Bureau wishes to clarify that the process of discussions for preparing the Draft Political Resolution has just begun. How to carry forward the main task of fighting the BJP, as decided in the last Party Congress will be finalised and the Draft Resolution will be placed before the Central Committee.

NITI Aayog – Promoting Privatisation

The Three Year Action Agenda of the NITI Aayog is full of tailored prescriptions for the government to virtually privatise all sectors, albeit in the name of PPPs. Niti Aayog, the champion ‘consultancy firm’, which enjoys government patronage, is parroting the World Bank line. Coming from World Bank, they are called ‘conditions’ attached to loans, while these very prescriptions coming from the Aayog are called ‘advice’.

All Power to Soviets – May 1917

THERE were many incidents and mass protests that were happening in the months of April and May 1917, which had accentuated the crisis of power in Russia. Minister Guchkov, head of the Octoberists was forced to resign. The growing discontent among the people increasingly made it clear that ‘dual power’ was no longer tenable. The capitalists wanted to capture State power, all for themselves, depriving the Soviets of any ‘control’. On the other hand, there were Mensheviks and Narodniks, who wanted to join the provincial government and get some ministerial portfolios.

MNCs and Third World States

DR Timothy Wise, a well-known expert on agriculture based in the US, tells an instructive story about Monsanto and Malawi, a country currently in the process of finalising its seed policy. In Malawi, as in most other third world countries, peasants have traditionally stored their seeds from the previous harvest for their next planting, and have met and exchanged seeds among themselves in local seed-fairs.

Massive Protest in West Bengal: District Headquarters Seized for Hours despite Police Attack

THOUSANDS of people joined in massive protest demonstrations at district headquarters in West Bengal on September 11, at the call of the Left Front. The protest took a militant turn and the protestors battled with police in many districts. The demands of the protest included remunerative price for the peasants, digital ration cards for all, equal pay for equal work, opening of closed factories etc.

Kulgam Moving Ahead despite Odds

THE CPI(M) has been staunchly defending the people’s rights in Kashmir Valley -- combating the designs of secessionist elements and fighting the police and military excesses. Though a small political player in Jammu and Kashmir, with just one MLA, the party has suffered immensely at the hand of terrorists. Nearly 50 comrades have lost their lives, but not one from the BJP, the party that sings the rhetoric of nationalism.

Landslide Victory of United Left Panel in JNUSU Elections

THE students of Jawaharlal Nehru University gave a decisive mandate to the United Left Panel of SFI-AISA-DSF in the recently concluded student union elections. This victory comes after a year of relentless struggles by the outgoing union led by SFI and AISA. The ABVP finished a distant second on all the four posts. The ABVP couldn’t even manage to win a single councilor post on its own. The United Left (AISA-SFI-DSF) won all four central panel seats and 13 councilor posts across SSS, SIS and SLL and CS.

Historic Struggle of Farmers in Rajasthan

THE peasantry in Rajasthan under the Kisan Sabha banner have won a significant victory after their resolute struggle lasting 13 days. Since September 1, lakhs of farmers gheraoed the different district headquarters on the call of Rajasthan Kisan Sabha for a Mahapadav (sit-in). For three days there was also rasta roko (road blockade) across the state bringing about 20 districts to a standstill. Only ambulances and essential services functioned. The peasant movement received unprecedented support from all sections of the society making it a truly people's movement.

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