Two CITU Railway Unions Win Recognition in Railway Secret Ballot Election

FOLLOWING a Delhi High Court order to conduct a secret ballot election for the recognition of railway trade unions (i.e., verification of membership in Indian Railways) in a case filed by the Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU) in Southern Railway, an affiliate of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), elections were held on December 4, 5, and 6, 2024.

Global Capitalism: Worshipping at the Altar of Profits Even If It Means Our Destruction

THE COP29 ended with not even a whimper. After the declaration of COP28 to end the fossil fuel era, and the rich countries promise to provide funds for those facing the dual threat of climate change and poverty, in COP29 they reneged on all those promises. They not only made no commitments to phasing out their own fossil fuel use – particularly natural gas and oil but committed a measly $300 billion yearly as a core target through commercial and other flows against the $1.3 trillion that the developing countries were asking; that too by 2035.

Amit Shah’s Remarks Condemned

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 19THE derogatory remarks about Dr B R Ambedkar made by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, in the debate on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, have outraged the sentiments of people all over the country. That Amit Shah made these comments while talking about the Constitution of India, of which Dr Ambedkar was the architect, has only exposed his manuvadi outlook. The defence of Amit Shah put up by Prime Minister Modi is unconscionable. Amit Shah has no right to stay in the

CPI(M) Condemns Criminalization of Food Habits in Assam

THE Assam state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has, in a statement issued on December 7, has strongly criticised the Assam chief minister's recent announcement prohibiting beef consumption in public places, including festivals, religious ceremonies, and community functions.The CPI(M) highlighted Assam's long history of peaceful coexistence between its Hindu majority and significant Muslim population.

Adanis: Today's Ganderiram Batparias

IN 1922, the renowned Bengali satirist Rajsekhar Basu (better known by his pen name Parshuram) penned the delightful story ‘Shri Shri Siddheshwari Limited,’ introducing the infamous fictional character of Ganderiram Batparia (where "Batparia" translates to "unscrupulous plunderer" in Bengali). Ganderiram was not just a conman; he was a bold risk-taker, a master of fraudulent business schemes. The story describes his impact as: "The moment the audacious entrepreneur Ganderiram stepped onto the scene, the entire atmosphere crackled with energy, as if lightning had struck.

Maha: Dalit Youth Dies in Custody: CPI(M) Condemns Police Brutality, Demands Justice

THE custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi, a dalit youth and law student, following police brutality in Parbhani district of Marathwada, has sparked outrage across Maharashtra. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), in a statement issued on December 16, has strongly condemned the incident, calling for the immediate arrest of police personnel involved in custodial murder and the brutal repression of dalit protesters.According to reports, the unrest began on December 15, when a memorial dedicated to the Constitution of India was found vandalised in Parbhani city.

Disempowering the People

THE aim of all fascistic governments is to disempower the people; and the Modi government is no exception. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which promised one member in every rural household a maximum of 100 days of employment per year was a demand-driven scheme. In a limited sense therefore it gave people a right to employment, not to everyone and not for as many days as a person wanted; but a right nonetheless.

The Coastal Shipping Bill 2024: Neglecting Seafarers' Interests

ON December 2, 2024, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, presented the Coastal Shipping Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The bill aims to promote coastal trade using Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for commercial needs. The bill also grants the director-general the authority to issue licenses, taking into account factors such as the crew's citizenship and the vessel's building requirements and aims to create employment opportunities for Indian seafarers and promote the growth of shipbuilding in India.

WB: Abhaya's Case Betrayed-CBI's Inaction Sparks Outrage Again

THE CBI's inability to submit an additional (supplementary) chargesheet within the given 90-day timeframe has resulted in bail on December 13 for both Sandip Ghosh (former RG Kar Hospital principal) and Abhijit Mandal (former OC, Tala Police Station) in the RG Kar trainee physician's rape and murder case. While Sandip Ghosh remains in custody due to other pending cases, Abhijit Mandal is now free.Despite CBI's repeated accusations in court that Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mandal tampered with evidence and delayed the FIR, the agency failed to submit the additional chargesheet on time.

Simultaneous Elections: Damaging Constitution

TWO days after the BJP leaders waxed eloquent about protecting the Constitution in the debate in the Lok Sabha to mark the 75th anniversary of the framing of the Constitution, the Modi government has introduced a Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to damage the Constitution and the federal structure within it.Two Bills were introduced – The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and The Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill – which seek to ensure simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and all the legislatures of states and union territories. The Constitution Amendment Bill amends three

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