The undemocratic and arrogant action of the Government in arresting Anna Hazare yesterday has made the people angry. Through out the country, demonstrations and rallies are being held. In the Parliament, the statement of Prime Minister has been questioned and ridiculed. The attack on the democratic right of the people to protest is a sign of the government to protect itself from the exposure of corruption one after another.
Anna’s insistence for the right to protest for condition of leaving the jail is a correct decision. The government will be compelled to bow before the mighty protest of the people.

The government is continuously repeating that it is taking necessary action against corruption, black money, tax- evasion etc. It was stated last year that there are more than Rs. 2.48 lakh crore tax arrears as on 31st March 2010 to be collected from the corporate houses. This was Rs. 1.60 lakh crore in March 2008, which has increased to Rs. 2.03 lakh crore in 2011.
Why the Government is not collecting the same? Why no criminal action is not taken against these law-breakers. At least why the names of these high level tax evaders are not published so that the people can know who is who?
To expect that from this government will be too much. But we can not sit idle. The government should be pressurised to disclose the name of the high tax evaders and take action against them.

The Central Executive Committee meeting of the All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Association will be held at Kolkata on 18th to 19th August 2011. The AIBDPA within the two years of its formation has grown in to a strong organisation and with the support of BSNLEU and Joint Action Committee of BSNL has been able to settle many important issues of the pensioners including the Pension Revision of pre-2007 BSNL retirees, which was considered as impossible by many. There are many issues still to be settled, about which the meeting will discuss.
The Committee will also discuss about the continued attacks on the rights and demands of the pensioners by the government including the PFRDA Bill presented in the Parliament. On these issues not only the Pensioners Associations, but the organisations of the Central and State Governments like Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers as also All India State Government Employees Federation are on the struggle path.
Let each and every worker / pensioner join together to fight and defeat the anti-worker PFRDA Bill.

The arrest of Anna Hazare and putting him in the Tihar Jail for his decision to sit on hunger strike against corruption is completely against democratic rights of the people and has to be opposed by the entire nation. The government is trying to silence its critics through police action. The statement of the Ministers in the Parliament that it is the action of the police is a big joke. It is only police who arrests, but the decision to arrest Anna this way will be only on the direction of the higher ups. Is the government afraid of to take the responsibility?
All the opposition parties have strongly condemned the arrest in the Parliament the house has been adjourned. The Left parties have given a call to organise protest demonstration tomorrow, 17th August against the arrest.

CPI(M) has decided to organise massive protest demonstration in front of Parliament on 2nd September 2011 against corruption and demanding passing of an effective Lokpal Bill in this Parliament session itself. Such demonstrations will be organised in all the states also.
All the progressive and democratic movements in the country including the trade union organisations have to organise massive programmes against corruption so that it becomes a mighty campaign compelling the government to act and act decisively.

Immediately after the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s and the starting of the neo-liberalisation polcy by the imperialists led by USA, the main assertion of the capitalists and their henchmen has been that Marxism is outdated and already dead. It was also stated that Communist China, Cuba, Vietnam as also N.Korea will have the same fate as USSR within a short time. They also said that ” Capital” written by Karl Marx is not valid any more.
But what actually has happened? China has become stronger and is the second economic power in the world. Cuba continues to grow despite decades of economic blockade by US. Vietnam and N.Korea are on the path of progress. In addition, a good number of countries in Latin America and Caribbean have elected Left or Left of Centre governments.
The Global economic crisis of 2008 is still haunting the imperialist countries. It was with great difficulty that the recession has been controlled to an extent. But another crisis has come and as a result, USA has been downgraded from AAA to AA+ by the Rating Company Standards and Poor’s.
It is in this context that the capitalist economists and governments have started reading again the “Capital” written by Marx. After many years, new volumes of “Capital” are being published. The prophesy of the capitalist economics that “Capital” is buried has been proven wrong.
The first volume of the three volumes “Capital” was published on 16th August 1867 by Karl Marx and Frederic Engels. Even after 144 years Marxism and “Capital” are still very much relevant. They will always be the inspiration to the toiling masses all over the world in their struggle to protect and advance the interests of the workers and also in building socialism.

The decision of the Delhi Police ie. Central Government, denying permission to Anna Hazare to hold Satyagraha in Delhi smacks of authoritarianism. The democratic right of the people to express their opinion and propagate their views peacefully can not be denied, whatever excuse the authorities says. Corruption is an issue the entire people are agitated. Anna Hazare is only expressing it in his own way.
It has also become the bad habit of the present government to discredit all those who oppose it. As long as Baba Ram Dev was in the good books of the Government, he was a saintly person for them. The moment he opposed the government, he has become a bad man, avoiding taxes and having black money. Was this fact known to the Government only when he started opposing the corruption. Now the government spokepersons are accusing that Anna Hazare is corrupt. If Anna Hazare did not oppose government he would have been a very good Gandhian for them. Such kind of accusations are discrediting the government only.
Instead of correcting its mistakes and punishing the corrupt, the government is attacking those who are opposing and exposing corruption. This is a shame on the government.

We got political freedom 64 years back on 15th of August 1947. The British were compelled to go, but they divided India in to India and Pakistan before they left. Many achievements we have during the last 6-7 decades. But there are more things to be done. Let us see what they are.
1. More than 80% of the people do not have income of more than Rs.20/ per day, which is completely insufficient for a living. Crore of people are on the verge of poverty. All the people should be able to have a comfortable living
2. Crores of youngsters are unemployed. A job is important for a living and also for self respect. The government has to ensure job for all.
3. More than 50% of the children are not able even to study up to the upper primary class. Education should be made compulsory and 100% literacy should be the target.
4. Housing Accommodation is a priority.
5. The country has been plagued by corruption, favouritism and nepotism. All these should be eradicated.

These are basic issues. In a democracy, the right of the people to elect their rulers with out favour or pressure is important. The election system should be free from money power and muscle power.

The common people and especially, the working class have got a serious responsibility to ensure that a government which will attend to the above should be got elected. Continuous pressure is required for the same. Is it possible in the present Indian context? Of course, it is difficult but it can be done if there is determination and commitment.

India, our Nation, has completed 64 years after it got Independence from the British rule in the midnight of 14th / 15th August 1947. The two centuries of slavery under the British was over at last and India became an independent nation. It was after continued and sustained struggle that we got independence. At this time, we remember the First War of Independence of 1857 which gave a big jolt to the British empire. The sacrifices of thousands of sepoys and their leaders like Rani of Jhansi, Tantia Topi, Nana Saheb, Begum Hazrat Mahal and of course Mangal Pandey who fired the first shot on the altar of freedom can not be forgotten. The valiant battles fought by Tippu Sultan, Pazhassi Raja and many others still inspire us. After the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 a new era started. The arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on the scene gave a new dimension and popularity to the struggle for independence. The declaration of Swaraj, the Salt Satyagraha and the Non-cooperation movement- all are shining chapters of struggle for independence. The Communists were in the fore-front. The British were especially brutal against the communists. The British were afraid that a Soviet Union type revolution may come here. Hence the moment the Communist Party of India was formed, the British Govenment arrested them one after another foisting conspiracy cases against the Communists. Peshawar Conspiracy case, Meerut Conspiracy case, Kanpur conspiracy case and Madras Conspiracy case- almost all the leading Communists were arrested and jailed.
The Jhalianwala Bagh Massacre shocked the nation and the young revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev who gave back in the same coin to the British were hanged. Chandrasekhar Azad was shot dead by a posse of police men.
The end of the second world war opened a new chapter. The Thebhaga struggle, the Telengana struggle, Royal Indian Navy revolt, the INA, the Postal strike all added fuel to the Independence struggle and British had no other go but to grant Independence to India. But they did after dividing India in to India and Pakistan. Along with the victory of independence, both countries had to face the biggest tragedy of partition and the displacement and sufferings of crore of people who had to migrate from one country to the other.
India has grown during the last 64 years in all spheres. But still a majority of the people in this country do not have education, job, food and house. But at the same time the number of millionaires and billionaires are increasing in the country. The national wealth is grabbed by big business and corporates for a song causing loss of lakhs of crore of rupees to the government. The corruption has hit the roof with even the top level politicians and administrators under the scan.
It is only the working people and the toiling masses of the country who can make a change to the present situation. A revamp of the political situation has become necessary. The ruling congress party and the main opposition BJP are both in competition to implement the neo-liberal policies which had already brought more and more misery to the common people. It is only through committed, dedicated and sacrifices that the country can be changed. It is what is required in the present moment. Let us be part of this great task.
Best Wishes to all in the eve of the 65th birthday of our dear nation!

Fidel Castro, the architect of Cuba and the man who braved the powerful United States of decades of economical blockades, has turned 85 on 13th August 2011.
He was the hero of the Cuban revolution of 1959 ( January 1st)along with Che Guivera, Raul Castro and other comrades. As President of Cuba for a long time, on the one side he defended the country from the attacks of the imperialist US and at the same time moved forward for creating a socialist state. The small nation in the Carribean Islands group was alone at first opposing the US, but now many countries have joined the anti-imperialist camp. The collapse of the USSR was a big blow to Cuba, but under the inspiring leadership of Fidel, the country braved the situation and moved forward.
Fidel Castro, who was ailing, handed over the leadership of the party and the administration to his comrade-in-arms and brother Raul Castro in 2000. Despite his ill health, Fidel continued to contribute many articles and comments to the Granma, the party organ which was named as that of the boat in which the revolutionaries landed in Cuba ( December 2, 1956) to lead the revolution. Fidel is one of the best articulate speaker in the world who is heard with rapt attention.
I Greet and Wish comrade Fidel Castro a Happy Birthday and also many happy returns of the day to guide the world Working Class !
” … the working class is in an absolute majority, the working class is a fertile and creative class, the working class is the one that produces all the wealth that exists in the country.” – Fidel Castro