Mainstream Weekly

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• We Need More Hospitals, Not Temples or Mosques | Bobby Ramakant and Sandeep Pandey

  1 May 2021

  by Bobby Ramakant and Sandeep Pandey *
  As India runs a drive for vaccination against Covid the nature reminds us about our diminutiveness by an accompanying surge in Covid cases. In 2020, India had reported the highest number of 98,795 cases in 24 hours on 17 September 2020 but now the new unfortunate peak in April 2021 is past the 3 lakhs mark. We pointed out even last year when the government was busy proclaiming its adept handling of the spread of disease, that government health (…)

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  Covid 19 crises & Govt’s Anti-people Policies - Press Statement by Joint Platform of India’s Trade Unions | April 28, 2021

  1 May 2021

  [The following statement was issued to the press by the joint platform of Central Trade Unions and sectoral Federations and Associations today 28th April 2021] Trade Unions write to the Prime Minister Deplore callous attitude of government in handling covid 19 crises Calls for observing May Day Against the anti worker, anti-farmer, anti-people policies of the Government
  The online meeting of Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations held on 28th April (…)

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  Ensure Oxygen, Free Vaccines - letter to the Prime Minister of India by CPI(M) General Secretary | April 24, 2021

  1 May 2021

  Communist Party of India (Marxist)
  Press Release
  Date: Saturday, April 24, 2021
  We are releasing herewith the letter addressed to the Prime Minister by CPI(M) General Secretary on the urgent need to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen to all hospitals and patients across the country and provision of vaccines free and universally. The letter was sent by email to the PMs office this evening.
  *****
  April 24, 2021
  Dear Pradhan Mantriji,
  I am writing to you in great pain, (…)

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  Centre Must Ensure Enough Oxygen and Free Supply of Vaccine: CPI

  1 May 2021

  Communist Party of India - Central office Ajoy Bhawan, 15 Com. Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi 110002
  April 26, 2021
  Press Release
  The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India issued the following statement today (on April 26, 2021) urging the central government to ensure enough oxygen and free supply of vaccine:
  The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic has reached an alarming situation and is turning worse everyday. Hospitals are being forced to turn away the patients as (…)

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  Stop PR for Govt., Speak the Truth on COVID19: Letter from disillusioned employees of Times Now TV Channel | April 25, 2021

  1 May 2021

  [April 25, 2021]
  To,
  Rahul Shivshankar, Navika Kumar, Padmaja Joshi
  From,
  The beleaguered and disillusioned employees of Times Now
  Respected Sir/Madam
  We, the former and current employees of Times Now, never imagined that we would come to a situation where we would have to write an open letter to remind the editors of the channel about the basic ethics and values of journalism. We are tired, dismayed, upset, angry and disillusioned looking at all that is unfolding around us and (…)

• Thoughts on Bandung Day 2021: The Covid Moment and the Civilisational Crisis | Manoranjan Mohanty

  1 May 2021, by Manoranjan Mohanty

  [ April 24, 2021]
  The greatest lesson from the Covid challenge of the past year and more is that the lifestyle that has been promoted worldwide during the colonial epoch and continued in the post-colonial years and accentuated during the neo-liberal era since the 1990s has made the entire humankind vulnerable to much suffering, poorer sections more so, not only in normal times, but also in times of health crises. The Bandung community had not only challenged political (…)

• Sincere Self-Introspection and Reforms will Strengthen Left Forces | Bharat Dogra

  1 May 2021, by Bharat Dogra

  Left forces have generally been a source of hope and justice, but at certain junctures of history and in certain places these have also been a source of despair and injustice. Human beings are at a critical stage of their history, and we need the cooperation and help of all forces who can contribute to creating a better and safer world. To help them in contributing to this with more certainty and capability and also to increase their own strength and resilience, left forces in various (…)

• Covid: Glimpses of Indian political scene amid mayhem | Pramod Ranjan

  1 May 2021

  by Pramod Ranjan *
  Even as I write these lines in the last week of April 2021, many cities and towns across various states in India have been locked down again. This is the second wave of lockdowns though the first lockdown had never actually ended. A range of restrictions have been put in place in almost all parts of the country. Inter-state travel has come to a virtual standstill. Only a few Covid-special trains are operating. Crores of the poor have lost their livelihoods even as the (…)

• A Circle of Fire: A study on rural Anganwadi workers during the Covid-19 pandemic | Sengupta & Pal

  1 May 2021

  by Atanu Sengupta and Asish Kumar Pal *
  “Kintu ebaro akasmat Anander nrityo theme gelo. Aguner aro nikote se thomke daralo. Agun taar matha chariye aro uchute utheche, Anandokeo mone hochhe aguner shikha.
  Herombo nischal hoye takiyeroilo. Kichukorar nei. Anando onek age mara geche. Shuduchitayothbarshokti tukui tarbojai chilo.” —Last stanza of Diba-Ratrir Kabya by Manik Bandhopadhyay (1935)
  ("But Ananda’s dance stopped. She stepped closer to the fire. Fire has risen over her head. She (…)

• Covid Crisis | Sagari Chhabra

  1 May 2021, by Sagari Chhabra

  In February end I went to a meeting at India’s premier Centre wearing two masks. I noticed that unfortunately very few present were wearing masks and there was no social distancing as well. I asked the organizer - a well known academic - to make an announcement, requesting the people to wear masks which he did. Unfortunately, some complied and some did not. Certainly not the man standing next to me whose photograph I clicked and who turned out to be a journalist and a leading author. (…)