Agricultural Workers March to Karnataka Assembly

THOUSANDS of agricultural workers marched from Bangalore City Railway Station to Freedom Park and staged a dharna on February 10 demanding proper implementation of MGNREGA, budgetary allocation for a welfare fund for agricultural workers, allocation of house sites to agricultural workers, and regularisation of unauthorised cultivation of government lands by the landless poor.

AARM Condemns Huge Cuts in Tribal Sub-Plan

The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has issued the following statement on March 4 THE Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch strongly protests against the sharp cuts in allocations for the Tribal Sub-Plan from Rs 26,715 crores in 2014-2015 to Rs 19,980 crores in 2015-2016. Even if the MGNREGA account is subtracted it still will be woefully inadequate since the allocations to MGNREGA also have been cut.

Solidarity with Venezuela

ON the occasion of the Second Death Anniversary of Commandante Hugo Chavez, a commemoration meeting was held on March 5 in New Delhi. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI secretary D Raja and Venezuelan ambassador addressed the meeting.

Brutal Lathicharge on Anganwadi Workers

THE anganwadi workers and helpers were brutally lathicharged , tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse thousands of workers who were agitating on their demands in Chandigarh on March 11, 2015. The Anganwadi Workers Union Punjab (CITU) organised a massive rally in front of the office of director, social welfare department. The workers were marching in a procession to submit a memorandum when the Chandigarh police resorted to lathicharge on the workers. Many workers got seriously injured.

India's Daughter Reflects Structural Reasons Behind Proliferation of Rape Cultures

THERE is no need to make too much about differing opinions about a film. There may be very rare occasions when there is unanimity among film viewers. Thus some may like the documentary made around the Nirbhaya case called India's Daughter and some may not. But can the grounds for banning the film be supported? In India, the right to freedom of expression is not an untrammeled right like it is in the United States or some other countries.

PM Modi’s Anti-Communist Tirade: Fabrication of Facts

THE annual address by the president of India to a joint session of the parliament is always a balance sheet of the past year’s work of the government and a roadmap of its proposals for the next one year. This speech is both prepared and endorsed by the union cabinet and subsequently delivered by the president. In both the houses of the parliament, a motion of thanks is moved by the ruling party expressing gratitude to the president for having delivered his/her speech.

Massive Strike against Insurance Amendment Bill

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in a statement issued on March 7 has denounced the NDA government’s deplorable act of getting the Insurance Law (Amendment) Bill 2015 passed in Lok Sabha by neglecting the opposition by all trade unions and the public sector insurance workers. The Bill hikes FDI to 49 per cent (from the present 26 per cent) in insurance sector and opens routes for privatisation of general insurance sector.The BJP led NDA government introduced the Bill in Lok Sabha and got it adopted on March 4, 2015 although the Bill is pending with the Rajya Sabha.

More to Lose than Chains

THE other day, I was helping my child in learning paryayvachi shabd (synonyms) in Hindi. The children in the class were taught that the synonym for stree (woman) is abala (the meek). I was trying to convince my child that this is wrong and in fact this should be brought to the notice of the concerned teacher. In spite of the best of my efforts, my child, all of Class V too was not convinced that women are not meek and refused to discuss this with the teacher.

Defeat Modi Govt’s Conspiracy against Farmers

THOUSANDS of farmers, agricultural workers, tribals, landless peasants and fishermen thronged the national capital to express their anger against the Modi government’s conspiracy to snatch their livelihood forever, by promulgating the ordinance amending the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. They converged at Parliament Street demanding withdrawal of the ordinance at once. The capital city heard their battle cry against the black ordinance, to repeal the ordinance. The protestors were carrying flags of different colours - red, green, blue and white.

MoU on Bank Wage Revision Signed, Strike Deferred

AFTER over two years since the tenth bipartite settlement became due, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the form of minutes was exchanged between the Indian Banks Association (IBA) representing the managements of various banks and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) representing close to ten lakh bank employees and officers with five workmen unions and four officers unions as its constituents on 23 February 2015 in Mumbai. Two other unions namely NUBE and Karmachari Sena also inked the MoU separately.

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