What146;s left without Kerala?

Since it was a workers rally, Jyoti Basu brought up the subject of the right to strike 8212; the party had received a proposal after last year8217;s all-India strike on certain crucial sectors that should be not be affected by strikes. The CPM is yet to decide and Basu told the workers, 8220;Do not give up your right to strike but treat is as a final weapon of the working class.8221; For the record, this report carries no reference to George Bush David Mulford, 8220;anti-imperialist struggles8221; or the 8220;anti-worker8221; policies of the UPA.

Perfect revolutionary

Bhagat Singh remains our symbol of revolution,8221; writes Harkishan Singh Surjeet on the 75th death anniversary of the revolutionary that the Left is observing in a big way. The veteran leader brings in the anti-imperialist theme while referring to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. 8220;Remembering the sacrifice of these martyrs has never been of so crucial significance in the history of independent India as it is today when US imperialists are seeking to dominate us and draw India into their global hegemonic designs,8221; he writes. Surjeet also questions Mahatma Gandhi8217;s role in the Bhagat Singh case. The Mahatma8217;s prestige suffered a setback following Bhagat Singh8217;s execution 8212; when there were demands that the death sentence be commuted as a precondition for the Gandhi-Irwin talks 8220;the Mahatma simply refused to accept this demand because of his innate hatred for the revolutionaries8221;. Singh8217;s long article goes to the beginning of the communist movement in India to say that Bhagat Singh 8220;symbolised all that was best in our struggle for national liberation8221;.

Missing on Forbes list

The CPM expectedly presents an anti view to the latest Forbes list on global billionaires on which more Indians than before find mention. 8220;Our concern is not that few people have made it to such a list. In fact, may their tribe increase. Our concern is regarding how this has happened,8221; says a front page editorial. It refers to farmers suicides, the decline in real terms of the per capita expenditure of the lower 80 per cent of the rural population, and the decline in the per capita availability of foodgrain to show there is a disconnect between Shining India and Real India. This is the Left8217;s criticism of the government. It says the NDA had been voted out because it expected the UPA to look into the needs of Real India. 8220;The people are hoping to get relief urgently. If the UPA government ignores this hope, then it shall do so at its own peril.8221;

Yankee, turn back

The Democratic People8217;s Republic of Korea8217;s problems with the US are the subject of an attack on the Bush administration in 8220;Bush and his axis of evil: the case of Korea8221;. The occupation of Iraq is by 8220;gangster states8221; and not the international community. There were threats of 8220;similar gangster-like actions8221; against Iran and Korea as the US wants to subjugate Asia, says Suneet Chopra. He writes that Bush spares no lies in trying to isolate the DPRK while the latter has 8220;consistently8221; sought to defuse the situation. There is a cautionary note for India, it is being cajoled into agreeing to a strategic partnership by a 8220;rogue regime8221;. India8217;s non-aligned past was under attack from US imperialism. 8220;There is nothing 8216;enlightened8217; about selling one8217;s country to a band of known international robbers and scamsters,8221; writes Chopra.

Compiled by Ananda Majumdar