Can BJP’s Politics and Facebook’s Business Thrive without Hate?

THE Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article – Facebook’s Hate-Speech Rules Collide With Indian Politics – on August 14, has blown the lid off Facebook’s unholy alliance with the BJP. In this article, WSJ details how Ankhi Das, Facebook’s public policy director for India, South and Central Asia, opposed action against BJP leaders spreading hate on Facebook that were tagged internally as ‘hate speech’ and ‘dangerous’ with the potential of causing real world violence. The reason: such action would harm Facebook’s business in India, its largest user base in the world.

Smoke and Mirrors: A Corporate Hindutva Project as delusional NEP

ANY worthwhile policy making has to start with an objective assessment of the existing ground reality. Proceeding from this, discerning the challenges, the policy ought to set out a roadmap for overcoming them. However, despite the PM’s loud claims that NEP 2020 was preceded by intense study and research for last 3-4 years, no data or reference to these appear in the policy document! Therefore, the inescapable conclusion is, more than anything else, this is a vision statement.The PM is uncharacteristically pitching for NEP asserting that it faces no opposition.

New Education Policy 2020: A Policy Refuting Federalism and Diversity

EDUCATION is a subject directly or indirectly linked to each and every family of the country irrespective of social, cultural and economic diversity. Hence the National Education Policy should reflect a clear vision on the future of the nation that goes in tandem with the articles and principles set out by the constitution of India. Before proposing new policy, assessment of the success and failures of the action programmes undertaken as a continuation of the earlier policies of 1968, 1986/1992 seems inevitable.

Set Up JPC: Probe FB-BJP Nexus

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 17THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the role of global social media behemoth, Facebook, as exposed by the Wall Street Journal, particularly the functioning of its India policy chapter. Facebook is not following its own laid down policy against communal hate content.This confirms the overall apprehensions over the Facebook’s activities across its three platforms: WhatsApp and Instagram. A stinging exposure by New York Times in 2018 revealed its questionable practices.

Verdict on Prashant Bhushan: Display of Intolerance

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 17THE verdict of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court holding senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt of court is unfortunate and uncalled for.

Anti-betterment Levy Struggle in Punjab

THE heroic struggle of the Punjab peasants against the betterment levy in 1959, added a glorious chapter to the history of the Indian peasant movement.

KARNATAKA: CPI(M) Condemns Bengaluru Violence, Facebook Post that Acted as Trigger

THE Karnataka state committee of CPI(M) has condemned the violence in DJ Halli and KG Halli areas of Bengaluru earlier this month, during which four people were killed and properties worth crores of rupees, including two police stations and the house of the local MLA, were damaged.

Will There Ever Be Elections Again in Bolivia?

ON November 10, 2019, President Evo Morales Ayma of Bolivia announced his resignation from the presidency. Morales had been elected in 2014 to a third presidential term, which should have lasted until January 2020. In November 2019, protests around his fourth electoral victory in October led to the police and the military asking Morales to step down; by every description of the term, this was a coup d’état.

Hollow on Health, Jobs and Economic Revival

THE prime minister’s speech on Independence Day was watched with anticipation to see if he would announce any new initiatives to deal with the health crisis caused by the pandemic and the related economic crisis which has resulted in large-scale loss of jobs and livelihoods.On both counts, the speech disappointed. In the past six months, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the pathetic state of public health care in India. Over the decades, successive governments have neglected public health and government expenditure on health is barely one per cent of GDP. With the pandemic still ragi

Drive for Privatisation of Healthcare: NDHM

IN his Independence Day speech this year, the prime minister has made a ‘major’ announcement. It is about the launching of NDHM (National Digital Health Mission). He said, “From today, a major campaign is being launched in which technology will play a big role. The National Digital Health Mission is being launched today. This will bring a new revolution in India’s health sector and it will help reduce problems in getting treatment with the help of technology,” PM has said.What NDHM scheme proposes to do for the citizen’s healthcare?

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter