AP: Protests Against Privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant

THE Modi government’s decision to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has resulted in widespread protests from across the state of Andhra Pradesh. A relay hunger strike camp was staged by the Visakhapatnam Steel Conservation Struggle Committee (VSCSC) near the main gate on February 12. Dr Kolla Rajamohan Rao, who was a part of the Students’ Action Committee of the historic Vizag Steel movement back in 1966-67, shared his experiences of being a part of the “Visakha Ukku - Andhrula Hakku'' movement.

MNREGA Being Turned into ‘A Guaranteed Uncertainty’

“THESE schemes are making the labourers lazier. Hence, they don’t heed anyone. They are just impossible”.These are the regular comments heard with respect to the labourers in our day-to-day lives. Going another step ahead are some who question the very scheme and strongly advocate for the removal of these schemes. These remarks are very often heard about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Urban in the Budget, even Rhetoric Missing

THE budget for the year 2021-22 was placed in the background of the ravaging pandemic and with a hope that the urban centres, which saw the worst kind of forced-reverse migration in recent times would be addressed holistically. The budget speech began with the recognition of the crisis that the pandemic has brought to the nation and its people, the finance minister whilst recognizing the role played by essential workers offer very little to them in return.

Delhi: Arrest Mishra for Spreading Enmity

IN a letter written to the Delhi police commissioner on February 16, 2021, Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau Member and K M Tiwari, Delhi state secretary of CPI(M) demanded immediate arrest of Kapil Mishra, a leader of the BJP for spreading enmity through a toolkit created by him on a social media platform ‘Telegram’, called the “Hindu Eco System.”The letter referred to a news item published in News Laundry, a news portal, on February 15, 2021.

BJP-RSS Regime Criminalises Dissent

THE diabolical and paranoid BJP-RSS central government led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has accelerated on the atrocious path of criminalising dissent and demonising protesters in the valiant nationwide farmers’ struggle, which will complete three months on February 26.SERIAL ASSAULTSON DEMOCRACYAfter the violent events on January 26 which the BJP regime had itself orchestrated, the government first went after farmers, arresting over 122 of them and throwing them in prison.

Solidarity with People of Myanmar

THERE is a mass upsurge in Myanmar (Burma) against the military takeover. People from all walks of life have been out on the streets in the past fortnight protesting against the brutal suppression of democracy.The Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces) effected the coup on February 1, the day the new parliament was to open after the general election in November 2020. The election had resulted in a landslide victory for the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD). The army declared the results to be illegal and deposed President Win Myint and State Counsellor Suu Kyi.

Petrol & Diesel Prices: End This Loot

THE relentless increase in the prices of petrol and diesel is adding to the problems of the people already burdened by the pandemic woes of joblessness and loss of incomes. The daily increase in the retail prices of fuel has led to the price of petrol breaching the Rs 90 per litre mark in various cities. At this rate, the Rs 100 mark will be reached very soon.The government and the oil companies justify this increase citing the rising global prices of crude oil. This is, however, a specious claim.

Withdraw Excise Duty Hikes on Petroleum Products

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on February 18THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly denounces yet another hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. These hikes in excise duties come at a time when international oil prices have fallen with the base price for petrol being Rs 47.12 in 2014 to Rs 29.34 in 2021, i.e., nearly 50 per cent. The main reason for these escalating prices is the unbridled hike in the excise duties by the central government, which today is 38 per cent of the cost of petrol. The tax levied by the centre incr

Stop Importing American Destructive Right-Wing Extremism to India

IN his inaugural speech, President Biden clearly named “political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism, as the dangers that need to be confronted urgently. The Biden administration directed its intelligence agencies to take a deeper look at violent white-supremacist groups operating overseas, some of which may have connections to US-based extremists. After seeing the chaos at Capitol no right-thinking politician can remain a mute spectator.

OBITUARY: Prof DN Jha, 1940-2021

PROFESSOR Dwijendra Narayan Jha (DN Jha or DNJ in short), who fought shibboleths and superstitions all his life, was busy doing so when he took a break, had lunch, went for his siesta and breathed his last on February 4, 2021. On that count, the loss to the cause he stood for and served – by providing well-honed intellectual instruments for changing the world for the better – is indeed real and irreparable. The departure of anyone who has given all that he/she had to is indeed very sad, but the bereavement causes little loss to the cause as such.

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