TMC ‘Sweeps’ Democracy in Bengal

LOOK at some broad figures:On August 13, elections to seven municipalities including Durgapur Corporation took place in West Bengal. There were 146 wards in total. TMC won four of them without contest. Out of the rest 142, TMC won 138 wards. In Durgapur, a traditional strong base of the Left and in Haldia, TMC won all the wards. They got 72 per cent votes in seven municipalities. TMC got 85 per cent votes in Haldia. In many wards of Haldia, Durgapur, Nalhati and Coopers’ Camp, TMC received over 90 per cent votes. To a section of media, this is a ‘clean sweep’ by the TMC.

MAHARASHTRA: Massive Peasant Road Blockade

THE joint peasant struggle in Maharashtra, which began with the novel peasant strike on June 1, reached a new crescendo on August 14, the eve of Independence Day.

Concealing the No Jobs, No Growth Record of the Modi Government

THE post-liberalisation period is widely perceived to have been a period of jobless growth. Between 1999-2000 and 2011-12, proportion of men in the age-group 15 to 59 years who were gainfully employed declined from 84 per cent to 81 per cent. During the same period, proportion of women aged 15 to 59 years who were gainfully employed for at least some part of the year fell from 41 per cent to only 32 per cent.

Welcome Supreme Court Verdict on Privacy

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 24THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) welcomes the Supreme Court verdict that the right to privacy is a fundamental right protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

A Resounding Vindication

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 23THE Kerala High Court judgement is a resounding vindication of the stand taken by the CPI(M) that the Lavalin case was a politically motivated case. The Kerala High Court has upheld the judgment of the trial court discharging Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case.The High Court has stated that Pinarayi Vijayan was deliberately targeted by the CBI.

Welcome Verdict on Triple Talaq

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 22.THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) welcomes the Supreme Court verdict treating arbitrary and instant triple talaq as unconstitutional, delivered by a majority judgement of the five-member bench.The detailed judgements are not yet available. The CPI(M) will properly respond after studying the majority and minority judgements.

Declare Deluge in North and East India as National Calamity: AIKS

· 729 deaths in four states of Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and UP in August· Declare flood in northern and eastern India as national calamity · Expedite relief operations on War FootingSERIOUS flood situation has disrupted life in many states in northern and eastern India especially Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

‘Love Jihad’ Judgement and the Politics of the ‘Hindu’ Right

ON May 24, Kerala High Court had declared the marriage of Shafin Jahan and Akhila alias Hadiya as null and void on the petition of the bride’s father. The father claimed that his daughter was forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim under the influence of the Islamic State. The petition alleged that the girl would be forcibly sent to Syria in order to work for the extremist Islamic outfit. In response, the Court nullified the marriage and the husband of the girl petitioned the Supreme Court.

Disruption of Internet Services at CPI(M) Headquarters

IN a letter addressed to the minister of state for communications,Manoj Sinha on August 18, Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary brought to his notice the delay in restoring the internet services which were disrupted for over a week. At the CPI(M) headquarters we have five fibre to home connections providedby the public sector MTNL. All these connections have not been working since the evening of August 11, 2017. “It has been over a week now.

UTTAR PRADESH: Organised Murder of Children at Gorakhpur

DOZENS of children at the ward no. 100 of BRD Medical College hospital, Gorakhpur met their tragic death during the fatefull night of August 10-11 this year. This was not merely an accident. It was rather due to criminal negligence on the part of hospital administration, and systematic failure of the existing public health system prevalent in Uttar Pradesh.One Zahid Ali of village Bichhiya thus narrated the incident of his five year old daughter, Khushi. She ran high fever and was taken to a nearby doctor. Next day, the girl started vomiting and trembling.

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