LIBERAL opinion holds that the international monetary and financial system is a device for promoting the interests of all participating countries by providing a convenient payments arrangement within which trade can be carried on. The reality however is altogether different: the international system is founded upon the hegemony of western imperialism, and in turn sustains this hegemony.

ON December 6, SAHMAT organised an event remembering one of the leading lights of the Left Movement in India, Comrade Sitaram Yechury. Held at Jawahar Bhawan, Delhi, the event saw intellectuals, students, Party whole-timers, peasant leaders as well as artists, coming together to pay tribute to Yechury. The event was unique in that, instead of focusing only on the more well-known facets of his life and political career, several little known and fascinating aspects of his, otherwise colourful life, were brought to light.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 10.THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Comrade KM Tiwari, member of the Central Committee and former secretary of the Delhi state committee of the Party. He died this morning after bravely battling cancer for the past few months. He was seventy years old.A trade union leader, Tiwari rose through the ranks working in the Ghaziabad-Sahibabad industrial belt.

ELECTRICITY workers across India are intensifying their fight against privatisation initiatives by the Modi government, which are dismantling profitable public utilities under the guise of reforms. The Electricity Employees’ Federation of India (EEFI), in a statement issued on December 7, has pledged its unwavering support to the protests, extending nationwide solidarity to workers resisting privatisation in Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh.On December 6, 2024, Chandigarh electricity workers staged a massive day-long dharna in front of the Chandigarh Electricity Department headquarters.

“THE Anganwadi Worker (AWW) is required to work as a paramedic, counselor, coordinator, public relations manager, event manager, clerk, pre-school teacher, and more… Having regard to the onerous responsibilities upon the AWW and AWH, there appears to be a clear case of discrimination in the matter of public employment since a person who is engaged to carry out multifarious activities, is being paid a very meager amount of emolument on the ground that she is appointed in a scheme…the scheme may be designed to take an advantage of the completely unequal bargaining power to an unemployed lady