Hindutva is Running Roughshod over Constitutional Scheme

Recently, a sharp and categorical statement by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to the effect that cash transfers to certain sections of beneficiaries have to be foregone, has rightfully drawn sharp criticism. He opined that governments should instead focus on creating permanent assets. One would like to recall that the very idea of welfare state emerged as a post war response of capitalist democracies to take on the initiatives of socialist governments for people’s welfare.

A Gut-Wrenching Saga of Systemic Crimes

SINCE the release of the Epstein Files by the US Department of Justice on January 30, outrage has been unleashed across the United States and Europe. But the revelations, which include more than 30 lakh e-mail exchanges, over a lakh of photographs and above a thousand video clips, bring out the horrific crimes that were anchored by self-styled financial advisor and power peddler Jeffrey Epstein and his close associates unravelling his network of leverage, blackmail and influence peddling.

Servile Erosion of Autonomy

THE role of US, and specifically of President Donald Trump, is assuming the spectacle of ‘bulldozer’. In India, we are now familiar with the unilateral deployment of ‘bulldozers’ to trample legitimate rights of the weak and the defenceless. In a majoritarian ambience, such display of naked aggression finds loud approval from the bhakt brigade in the social media space.

Will The Workers Be Condemned to Die Like Insects?

IN the wee hours of the Republic Day, the country woke up to the horrific tragedy of the charring of workers at the Nazirabad warehouse complex in Anandapur on the southern outskirts of Kolkata. As of January 29, the death toll had climbed to 21, with charred bodies recovered. The latest information in the media suggests that the death toll has gone up to 31. That the initial figures were a blatant underestimate was clear from the fact that on January 29 itself, nearly 28 workers were still missing.

Republicanism under Severe Attack: Long Live the Republic

FROM Plato’s Republic till today, republicanism has traversed a long journey. It has been enriched at junctures of the French Revolution and its clarion call for liberty, equality and fraternity. The journey has witnessed major ruptures with the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the advent of fascism as orchestrated by Mussolini and Hitler. The idea of republicanism achieved a new life with the defeat of fascism and the unfurling of the red flag atop the Reichstag.

The Battle for Survival – Facing the Vicious Triad

Despite the deafening silence of the mainstream media, the social media space exploded with images and videos of a continuous stream of more than 50,000 red flag bearing working people, mostly tribals, marching across the Palghar district in Maharashtra. This was the heartland of the legendary battle ground of the Worli Revolt.

How Level Is the Playing Field?

NOW that five states are going to the polls for their respective state assemblies, it is necessary to see the big picture. This is also relevant from the standpoint of the republican Constitution that we have. It is necessary to rekindle the memory of our readers because, amid the din over Hindutva-driven sound bites, an atmosphere is being created that we are almost there – the Hindu Rashtra.

It’s ‘Crude’ All the Way, Stupid

IN the wee hours of January 2, the skies of Caracas lit up with fire trails from airborne armaments and aircraft. They were followed by a stream of helicopters used in commando operations, most notably the Delta Force. The world woke up on 3^rd morning to the stunning statement by no less than President Donald Trump himself that the US armed forces had taken President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela into custody and he will be taken to an unknown destination under the control of the US administration.

This Atrocious Crime Against Humanity Has to be Stopped

THE sensational developments over the last week brought the question of crimes against women to the forefront with a dramatic effect. The exceptional case of the Unnao rape victim, a mere 15-year-old who was lured by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the local MLA of Unnao, has burst into public discourse. The air was thick with disbelief over the Delhi High Court's decision to suspend the life sentence of the convicted Sengar in the 2017 rape case and grant him bail. Naturally, this obnoxious development set off waves of outrage nationally.

2025 - The Year That Was, 2026 - The Year That Will Be

THIS being the year end issue, People’s Democracy greets all our readers for the coming year. For us, reviewing the year gone by is important, as the past gives us the wherewithal to understand the present and step into the future with all our energy and purpose.

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