TO deride communism, media never lets go an opportunity. One such anti-communist tirade was witnessed recently on the occasion of the 120th birth anniversary of Mao Zedong. Reporting on how the anniversary was observed in China, the media baring its fangs, commented that it was a low key affair, “no spectacular fireworks, no big parades, as would have been expected”, which according to it is, 'quite unlike' China.
On January 13, 2014, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) sent the following message of greetings to the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) on the occasion of its 26th congress. The JCP congress is to take place in Arami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, from January 15 to 18, 2014.
AS we go to press, sections of supporters of the Congress party, appear to be eagerly awaiting the decision of the forthcoming Congress party session on January 17, 2014 to officially confirm its current vice president as their future prime ministerial prospect. Thus, they are waiting to complete the composition of a new political Raga for the 2014 general elections. However, whether the Congress party so decides or otherwise is their internal decision.
HUNDREDS of activists of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a demonstration outside Indian Oil Bhavan, Chennai last week, condemning the hike in prices of LPG.
Members of North-South Chennai district committees of AIDWA raised slogans against the union government for the steep hike in the cost of LPG cylinders. AIDWA state secretary K Radhai said people now had to pay Rs 1,284 for a non-subsidised gas cylinder. This would further add to the burden of people who are already affected by the increase in the prices of essential commodities.
ON January 15, the CPI(M) launched a massive struggle against the hikes in the prices of cooking gas and of other essential commodities, with an indefinite hunger strikes in 1,400 centres all across Kerala. As many as 10 centres in each of the 140 assembly constituencies witnessed a mass mobilisation with red flags since the early morning. The hunger strikes started in all the 1,400 centres at 10 a m sharp.
On January 8, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and former MP, Brinda Karat, addressed the following letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, the prime minister, on the reported proposal to amend the Forest (Conservation) Rules to facilitate illegal diversion of forest land.
DESPTE the hartal, blockade and boycott call by the BNP-Jama’at-e-Islami combine and the sporadic violence, the people of Bangladesh cast their vote to elect the tenth parliament on January 5. Before the polling started, armed cadres of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jama’at-e-Islami (JI) burnt down around 350 polling booths including schools, set afire ballot boxes with ballot papers, killed one presiding officer by hurling bombs, and cut the road links to prevent the movement of polling parties and security forces in some places.
ON December 19, 2013, a meeting organised by the Mumbai committee of the CPI(M) on paid homage to the memory of the revolutionary leader Nelson Mandela. The memorial meeting held at Dhuru Hall in central Mumbai was chaired by the CPI(M)’s Maharashtra state secretariat member Dr K K Theckedath.
THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) in a statement issued on January 7 has welcomed the suo motu notice served by the National Human Rights Commission to the secretary, union ministry for rural development and those of seven states on the suicides of MGNREGA workers as a result of non-payment of dues for work done over a long period of time in 2012-2013.