New Disability Rights Bill Demanded

THE abrupt end of the winter session of parliament, two days ahead of the schedule, came as a big disappointment to the millions of disabled persons in the country. For the umpteenth time, the UPA’s government’s promise of tabling the Disability Rights Bill remained unfulfilled. This, despite the fact that the cabinet had cleared it, on December 12, 2013, after an inordinate and inexplicable delay. Opinion was divided over not just the intent and will of the government but also on whether in the given circumstances the bill could be tabled and passed.

WESTERN GHATS:On Gadgil-Kasturirangan Reports

THE consciousness that preservation of nature and environment is essential for the existence of human life is getting strengthened day by day the world over. However, the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), popularly known as the Madhav Gadgil report, and that of the High Level Working Group (HLWG), known as Kasturirangan report, have evoked opposition from all sections of the people.

Left Agitation Against Price Rise, Jan 15-31

Leaders of the Left parties, viz the CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP, met in New Delhi on January 7, 2014, and issued the following statement.

THE Left parties express serious concern over the crushing burden of price rise which is affecting all sections of the people. There is no respite in the upwards spiral of prices of food items and essential commodities, with food inflation reaching a record high of 20 per cent.

The UPA government is adding fuel to the fire by continuously increasing the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and CNG.

Stop Private Loot of Public Resources

READERS will recall that during the Rajya Sabha discussions when it finally adopted the Lokpal legislation, the CPI(M) had moved a concrete amendment to bring into the ambit of the Lokpal investigation those private companies, particularly in public-private-partnership (PPP) projects, that use public resources or have a financial arrangement with the government. Though there were eleven Left parties’ MPs present at the time of voting, this received 19 votes, meaning that some other well-meaning MPs supported this amendment.

Delhi: Protestors Hold CM Guilty of Callousness

ON January 2, several hundred people from women’s organisations, trade union organisations and student organisations demonstrated outside the Banga Bhawan in New Delhi, in order to protest against the callous and criminal attitude of the West Bengal government towards victims of sexual assault and specifically the manner in which the case of the recent 16-year old gang-rape victim was dealt with, resulting in her tragic death due to burn injuries on December 31, 2013.

Mammoth Protest Rally Sweeps Kolkata

TENS of thousands of people from North 24 Parganas district marched to Kolkata on January 8, demanding an end to attacks on democracy, continuing violence on women and all-round anarchy in the state. They also raised specific demands of the district. The rally, called by the CPI(M)’s North 24 Parganas district committee, turned to be a mammoth one.

Evidence for High Level Criminal Conspiracy does Exist

ON behalf of thousands of survivors of the 2002 genocidal pogrom that took place in Gujarat from February to May 2002, the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has expressed deep disappointment and anguish at the verdict of the magistrate court, Judge B J Ganatra, accepting the dismissal of serious criminal charges of criminal conspiracy against the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 59 others.

DUJ Welcomes Madras HC Order

THIS is perhaps the first time in the history of Indian journalism that a court order has prevented a broadcast media organisation from laying off, or forcing a pay-cut on, employees.

Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch Holds First State Convention

THE Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) organised its first Maharashtra state convention on December 21-22, 2013, at the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhavan at Talasari in Thane district. It was attended by 362 delegates from 15 districts plus the union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli. There were also five observers from the adjoining tehsil of Umbargaon in Gujarat.

Riot Victims’ Condition still Pathetic in Camps

ON December 24, 2013, CPI(M) genera secretary Prakash Karat met the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, along with Subhashini Ali, and gave him a memorandum in connection with the problems being faced by the riot victims in Muzaffarnagar and also with regard to some urgent issues that need to be resolved. The memorandum was based on the inputs provided by CPI(M) representatives who have been regularly visiting Muzaffarnagar. Some of the facts that were placed before the chief minister were as below.

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