A Practical Program to Give a New Lease of Life to Land Reforms

ByJanata Backup

A Practical Program to Give a New Lease of Life to Land Reforms At last some voices are rising to strongly assert the need for better implementation of land reforms. On October 2, Gandhi Jayanti day, nearly 25,000 landless workers and adivasi peasants gathered at Mela Maidan, Gwalior to raise a strong voice in favour…

New Jobs Not for Workers

ByJanata Backup

New Jobs Not for Workers The  never-ending  growth  stories still  hang on the impact  demonetisation and GST have had on the economy. Not only the political opposition, the economists in general are also questioning the rising figures of gross domestic product (GDP), while the central government continues to maintain that there was no adverse effect…

Instead of Defending India, the Raksha Mantri is Instigating Violence Within

ByJanata Backup

Instead of Defending India, the Raksha Mantri is Instigating Violence Within I have been thinking about the statement defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman made this week lamenting the presence of “anti-national elements” within the student community of her alma mater, Jawaharlal Nehru University.   The more I think about it, the more I am convinced her…

Venezuelan Commune Activists Vow to ‘Take the Offensive’

ByJanata Backup

Venezuelan Commune Activists Vow to ‘Take the Offensive’ Representatives of 74 communes—institutions of popular power elected from grassroots communal councils—from across Venezuela gathered in Lara state towards the end of August to participate in the inaugural National Assembly of Communes.   The meeting of more than 300 commune activists was held to try to strengthen…

Why the Technology of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Should Be Stopped

ByJanata Backup

It is heartening to note from recent media reports that the Indian government is unlikely to give approval to the highly hazardous technology of genetically modified mosquitoes or genetic control of mosquitoes. A recent front-page report in the Business Line (August 20, 2018) titled “Govt. may swat GM Mosquitoes” written by Rahul Wadke said, “The…

There is Still Time for an Ecological Revolution to Prevent Hothouse Earth

ByJanata Backup

There is Still Time for an Ecological Revolution to Prevent Hothouse Earth John Bellamy Foster, editor of the Socialist Journal Monthly Review published from New York,  interviewed by Fiona Ferguson, a Belfast-based activist. The interview below is posted on the Irish socialist website REBEL. Q: Recent record high temperatures might suggest the development towards climate…

Calling Naidu’s Bluffs

ByJanata Backup

Calling Naidu’s Bluffs In the recently concluded World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu stated that “the only country that accepts all religions is India”. He also said, “Even though we have so much strength, we never attacked anyone in history.”Some time ago, hundreds of the country’s top writers, artists, scientists, historians, film…

Theatre of Absurd: Modi and the Dawoodi Bohra Pontiff

ByJanata Backup

The invitation by the High Priest of Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia Muslim sub-sect, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address their religious congregation on 14 September 2018 on the occasion of Muharram, and the PM accepting the invite, can only be described as the theatre of absurd. Prime Minister Modi is the leader of a…

If Maoist Violence is Illegitimate, How is Hindutva Violence and State Violence Justified?

ByJanata Backup

If Maoist Violence is Illegitimate, How is Hindutva Violence and State Violence Justified? There was major police action against Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Varvara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira on 28 August 2018. Before this, the police had arrested Professor Shoma Sen, Adocate Sudhir Gadling, Sudhir Dhawle, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson on 6…