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Journalism of Courage
Shortly before Parliament8217;s winter session, the CPI M held a 8216;kisan rally8217; on November 20. It was the culmination of a countrywide campaign through 8216;jathas8217; and provided the blueprint for Left8217;s agrarian agenda in Parliament, with the party8217;s top leadership present. The latest issue of People8217;s Democracy quotes the All India Kisan Sabha president S.R. Pillai saying 8220;increasing ruination of the peasantry because of declining prices of their produce8221; was matched by rising costs of agricultural inputs like water, power, and seeds over the last decade. And that 73 per cent farmers are still being 8220;fleeced by usurers8221;, have no access to institutional credit, and that public investment in agriculture and rural development was constantly slashed. Meanwhile, due to the 8220;liberalisation drive8221;, quantitative restrictions had been withdrawn on import of agricultural produce and the government was also withdrawing from the support price mechanism.
Hu8217;s our friend
Women on right track
In the light of questions raised over the CPIM8217;s poor representation of women in the politburo and Parliament, the convener8217;s report at the convention of All India Coordination Committee of Working Women takes note of the increasing women8217;s membership in CITU at the national level and also in many states. 8220;At the all-India level as per the latest available annual returns, women8217;s membership in CITU has increased to 30 per cent,8221; says the report. However, it also says that the growth in membership is not reflected by the presence of women in decision-making bodies. The report in People8217;s Democracy noted, in earlier conventions most of the participants were 8220;middle class employees like those from insurance, bank8230; government departments8221;, but this time women workers from the unorganised sector constituted the majority. The convener8217;s report also suggested that the Coordination Committee of Working Women should identify sectors where women were working in large numbers and find ways to organise them better.
8212;Compiled by Ananda Majumdar
