Hunger: A Serious Problem under Contemporary Capitalism

THIS month the International Food Policy Research Institute has released the Global Hunger Index, 2015. The index clearly shows that even though the levels of hunger have declined since the turn of the last century, the number of hungry people in the world remains enormously large particularly in Africa, South of the Saharas and South Asia. Worldwide, the Food and Agriculture Organisation projects that there are 795 million hungry people, ie, one in every nine persons is hungry.

The Week in Parliament

THE week started with uproar in both the Houses of Parliament as the opposition united against the government over the exclusion of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy from a programme attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the Lok Sabha, the Left parties along with Congress, the NCP and the RJD, staged walkout. The Rajya Sabha was disrupted over the killing of a Dalit in Punjab and on the encroachment drive by Railways in Shakur Basti, Delhi where 500 slum-dwellings were demolished mindlessly leading to the death of a child and leaving several slum-dwellers roofless in winter.

Face Challenges Utilising Opportunities; Link up Struggles and March Ahead

CONGRATULATING the working class of the country for the magnificent and unprecedented countrywide joint general strike on September 2, 2015, the general council of CITU called upon it to further strengthen its unity and take the struggle to a higher level. It asserted that the growing discontent among the working class and the common people in general against the policies being pursued by the Modi led BJP government at the centre provided an opportunity for this.

Whither Panchayats?

WHILE the ‘sound bytes’ of the high decibel ‘event’ of commemorating the ‘Constitution Day’ on November 26 and the discussion on the contribution of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the making of the Constitution in the parliament marked the formal kicking off of the winter session had hardly died down, the Supreme Court came out with a shocker. Doubtlessly, that this year marks the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar added to the solemnity of this discussion. This is notwithstanding the controversy over the appropriateness of the choice of November 26 over the customary January 26.

If Cities Have to Breathe, Diesel Cars Need to Go

Bodies such as Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi Science Forum and others have been flagging the issue of air pollution from diesel vehicles for years. They have been pointing out that small particulate matter, particularly below 2.5 micron size (PM 2.5) and Nitrous Oxides (NOx) omissions are much higher for diesel vehicles and these are dangerous to health. Increasingly, health and air quality experts around the world have been concerned with the rise of pollutant levels in towns and cities, particularly from diesel vehicles.

Imperialism’s New Trade-Negotiating Strategy

THE WTO has been a major weapon used by the advanced countries to roll back the structures that the third world dirigiste regimes which came into existence after decolonisation had erected for achieving a degree of self-reliance. The TRIPS agreement for instance which tightens the multinational corporations’ stranglehold over technology was pushed through the WTO.

Thinking Together

What is the CPI(M) stand on the Juvenile Justice Bill which is before the parliament?
Premalatha, Delhi

Comrade Noorul Huda Shall Continue to Inspire

COMRADE Noorul Huda, a veteran of many struggles who carried a rare grace combined with resoluteness and humility in all he did, passed away after a brief illness on December 17, 2015. He was aged eighty six. In his long span in the Communist Movement spread across nearly seven decades, he made an impeccable contribution to the peasant movement. He selflessly worked throughout his life for the emancipation of the oppressed people, adhering to the Marxist-Leninist worldview.

Comrade Prasanna Kumar Is No More

The following is the statement issued by the Centre for Indian Trade Unions on December 23. CITU expresses its profound shock and grief at the sudden demise of Comrade S Prasanna Kumar, its national secretary and general secretary of its Karnataka state committee. He was 50. He was also a member of the secretariat of Karnataka state committee of CPI(M).Prasanna Kumar started his public life at a young age in the students’ movement and was an active member of the Students’ Federation of India.

Kolkata is ready for Plenum

ORGANISATIONAL Plenum of CPI(M) will be held in Kolkata from December 27-31. The plenum will mainly focus on strengthening Party organisation to build up class and mass movements, making Party capable of mobilising people to resist the onslaught of communal forces. Thus, the Plenum is intrinsically linked with struggle for peoples’ interests.With this political call in the mind, preparations for holding this Plenum are in the final stages now.Incidentally, all three Plenums of CPI(M) have been organised in West Bengal.

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