RBI to Issue New Rs 10 Note in Chocolate Brown Colour. Here is What it Looks Like New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is going to issue new Rs 10 notes under the Mahatma Gandhi series with chocolate brown colour as the base. The new note will bear the picture of the Konark Sun Temple. The apex bank has already printed around 1 billion pieces of the new note, according to people familiar with the matter.The design was approved by the government last week. The change in design in the old Rs 10 note was last made in 2005. In August last year, RBI had introduced the new Rs 200 and Rs 50 notes under the Mahatma Gandhi series.( Press report)

Each year the observation of the International Women’s Day on 8th March is being observed with more participation, more programmes and with increased vigour. Phot of the demonstration organised at Jantar Mantar New  Delhi is given below:

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly condemns the brutal attack on the left activists and offices in Tripura being unleashed by the RSS- BJP hooligans just hours after the results of the Tripura assembly elections are out.

The BJP which has aligned with the separatist forces and used money and muscle power to win the elections has unleashed a reign of terror on the members and supporters of the left parties and CITU, attacking their houses and offices throughout the state. Over 1500 houses were attacked. Hundreds of people were injured in the attacks. Hundreds of houses were set on fire. Hundreds of offices were attacked and captured. The attacks are still continuing.

These attacks are attacks on democracy. They once again demonstrate the utter contempt of RSS and the BJP for democracy and democratic institutions. They expose the anti national character of these organisations which had no qualms in joining the separatist forces to come to power.

CITU demands that the concerned authorities intervene immediately and stop these heinous attacks on democracy at once.

CITU stands in solidarity with its cadres and with the cadres, rank and file of the left and democratic organisations who are bravely resisting these attacks. CITU is confident that the left and democratic forces who braved the terrorist, extremist and separatist forces in the past would defeat these forces of terror with the massive support of the people this time as well.

CITU calls upon all its affiliated unions and members, and the entire working class to protest these attacks on democracy. It urges them to join enmasse the solidarity actions being organised across the country by the left organisations and democratic peace loving people.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Kolkata, March 6 : The Entire 736 State Conference delegates attending the 25th State Conference of CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee halted their conference, today afternoon, and came to open roads in Kolkata, staging a huge rally alongside progressive commoners and Left activists , on a call given by CPI(M) to protest against the barbaric demolition of Lenin statue by the RSS –BJP fascist forces in Tripura .
The rally was led by CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury , party Politbureau Member Prakash Karat , Brinda Karat , Left Front Chairman Biman Basu , Party State Secretary Dr Suryakanta Mishra , Party Politbureau Member MA Baby amongst others .(Courtesy: Ganashakti).

Lakhs of workers and people of Kerala will participate in the protest demonstration today, 7th March 2018, as per the call of the LDF.

Continuous struggles were conducted and are being conducted for wage revision by the BSNL employees under the leadership of BSNL All Unions and Associations. After the Massive Parliament March by the employees, in which AIBDPA members also participated in hundreds, the discussion with the Secretary DOT and the discussion with the Communications Minister Shri Manoj Sinha, the latter had assured that the demand of the employees will be taken up with the government. CMD BSNL had already requested the DOT for permission to start wage negotiation with the recognised unions. These are important steps. But continued pressure will be required for achieving the demands.

In the case of DOT Pensioners, the pension revision is ordered w.e.f. 01-01-2016 on the basis of the recommendations of the VII CPC. The revision is implemented / being implemented to all the DOT retirees as also the Option III.

In the case of BSNL absorbed DOT Pensioners, we have demanded that the pension revision should be made on the basis of the fitment recommended by the III PRC w.e.f. 01-01-2017, as was done last time on the basis of the recommendations of the II PRC / wage settlement w.e.f. 01-01-2007. Since the government is committed to pay the entire pension, there is no justification for delaying the matter.

The revision should be in IDA and not in CDA as some comrades have demanded. Demanding for the VII CPC formula is not beneficial and is full of complications and implications which will result in umpteen anomalies, which will divide the pensioners in to several groups. Pension revision as per PRC is the method implemented so far and any shift to CPC method will further complicate the issue and delay matters. Pensioners can not wait. They want pension revision without any further delay.

At the same time, we want that the wage negotiation also take place immediately and we will support all the struggles being organised by them.

“Defend Women’s Democratic Rights”
International Women’s Day 2018.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day we take stock of our conditions at present and the host of
challenges confronting us.
In India we are facing an all out attack on our rights, not only as women and citizens, but most crucially, on
the Indian Constitution itself, by the ruling BJP and its mentor – the RSS. Our rights were won with the
active participation of women, along with workers, peasants, students, toiling people and other sections in
the anti –colonial struggle for freedom, in pre Independence times. The struggles have continued and
have intensified, in the past twenty five years, during which period our rights have been eroded by the
pursuit of neoliberal policies adopted by successive governments at the centre. During the past few years,
this process has been accelerated by the forces of communalism, which seek to impose the Hindutva
ideology on us and turn our country into a Hindu Rashtra.
Women are being recast in the traditional roles of wives and mothers, while their economic and social
contribution is being suppressed by the right wing forces. The leaders of the RSS and fringe elements are
pronouncing fat was on what girls should wear, where they can go, whom they can talk to, whom they can
marry, how many children a woman must have etc. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said that women should
not go out for work but give birth to children and look after house. Elected representatives of BJP are
publically giving speeches against the women’s freedom to choose their education livelihood and whom
they can marry. Inter religious marriages are termed as “love jihad’ and opposed openly. Couples are
being murdered and it is justified by right wing political leaders. These are all utilised to advance vote bank
politics based on communal and casteist divide.
The fundamentalists in other religions are also reciprocating with similar kind of fat was against the
women.
Even as wives and mothers they are denied rights, domestic violence is on the increase and sex selective
abortions continue unabated. Violence against women and children has been increasing steeply with
scant regard for the right of women to a safe environment at work, in public spaces and in the domestic
sphere.
Other bourgeois parties and leaders also have patriarchal views on women’s role in society. In the
discussion of violence against women such people often argue that ‘women shall not go out late’, ‘shall
not wear such clothes’ etc always putting the blame on the victim.
Women cannot face these attacks, cannot gain equality without economic security. This is the cornerstone
of our struggle for progress and emancipation. But it is this very crucial economic security which is under
severe attack, by the corporates and their cronies in government, in a crisis ridden capitalist system. In
India the changes in labour laws have reversed the gains made through decades of struggle by the
working class and the rights of women workers have been curtailed, all in the name of “Ease of doing
business”. The Union Budget 2018-19 is another illustration of pandering to the corporates under a veil of
populist slogans.
It is equally important to fight the patriarchal ideology. It is very important to fight the ruling ‘hindutva’
forces and expose them to defend our democratic rights as citizens.
All over the world, in many countries, right wing forces and regimes are rearing their ugly heads, but at the
same time the resistance to them from the working people is also growing apace. There are anti
imperialist struggles taking place in different countries. We stand firmly in solidarity with the struggles of
women and people for their democratic rights, the world over.
This past year has witnessed unprecedented, huge struggles of scheme workers, workers and employees,
farmers and the peasantry, in our country, of which we have been a part. Some demands have been
achieved but there are many more to be won. It is important to assert the equal democratic rights of the
women and girls at every field. Resistance at all levels shall be developed against the patriarchy and
politics of hatred to defend the unity of the people. It is important to bring to focus, the real issues of the
people.
We pledge to continue our efforts to unite the widest sections of women and the working people in our
own country for even bigger and wider struggles. We reiterate our commitment to continue our fight until
we achieve our goal of emancipation and a society free from exploitation, carrying on the glorious
traditions of International Women’s Day.
Long Live International Womens Day!
Long Live Working Class Unity!
Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)