NaMo-RaGa Cacophony: Subverting the Parliamentary Form of Democracy

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.

AIDWA Protests Fuel Price Hike in Tamilnadu

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.

Kerala: Indefinite Hunger Strike against LPG Price Rise

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.

Efforts to Sabotage FRA Protested

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.

Modi’s Vindictive Act Condemned

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on January 6, 2014.

Bangladesh: Challenge Before Third Hasina Govt

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.

Mumbai Pays Homage to Nelson Mandela

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.

AIAWU Welcomes NHRC Notice

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.

Victim’s Family Meets President, Demands Justice

On January 7, 2014, the father and other family members of Swapna Kumari Jha, the girl who was recently burnt to death after having been subjected to gang rape twice in West Bengal, met the president of India at New Delhi to press the demand that justice be done to the deceased. Led by Sitaram Yechury, leader of the CPI(M) group in Rajya Sabha, a CP(M) delegation accompanied the family. Former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, Rajya Sabha member Shyamal Chakraborty, AIDWA general secretary Jagmati Sangwan and SFI joint secretary Shatrup Ghosh were other members of the delegation.

Afghanistan: Karzai Talks Tough

THE visit of the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, to India in the second week of December came at a time when negotiations with the Americans on the future of their forces in his country were poised at a critical stage. Before Karzai landed in Delhi, there were reports that the Obama administration had asked India to intervene on its behalf and persuade President Karzai to put his signature to the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) on the presence of US troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

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