The song of a caged bird: A tribute to Fr Stan Swamy
His death is institutional murder by the Indian criminal justice system.
Former Bureaucrats, Civil Society Express “Deep Anguish” on Violations and Breakdown of Governance in UP
In their open letter, they condemn the ‘complete breakdown’ of governance and blatant violation of the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh, and say that the Yogi Adityanath government has “ushered in a model of governance which swerves further and further away from the values of the Constitution”.
Govt Plans to Sell Foodgrain Meant for Poor to Private Sector, at Subsidised Rates
Rice from the Food Corporation of India will be sold at a subsidy to private distilleries while India fares badly on hunger indicators.
National Strike in Colombia Completes Two Months
The national strike, which began in rejection of a tax reform bill, has transformed into a national struggle against the far-right government of President Ivan Duque and his neoliberal and oppressive policies.
Cuba’s Vaccine Shield and the Five Monopolies that Structure the World
We live in a time of ‘three apartheids’ – those of food, money, and medicine, which are a result of the control that a handful of monopoly companies exercise over the global economy. Cuba’s development of five different vaccine candidates, which it plans to export to countries around the world, challenges the medicine apartheid.
The Challenge of Saying How Many Excess Deaths Could be Due to Covid-19
Five states saw over 460,000 excess deaths in the first five months of 2021, but the official Covid-19 toll in these states in this period accounts for only 6% of these excess deaths. How many of the remaining 94% are ‘missed’ Covid-19 deaths will not be easy to disentangle.
UN General Assembly Once More Denounces US Blockade of Cuba
The UN General Assembly on June 23 overwhelmingly approved a Cuban resolution condemning the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade of Cuba, in place for 60 years; 184 nations approved; two opposed, Israel and the USA; and three abstained, Colombia, Ukraine, and Brazil.
Who’s Afraid of Sandinista Nicaragua?
Despite continuing to be the object of strong US interference and coup attempts, Nicaragua is resisting with all the contradictions the situation implies, continuing to scare the oligarchy out of its wits: a discussion with journalist Fabrizio Casari.
Socialism Gaining Increasing Support in USA – Two Articles
An online poll in the USA found that capitalism is particularly unpopular among 18 to 24-year-olds, with negative views outweighing positive views by a margin of 54% to 42%; Buffalo and Cleveland have become battlegrounds between progressive activists and establishment forces.
Farmers’ Agitation Completes 200 Days; Farmers Lauch Padyatra in UP – Two Articles
Farmer leaders say that while the agitation brought an awareness over the agrarian crisis, the path ahead remains crucial given upcoming elections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand; Farmers lauch padyatra in UP, more to follow.