TOWARDS A SECULAR GOVERNMENT THAT PROMOTES WOMEN’S INTERESTS

PRESS RELEASETOWARDS A SECULAR GOVERNMENT THAT PROMOTES WOMEN’S INTERESTSWomen’s Charter for the 16th Lok Sabha Elections – 20144th March 2014As India heads towards general election for the 16th Lok Sabha, we, the women of India consider it a crucial battle, coming as it does in the wake of increasing sexual violence, honour crimes, and atrocities against Dalit, adivasi and minority women, together with rising unemployment, hunger, and relentless price rise.

Caste, Patriarchy and the Hindutva Model of Governance

AS the election campaign reaches its crescendo, the strategy of the BJP, led by Narendra Modi, is becoming more and more apparent. It is attempting to create a rainbow alliance of the middle castes and dalits in order to ensure that it reaches the half-way mark and does not need the help of those outside the NDA to make a government at the centre. In order to do this, it is stitching up alliances with prominent OBC and dalit groups. Thus it has inducted a senior dalit leader, Udit Raj, into its ranks and engineered an alliance with the LJP in order to make inroads into dalit votes.

The 58 session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

The 58 session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women was held in the UN headquarters in New York on 10 – 21 March 2014. Over 6000 representatives from 193 UN member states and NGOs from all over the world participated in the session. The World Federation of Trade Unions which as a permanent representative at the UN in New York, was represented in the session by Hemalata, secretary, CITU and BV Vijayalakshmi, secretary, AITUC

Vodafone and Verizon Spied for GCHQ and NSA

THE recent disclosures that have come in the press that Vodafone and Verizon have helped their “parent” spy outfits – GCHQ (UK) and NSA (USA) – to spy on the Indian telecom network will not be a shock to the readers of this column. We have been writing on the dangers that foreign owned telecom companies pose to the Indian network as they can be used as Trojan horse.

NEO-LIBERALISM’S ASSAULT ON EDUCATION

One of the most deleterious consequences of neo-liberalism is in the sphere of education, but it is less studied than its more direct economic effects. I shall confine myself here to the sphere of higher education. Some detailed studies have recently come out on the effects of the neo-liberal dispensation on higher education in the United States; and these are of interest to us since whatever is happening in the U.S. is also happening in India at present. Neo-liberalism’s consequences are indeed quite universal.

Congress Manifesto: A Rehash of Its Earlier Unfulfilled Promises

THE Congress party, with great fanfare, has released its manifesto for the 2014 general elections. Readers will recall that amongst the six national parties, it was the CPI(M) that first released its manifesto to the Indian electorate on March 20, 2014. The Congress manifesto, the country is being told, has been prepared on the basis of a “unique exercise” which is a “reflection of the voice of the people of India”. The manifesto opens with a claim “The open Manifesto Process: Pathbreaking Political Reform”.

CPI(M) Releases Campaign Booklets

THE CPI(M) released the second set of booklets – 'The Two India Reality: Obscene Wealth – Grinding Poverty' and 'To Build a Corruption Free India' in New Delhi on March 26, as part of its campaign for the 16th Lok Sabha elections. These booklets were released by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury. Earlier, the CPI(M) released the first set of booklets – one on Communalism and the other on the Gujarat Model. These booklets were released by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat and secretary of the Gujarat state committee and Central Committee member, Arun Mehta on March 24.

Modi in Varanasi: Spearhead of Hindutva

NARENDRA Modi is contesting from Varanasi for the Lok Sabha election. This step is laden with an ominous political message. The BJP and the RSS are signaling that aggressive Hindutva will underpin the election campaign. Though the BJP has officially not given any reason for Modi contesting from Varanasi, it has briefed the media that putting up Modi in Varanasi will benefit the party in the Lok Sabha elections in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining areas in Bihar. Such reasoning is only a smokescreen.

Left Front Campaign Picks up in Tripura

EAST TRIPURA: THE campaign programme in support of Jitendra Choudhury, the Left Front nominated CPI(M) candidate in the East Tripura constituency, is picking up pace with every passing day. A number of rallies, meetings and conventions are taking place each day. On Sunday, March 16, the Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP) organised a convention at Chailengta town hall while the Khet Mazoor Union organised another at Manughat town hall, both in Dhalai district. The supporters and workers of both the organisations came from different parts of the division to attend these programmes.

Chacko Fires Salvo against Congress Leadership

CONGRESS spokesman and chairman of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) that is probing the 2G spectrum scam, P C Chacko, has admitted that the Congress is facing an adverse situation in the Lok Sabha election. Addressing a Meet the Press programme in the Eranakulam Press Club recently, Chacko said that the Congress had no scope of victory would have to sit in the opposition benches this time.

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