Government, or Real Estate Agent for Big Business?

IN India, there are no systematic official records of the total extent of land acquisition or displacement. Non-official studies quoted by the now wound up Planning Commission suggest that the total number of persons displaced/affected by projects for the period 1947 to 2004 is around 60 million, involving 25 million hectares of land, including 7 million hectares of forest and 6 million hectares other common property. The adivasis constitute 40 per cent of the total displaced/affected persons by projects, while dalits are 20 per cent.

Why the Prices of Petrol & Diesel should be Cut?

THE crash in global crude oil prices raises questions in relation to the petroleum pricing policies of the Government of India.

India imports around 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements so international prices of crude oil have a direct bearing on the price of petroleum products.

In January 2014 when the global price of crude oil was 106 dollars per barrel the retail price of petroleum products, petrol and diesel were Rs 72.43 and Rs 54.34 per litre (Delhi prices) respectively.

Gyan Sangam - A Road Map to Privatisation of Public Sector Banks

IT is very much shocking that the meeting of chiefs of the public sector banks named as Gyan Sangam held on January 2-3, 2015 at Pune laid a road map for privatisation of public sector banks. The BJP led government at the centre took the lead for this summit.

The Length, Breadth & Depth of TCS’ Lay-offs: Why it is Completely Unjustified to Lay-off its Employees

TCS, the largest Indian company by market capitalisation has recently stated that it would restructure the organisation. This restructuring could potentially lead to the loss of jobs of around 30,000 associates of the world’s third largest employer in the technology sector according to some newspaper reports.Although lay-offs are not uncommon in the IT industry, something of this scale and magnitude is unprecedented in the recent times. What also adds to the woes is the fact that the TCS is otherwise perceived to be a very employee-friendly organisation.

What is Controversial about PK?

INDIAN film industry, very rarely and only occasionally produces socially relevant cinema. PK is one such film. The film has once again proved that fundamentalists have no religion. What else will explain the opposition to the film, bringing together the RSS, VHP, Hindu Mahasabha, Baba Ramdev, Swami Swaroopanand Shankracharya, Maulana Firangi Mahal and the Jamat-e-Islami Hind? Surprisingly, it took nearly a week after the film was released for the protesters to express their displeasure.

Salute: 'Salt of the Movement'

“...We Communists are people of a special mould. We are made of a special stuff. We are those who form the army of the great proletarian strategist, the army of Comrade Lenin. There is nothing higher than the honour of belonging to this army. There is nothing higher than the title of member of the Party whose founder and leader was Comrade Lenin. It is not given to everyone to be a member of such a Party. It is not given to everyone to withstand the stresses and storms that accompany membership in such a Party.

Lines of Hatred

I HATE lizards. Not because they look ugly. But because of the miseries they had caused. Before you think that I am some sort of a superstitious person, let me elaborate. Lizards from a village in Haryana have led to social boycott of dalits and that is the reason why I hate them. Surprised? In India, anything can happen. Hear this from a participant in the recently organised convention of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch.

Six Months of Modi Sarkar

THE Congress party has brought out a booklet on the six months of the Modi government calling it a “U-Turn Sarkar”. Essentially, the booklet claims that the Modi government has done a U-turn by reversing the stand taken by the BJP on a number of policy issues. While in the opposition, the BJP had opposed many of the UPA government’s policies, now in the six months of its government, it has contradicted itself and decided to follow the same policies.

TAMILNADU Liquor Shops and Ration Shops: How the Govt Responds to Agitations on Both?

RECENTLY, the state of Tamil Nadu witnessed two different and important struggles. When we compare the approach of the government and the police officials towards both these struggles, the double stand of the AIADMK government gets exposed.
Of the two struggles, the first one was, AIDWA's massive protest programme against the government run TASMAC liquor shops; the second one was, DYFI's protest call demanding more ration shops.

97th Anniversary Of The Great October Revolution

SEVENTH November this year will mark the ninety seventh anniversary of the Great October Revolution. It was on this Day in 1917 that a new world free from exploitation and poverty was ushered in. The great advances made by people in the Soviet Union under socialism inspired generations of people and the workers all over the world. However, the young workers born or brought up in a world dominated by imperialist dictated neo-liberal globalisation, in a world where the Soviet Union ceased to exist, might not be able to fully realise the significance of the October Revolution.

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