Editorial

A Dangerous Precedent

The opening day of the monsoon session of Haryana legislative assembly saw a Jain muni addressing the legislators. This was an unprecedented violation of constitutional and parliamentary norms.By inviting the Jain muni, Ratan Sagarji, to address the legislature, the BJP chief minister M L Khattar has struck at the root of the secular character of the State which ordains separation of religion from politics.The Jain priest had a chair above the podium where the governor and the chief minister sat.

Forward to September 2 Strike

The working class of the country is poised to go on a general strike on September 2.  This will be the seventeenth general strike since liberalisation began in 1991.  In the 25 years of liberalisation, these 17 strikes are a manifestation of the big resistance put up by the workers against the neo-liberal offensive.The strike is being called for a 12-point charter of demands which consist of all the major issues which concern the working people.  They include the demand to curb price rise and strengthen the public distribution system; no dilution of labour laws; halting the privatisation an

Don't Interfere with Judiciary

THE chief justice of India, T S Thakur, has recently warned that the Supreme Court may have to make a judicial intervention to get the names of High Court judges recommended by the collegium and pending with the government approved.  For months now, there has been a stalemate between the government and the higher judiciary over filling up the vacancies in the High Court.  The Supreme Court collegium had recommended 74 names for appointment as High Court judges.  These have not been cleared by the government for appointment yet.  The standoff between the Modi government and the judiciary com

Retrograde Steps on Kashmir

KASHMIR has been in turmoil for the past six weeks.  The people in the Valley have been out on the streets in mass protests since the death of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul commander. Sixty five people have died in firing by the security forces and hundreds injured. The latest to be killed was 16 year old Mohd. Yasir Sheikh who was shot by police in Batamaloo area of Srinagar on August 15.

Parrikar and His Ilk

DEFENCE minister Manohar Parrikar symbolises much of what is wrong with the Modi government. Parrikar, as the minister for defence, occupies a vital position in the union cabinet. But this has not deterred him from spewing intolerance and bigotry; making bellicose statements against Pakistan and compromising the image of the armed forces. More worryingly, he seems bent upon converting the Indian armed forces into a subordinate ally of the Pentagon.

Stop Violence: Solidarity with Bengal

THE CPI(M) and the Left Front and the people supporting them in West Bengal have been facing unprecedented violence and attacks by the Trinamool Congress after the Assembly elections were over. The nature of the widespread violence and terror has not been fully comprehended outside the state given the fact that the mainstream media has stopped reporting these events after the victory of the TMC.

Betrayal of Child Rights

THE bill passed by parliament to prohibit all forms of child labour upto the age of 14 actually does the opposite.  It has legitimised child labour on a large-scale.The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill adopted by parliament, despite various objections raised by MPs, is a regressive law.  While it bans the use of children upto the age of 14 for all forms of labour, it has permitted children to be employed in family-based enterprises and to take part in “home-based work” such as in fields and forests.  Family is defined not just as the nuclear family but also the fathe

BJP Hypocrisy about Dalits Unmasked

THE Una incident in Gujarat where seven dalit men were attacked and of whom four were stripped, badly beaten and paraded in the town is the latest dalit atrocity which has come to nationwide attention. That this has occurred in Gujarat is significant. The Hindutva campaign against cow slaughter and the targeting of Muslims and dalits in this connection is being conducted all over the country but it has been virulent in this bastion of the BJP. The four men who were assaulted had gone to skin a dead cow at the behest of its owner, a farmer.

End Impunity: Scrap AFSPA

THE Supreme Court, in a salutary judgement, has declared that the armed forces cannot act with impunity in the disturbed areas where it operates under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). The court has held that there cannot be “absolute immunity” from trial by a criminal court if any offence is committed by an army soldier. The court has ordered that all allegations of extra-judicial killings in Manipur should be probed.

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