Editorial

The Intimate Links

Between Corporate Loot, Political Power and the State’s War on People

Even as influential police officers talk of the Home Minister’s offensive to ‘eradicate Left-wing extremism’ lasting at least five years, a host of events are laying bare the intimate linkages between corporate loot, state terror, political power and political corruption – in the very areas that are the main theatres of the war....Read more

Commentary

' Love Jihad ' : Communal Myth Recycled

Mona Das

Recently, Bajrang Dal leaders of Mangalore beat up three young Muslim men who were found travelling with some Hindu girls, claiming that these boys were a part of the ‘love-jihad’ racket and ‘our girls’ have to be ‘protected’ from the terrorists. The RSS propaganda machinery has been aggressively pushing the story that professional ‘jihadis’, many a times from across the border,....Read more

Bellary Brothers and the Crisis in the BJP

V Shankar

The BJP, ‘the party with a difference’ has become a ‘party of differences and factions’ everywhere. It is not surprising that the entire central and state leadership of the party, including its ideological leadership, the RSS, had to, unashamedly, kneel down before the mining mafia in Bellary,....Read more

Party building

The Call of December 18:

Firmly Grasp the Party’s Revolutionary Line and Unleash Bold Mass Initiatives on Every Front

Ever since Comrade VM breathed his last in the midst of a CC meeting in Lucknow on December 18, 1998, we have been observing December 18 as Sankalp Diwas or Pledge Day. Comrade VM will always be remembered for his historic role in spearheading the post-setback revival of the CPI(ML) into a major Communist current in the country,....Read more

‘Maoism’, State and the Communist Movement in India

Arindam Sen

(This is the first part of a three-part article to be continued in the next couple of issues – Ed.)
In our last number, and partly also in some previous issues, we discussed the contours of the Indian state's ongoing war on "left wing extremism", a sister project of the national-international "war on terror". From previous reports and bits of information the big picture that emerged there was that the Salwa Judum....Read more

Document

Unfinished Task of Land Reforms :
Will the UPA Govt. Heed the MRD Report?

(The Committee On State Agrarian Relations and Unfinished Task of Land Reforms has submitted its report to the Ministry of Rural Development at a time when land is once again emerging as a key issue of struggle all over the country. We are witnessing an upsurge in movements against corporate land grab, and struggles for sharecroppers’ rights and homestead land – in the face of severe state repression and a virtual ruling class consensus to betray the agenda of land reform...Read more

Feature

Healthcare : For Patients or Profits?

Draft National Health Bill:
Health ‘Reforms’ for Markets, Not People

Indira Chakravarty

In January 2009 the Indian government put out a working draft of a National Health Bill “to provide for protection and fulfilment of rights in relation to health and wellbeing, health equity and justice, including those related to all the underlying determinants of health as well as health care; and for achieving the goal of health for all; and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.

Privatisation of Health:
A Letter from West Bengal

Dr. Debashish Dutta

TheLeft Front Government of West Bengal published a document “Public Private Partnership” (PPP) on 6th October, 2004 in its official website www.wbhealth.gov.in boldly announcing its intention to privatise the government health sector step by step.....Read more

Unhealthy Medicine:
Health Care in the United States and the Debate for ‘Health Reform’

The population of the United States (U.S.) as per the U.S. Census Bureau is slightly above 300 million (July 2008). 47 million Americans do not have any kind of medical insurance. In 2006, 108 million Americans had insufficient coverage or were underinsured. ...Read more

Curtain Raiser

For a Powerful People’s Voice
Against the Politics of Plunder

CPI(ML) at the Hustings in Jharkhand

Nine years since Jharkhand achieved statehood, elections are on for the second time to the Jharkhand Assembly.
In the past nine years, Jharkhand’s ruling politicians have made their fortunes.While former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda stands implicated in a massive scam involving huge commissions for mining contracts, money-laundering and loot of state funds for welfare schemes, it is clear that Koda is no exception......Read more

Updates

Jails Cannot Break Our Struggle :

Speaking to Women Pricol Workers

8 women workers were arrested on old and false charges (dating back to 2007 and 2008) and were jailed for ten days. They are Comrades Kalavathi, Valarmathi, Rajeswari, Premalatha, Shanthini, Lakshmi, Premalatha and Chandra.....Read more

Protest against land grab at Chunar

Prashant Shukla

The recent events around the J.P. Cement factory at Chunar (Mirzapur District) show how the privatization of a PSU is initiated by Mulayam and later Mayawati’s government abuses state power to defend the new owners against the local population.....Read more

Justice Dinakaran and Land Grab in TN

The revelation of the illegal wealth amassed by the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran hit the headlines just as the campaign to declare assets of the Judges gained momentum. The ignominious revelation not only underscored the importance of the movement for judicial transparency and accountability.....Read more

International

Shootout in US Army Base

When a psychiatrist in the US Army went berserk, killing 12 and wounding 30 in a shooting spree at Fort Hood where he was posted, the news shocked the world. The fact that the man, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, was of Palestinian descent and a Muslim, have predictably resulted in frenzied Islamophobia and accusations that he was in league with terrorists.....Read More

Cover

The Goldstone Report :
Challenging Israel’s Impunity

In carrying out its mandate, the Mission had regard, as its only guides, for general international law, international human rights and humanitarian law... This in no way implies equating the position of Israel as the Occupying Power with that of the occupied Palestinian population or entities representing it.....Read more