The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement May 31

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the decision of the union cabinet to once again promulgate an ordinance on the land acquisition issue. This BJP government has failed twice in the past to sustain this legislation by getting parliamentary approval.

THREE dalits were killed on May 14 in Dangawas village of Nagaur district in Rajasthan and thirteen were seriously injured, among whom are six women in an attack unleashed on them by the dominant upper caste, the jats. The attack took place over the 23 bigahs of land of dalits which was forcefully possessed by jats since long. As rightful claimants of that land, dalits built huts in the farm land. The jat community called their caste panchayat on May 14, and pressurised the reluctant dalits to attend their panchayat.

INDIA’S higher education is going through a tumultuous period. A series of hastened ‘reforms’ are putting the very foundations of our public higher education at the brink of collapse. In last November, UGC had sent guidelines forcing all universities to implement the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from the 2015-16 academic session. It has now been followed by a ‘Make in UGC’ approach of preparing centralised syllabi for undergraduate courses, with universities being given just 20 percent deviation while preparing their own syllabi.

AN electoral upset was always on the cards given the ham handed way President Goodluck Jonathan was dealing with the key issues of corruption and terrorism. But previous elections were marked by widespread electoral fraud and vote buying. Besides, in the checkered history of Nigerian politics, no ruling party was ever defeated since the country gained independence in 1960. Regime change was always effected through the barrel of the gun not through the ballot box.

The 21st Party Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) takes serious exception to the blatantly exclusionary and discriminatory policies being followed by successive Central Governments towards the rights and entitlements of the people of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. As a consequence of neo-liberal policy, the people of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes have also had to face a reduction of their legitimate share in national resources.