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.

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.

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.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on December 22, 2015.THE outcome of the tenth ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) attended by 162 countries at Nairobi is not merely a disappointment but is a setback. India has been grossly let down by this Modi-led BJP government.India went into the negotiations with the hope of arriving at a solution on the issue of public stock holding programmes for food security, absolutely vital for mitigating the hunger needs of millions of Indians.

HUNDREDS of farmers belonging to Nambulapoolakunta in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district have been protesting against the denial of compensation to them after their land was taken over for a solar hub. The government of Andhra Pradesh decided to establish the solar hub at Nambulapoolakunta and the responsibility for its construction was handed over to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).