Elsevier and Wiley's War on Science and Research

THREE journal publishers have filed a case in Delhi High Court for blocking Sci-Hub and Libgen in India. These two websites provide free downloads of research publications and books to research scholars and students. This is not an attack on pirate sites, as the publishers claim but a war against students and researchers in India, who do not have access to these high-priced journals.

Demand to Repeal Labour Codes Grows Louder

A “NATIONAL PROTEST DAY” was observed at multiple workplaces across the country on December 30, primarily to say that the “working class will not let the peasantry fail.”The protest day, called for by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), saw demonstrations by workers – both, organised and unorganised – employed in various sectors at their places of employment.

Bihar: Farmers Rally Braves Police Lathi Charge, March to Raj Bhawan

DECEMBER 29, a massive rally of tens of thousands of farmers from all corners of Bihar under the joint leadership of AIKSCC began from the Gandhi Maidan in Patna. The fighting farmers marched through Patna, broke the first barricade that the police had put up and were in the process of breaking the second barricade when the police resorted to a severe lathi charge.The rally turned into a massive public meeting at the Dak Bungalow Chowk.The rally was addressed by three AIKSCC working group members - AIKM general secretary, Rajaram Singh, AIKS president, Ashok Dhawale and Atul Kumar Anjan.

AILU Condemns Police Excess and Intimidation

ALL India Lawyers Union condemned the Delhi police for conducting a raid at the house of Mohammed Pracha, advocate who is representing many accused in Delhi riots conspiracy case; many of the victims of the riots are framed as accused.The AILU said that this is a violation of fundamental rights, lawyer's as well as of clients, under the guise of investigation and search warrant.The AILU maintained that search for “incriminating documents comprising false complaint and metadata of outbox of Email account which was used to send incriminating documents” referred to in the search warrant does n

A Matter of Survival of the Peasantry

THE kisans gathered around the Delhi border have unerringly put their fingers on the real issue confronting them, namely their very survival as peasants. Till now there was an arrangement in the country which, though crumbling under the impact of neo-liberalism, still kept the peasantry alive. The three laws brought in by the Modi government are meant to remove this life-line altogether. These three laws thus carry the neo-liberal agenda in this sphere to its limit.

Towards 2021 with Optimism

THE Latin term `annus horribilis’ (horrible year) has been widely and understandably used to define the year 2020 which had just ended. This is a natural description of an unprecedented year, which has seen a global pandemic – the corona virus pandemic – the comparable scale of which happened a full century ago when the “Spanish flu” caused worldwide havoc in 1918-1919. The Covid-19 pandemic by the end of the year had afflicted nearly 81 million people and caused 1.8 million deaths. It caused large-scale suffering, especially for those families whose near ones died and caused rec

West Bengal: Large Protest Rally in Kolkata

THOUSANDS of farmers marched into a massive rally in Kolkata on December 16 to protest against the centre’s three farm-laws and in solidarity with struggling farmers of north India. The march to Raj Bhavan was at the call of AIKSCC and was joined in by different sections of the people. In one of the largest mobilisations in recent times, farmers from districts adjoining Kolkata rallied in processions. The entire area of Rani Rasmoni Road was flooded with people. Farmers also marched in two big processions from Howrah and Sealdaha stations.

West Bengal: Theatre of the Absurd, Emerging Alternative

WEST Bengal is witnessing a theatre of the absurd with the game of turncoats. TMC and BJP are exchanging leaders among themselves, desertions have become a monotonous affair. Recently, much hullabaloo has taken place over senior minister ShuvanduAdhikary’s party hopping. Adhikary joined BJP in presence of union home minister, Amit Shah along with other TMC MLAs, MP, and leaders of different regions. In a public meeting in Medinipur, Adhikary accused the chief minister’s nephew as an ‘extortionist’, an allegation which is widely prevalent in the state.

Tripura: 21st State Kisan Conference Vows to Fight anti-Peasant Policies.

PEASANTS and workers, the two major work-force of the country have shared the same platform, which inevitably may manifest a new stream of movements in the coming days, said Manik Sarkar. More than 500 kisan organisations representing different strata of farmers with different urge and variable interests have come together to one point i.e., repeal Farm Acts and roll back the Electricity Amendment Bill. In spite of the shrewd drive of the ruling power to create division among the kisans, and mud-slinging with fraudulent allegations, their unity has proved to be hard rock.

Odisha: Spontaneous response to Bharat Bandh

IN response to the call of Bharat Bandh on December 8 by the farmers' organisations demanding the withdrawal of the three anti-farmer Agri-Laws enacted by BJP government at the centre, since 6 am, normal life came to standstill all over the state in Odisha. Road, rail and air transport services were stopped. Shops, business establishments, financial institutions could not open the shutters.

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