Modi’s Call on Article 370 Unacceptable: AMM

THE recently formed Jammu & Kashmir Awami Mutahida Mahaz (JKAMM, People’s United Front) has expressed its opinion that the remarks made by Narendra Modi seeking abrogation of article 370 of the Indian constitution are not only unwarranted but totally unacceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The AMM has demanded a concrete decision to restore the eroded provisions of this article of faith to its original status in the constitution.

Form Complaints Committees in Media Houses: DUJ

THROUGH its letters written to the Press Council of India (PCI), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW), the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has demanded the setting up of an internal complaints committee in accordance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, in every media organisation in the country, within a stipulated timeframe. The demand came in the wake of the growing number of cases of sexual assault and harassment taking place in media organisations.

Aadhar Compromised

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on December 5, 2013.

THE report that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has tied up with a US company with CIA links is a matter of deep concern. According to a report in the Economic Times, a US company, MongoDB is providing the software to manage the data base for the registration of Aadhar. One of the investors in this company is the CIA.

Sit-in Demonstration to Defend Democracy

From Our Special Correspondent in Kolkata

THOUSANDS of people joined in the sit-in protest to condemn the attack on democratic rights of the people in the state for over past two and a half year. At the call of the Left Front, the protest held at the Rani Rasmani Road near Esplanade, Kolkata started at 1 PM and continued till 5 PM. Biman Basu, Surjya Kanta Mishra and other Left Front leaders were present at the sit-in protest.

Saudi Arabia: Frustration, Petulance and Anger

THE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did something unprecedented in the annals of post-war diplomatic history. It refused to take up its seat in the prestigious UN Security Council after strenuously lobbying for it and winning the support of 176 states. The Saudi foreign ministry had initially declared that the winning of a seat in the Security Council was a historic achievement and a vindication of its stance on issues relating to Syria, Iran and the region. The Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdullah al Moullami went to the extent of describing it as a “defining moment” in the country’s history.

Nationalism, Secularism & Modi

Nilotpal Basu

A WEIRD political discourse raged across the country focusing on the nature of Indian nationalism; and its natural attribute, secularism. As is now becoming so familiar with BJP’s and more significantly, Modi’s campaign style; the emphasis is clearly on constructing imagery to drive home a political message. And, currently there is an overdose of that defining feature.

Signature Campaign for Amendments to SC/ST Act

A WORKSHOP on amendments needed to the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act 1989, held recently at Malur in Kollar district, was inaugurated by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member K Varadha Rajan who said the CPI(M)’s approach on caste issues is to integrate the struggles for social justice with class struggle. The surveys conducted by the party in different states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka have revealed that there have been more than 150 discriminatory practices based on the caste system.

The Mars Mission Moves out of Earth's Gravity

JUST past midnight of November 30, India's Mars Orbiter or Mangalyaan left earth's gravitational pull for its ten-month long journey to Mars. This happened after a series of orbit raising manoeuvres undertaken by ISRO in which the highly elliptical orbit of Mangalyaan was successively raised by firing its liquid fuel engines. Finally, sun's gravity captured the Mangalyaan and it moved from a geocentric( earth centred) orbit to a heliocentric (sun centred) orbit.

Pope Francis on Capitalism

ON Tuesday, November 25, the Vatican brought out an 84-page document written by Pope Francis which was a severe indictment of the current unjust economic system that prevails in the world. It said (all quotations and the basic information are taken from Lynn Parramore’s article published in Truthout of December 2):

Defeat the Communal Challenge

WE are going to press on the eve of the 21st anniversary of the wanton destruction of the Babri Masjid.This destruction was not merely the demolition of one building, or, an Islamic religious structure alone.It symbolised the efforts to destroy the edifice of the modern secular democratic republic of India that emerged over a century-long epic struggle for India’s freedom and modernity.While shedding crocodile tears, the RSS/BJP have all along claimed that this destruction was the result of a spontaneous `anger’ of the kar sevaks assembled there.

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