Category Archives: General

Colour – A poem written by an African Child

12 Saturday Jan 2013

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I am giving below a poem written by an African Child and which has been nominated for the Best Poem of 2005. The pain of the child and the gross discrimination against the black are focussed in the poem.

COLOUR
When I born, I black;
When I grow up I black;
When I go in sun I black;
When I scared, I black;
When I sick, I black!
And when I die, I still black!!

And U white fellow?
When U born, U pink;
When u grow up, U white;
When U go in sun, you red;
When U cold, U blue;
When U scared, U yellow;
When U sick, U green;
When U die, U grey:
And U call me coloured!!!

(courtsey : Workers Forum )

Protest against railfare increase

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

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The Government of India has raised the train fare for all classes with effect from 21st Janaury 2013 to mop up about an increase of rs. 6,600 revenue. Strong protests have from political parties. The Press Statement issued by CPI(M) is reproduced below:

New Delhi, January 9: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly opposes the all-round hike in rail fares announced by the railway minister. The hike in the fares of second class, sleeper and suburban fares is particularly unjustified as they will burden the ordinary people who are already suffering from all-round price rise.

The railway minister has shown contempt for parliament by announcing these fare hikes just a month before the railway budget is to be placed in parliament.

The Polit Bureau demands the withdrawal of the fare hikes in all categories except the top two classes – AC I and AC II.

The Polit Bureau calls upon all its Party units to organize protests against the new burden being imposed on the people.

An important visitor from Nepal

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

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Com.Tankalal Shreshta, Advisor and former President of Telecom Employees Association of Nepal(TEAN), is in New Delhi on a personal visit. We met today and discussed many matters connected with the issues facing the unions. He has a lot of knowledge about the issues of the telecom sector.He had attended All India Conferences of our union more than once.
He is one of the Board Directors of the Nepal Telecom Corporation nominated by the TEAN. It is the system in the NTC to have one Director of the Board nominated by the Union. Many suggestions and proposals of the union are accepted and implemented by the corporation.The NTC has got about 45% market share compared to the 12% of BSNL.
My Hearty Welcome to Com. Tankalal to New Delhi!

Inspiring saga of Com. Amir Haider Khan

05 Saturday Jan 2013

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A few days back while going to Kolkatta by Shatabdi Express, I took with me a book on Amir Haider Khan, the legendary communist, written by Dr. Ayub Mirza in Urdu and translated in English by Com. Mohammed Amin, former W.Bengal Minister and senior leader of CPI(M). The name of the book is ” Amir Haider Khan – A Legendary Communist”, published by Prajasakthi Book House.
I could not leave the book till I completed reading it. It was so interesting and inspiring.
The book is about the life and and activities of Amir Haider Khan who brought Com. P.Sundarayya and many other leaders in to Communist movement. He was born in a remote village near Rawalpindi (in the present Pakistan) in a very poor family. For getting some education he moved from madrasa to madrasa doing menial work etc. He did street work in Bombay and other cities. Worked in the ships. He had been to London, America and other places. He became a pilot also. He went to USSR and became a communist. Came back to India to spread communism and fight against British. He moved incognito to many cities and contacted with Indian Communists. Advised comrades like S.A.Dange, BTR and other leaders. After Independence and partition he settled in Pakistan. Till his death he was active in social activities like running school etc.

As stated earlier, the book is inspiring and educative. I would recommend reading of the same to all who are interested in the Communist movement in India and to understand how much the early communists had to suffer and sacrifice for the movement.

Another Brutal rape and murder in A.P.

31 Monday Dec 2012

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While the entire country is shocked and strongly protesting against the brutal rape and asault which resulted in the death of the Delhi Paramedical student, another case of brutal rape and hanging of a 14 year girl has been reported from A.P. Thousands of protesters are blocking the roads nearby and there is an explosive situation. As in the case of Delhi rape case, the A.P.State government is also trying to choke the voice of the people by not allowinng the media to reach there and report the same. Hence the full reports and visuals are not available in the channels now. But government will fail in its move to silence the people and media. The culprit has been arrested.

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

31 Monday Dec 2012

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The New Year 2013 is here. The year 2012 was full of activities as far as the workers are concerned. It was also a year full of struggles for the rights of the people and the toiling masses. At the end of the year, the brutal attack and rape of the young woman in Delhi has shocked the conscience of the entire country and a movement led by the youngsters and students has rocked the country, putting the ruling classes and the government on the defensive. The insensitive government will be compelled to take at least some measures in the new year on these and other issues. Because of the tragedy, New Year celebrations have been cancelled by many organisations and individuals. Certainly, nobody can celebrate when there is such a tragedy in our minds.Still we welcome the New Year with the hope that the people and the working class will continue their struggles and will move forward for a better society.
My best Wishes to all for the New Year!

Government in the ‘Emergency Mode’ ?

31 Monday Dec 2012

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The people have been protesting against the Delhi Gang Rape and the brutal attack on the young girl since the last two weeks demanding the government to take immediate action and ensure safety for women. Despite maximum efforts, the girl could not be saved and she passed away on 30th December putting the entire country in grief and sorrow.

The method in which the protesters who were mostly students and young men and women peacefully demonstrating their anguish and anger was dealt with by the Central government and the Delhi police, was to say the least, insensitive and autocratic. The thousands who gathered at India Gate and before the Rashtrapathi Bhawan were lathi-charged, attacked with tear-gas and water cannon and many were arrested and beaten in the police station. Later, India Gate and nearby places were cordoned off, and nobody was allowed to reach there. 10 Metro stations in the city were closed harassing the people who wanted to come to the city. Railway Stations were also closed. Thousands of police, para-military forces and commandos were employed against the peaceful demonstrators.

The central government in a panic modem shifted the victim from the ICU of Safdarjung Hospital to a hospital in Singapore without consulting the family or the hospital doctors who were treating her day and night. Further instead of taking the doctors at the hospital where she was treated the government engaged doctors from a private hospital to accompany the victim patient. And after her death the body was secretly brought bck and created in a hush with out even allowing the neibhours at the creamation ground.

Even after the death, the prohition continued. Protesters are allowed in Jantar Mantar only. Restrictions continues in many ways.

What all these indicate? Whether it is the Central Government, the state government or the police authorities, they are moving away from the democratic to autocratic methods. They want to suffocate the popular protests. They want to suprreess the peaceful movement. Yes, there is a shade of the anti-people and dictactorial ’emergency’ in all these actions.

Let us be aware of this ‘shade of emergency’. The government should not be allowed to trample upon the democratic rights of the peole to protest against the inaction and wrong action of the government. The government should be made to understand that there will be severe reaction to these dictatorial methods from the people.

Homage to the Brave Heart – Let us make the country safe for women.

31 Monday Dec 2012

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The people of this great Nation is in mourning. The young girl who was raped and brutalised in the Delhi Bus and battling for life for the last two weeks has died in the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore yesterday and cremated near her house in Delhi. The entire country is mourning for this braveheart who fought against the brutal attack and continued her fight for life till the last.
Thousands of young boys and girls, students, citizens and people from all walks of life are still gathering at the Jantar Mantar and other places in Delhi and keep the candles glow in memory of the young girl, who wanted to live and live a full life.

It is not only in Delhi, but all over the nation, the people are mourning and expressing their protest against the brutal attack. They are demanding quick justice to the victims of sexual assaults that are happening in thousands. It is reported that in every forty minutes a rape is committed in India.

The anger and protest are completely justified. India is a democratic nation, which glorifies the women and even worship them. The epics and literature in each and every language glorify the mother and women. But on the other side the attacks on women, rape, molestation etc. are on the increase day by day. As per certain statistics released there are thousands of rape and molestation cases registered, but not even 30% of them have been finalised or the culprits punished.
The charge-sheeting, trial and the legal proceedings take years and in most of the cases the culprits are let off scot-free due to want of evidence or the witnesses turning hostile due to pressure, threat, bribe etc. There is an unholy alliance between the police and the culprits in many such cases. The police are reluctant even to register FIR. The victims are pressurised to compromise with the culprits.
The legal system has to change and action has to be taken on a fast track. There should be zero tolerance in rape, molestations etc. Safety shuld be ensured for women at all places.
Whether in the work-place,public spaces, transports and in all places, there should be safety for women and girl child. The society has to change its mindset. Treating the women as a sex smybol has to be stopped. Due respect should be given to the women in the movies, adverstisements etc. instead of the present sex-exploitation. There should be sufficient women police and they should be employed more and more in public spaces to ensure safety to women.The governnment has to bring legislation for harsh punishments for sex crimes.
The death of the brave girl can not go in vain. The sacrifice of the young girl should enflame the country to such an extent that such horrible crimes should not happen again.
The students and young people have shown their anguish, protest and determination to fight against such evils in the society. It is a massive movement for a change and all the people have to join this struggle to ensure that there is a change in the mindset of the people, harsh punsihemnt to the culprits, a sensitive police system and fast track justice.
Politicians, legal luminaries, progressive thinkers, administrators, activists, women organisations – everybody in one voice have demanded these. The Central and state governments have to move and decide and implement these reforms immediately.
My Homage to the Brave Heart once again! Let her fight and sacrifice be a bacon light for the the present and future generations for a new world of equal right and equal opportunites for men and women and also for the safety of women.

Complete the rape trails within 2 months – Supreme Court

27 Thursday Dec 2012

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New Delhi, Dec 27 : Rape trials must end within two months as stipulated under law, the Supreme Court has said directing trial courts to “strictly adhere” to existing norms while asking them to rule out the possibility of “manoeuvring” through undue long adjournments.
A bench of justices Swatanter Kumar and Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla gave their judgement on December 6, 10 days before the Delhi gangrape which triggered nation-wide outrage with strong demands for fast-tracking of rape cases.
The apex court’s verdict came while dismissing the appeal of a man convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the offences of murder and robbery.
The convict, Akil, along with two others in October 1998 while robbing a woman of her cash and jewellery at gunpoint inside her home at Maujpur here had shot her friend when he had objected to the accused’s attempt to molest her.
“We issue directions in light of the provisions contained in section 231 (evidence for prosecution) read along with section 309 (power to postpone or adjourn proceedings) of CrPC for the trial court to strictly adhere to the procedure prescribed therein in order to ensure speedy trial of cases.
“And also rule out the possibility of any manoeuvring taking place by granting undue long adjournments for mere asking,” the bench said in its 37-page judgement.
Section 309 of the CrPC provides that in every inquiry or trial the proceedings should be held as expeditiously as possible and once the examination of witnesses begins the same shall be continued on a day-to-day basis till all the witnesses are examined.
The apex court also noted that in cases that come under section 376 (rape) and related offences under sections 376 A to D of the IPC, the CrPC stipulates that “the inquiry or trial shall, as far as possible, be completed within a period of two months from the date of commencement of the examination of witnesses.”
(Courtsey: Ganashakti)