2020

by Dr. Manas Behera
Introduction
At present we need to learn from the ideas and struggles of Ambedkar than any periods of our history if we want to strengthen, deepen democracy in India and to democratize the already weakened democratic system. Ambedkar has become more relevant than he was during his times and there lies his greatness and the greatness of his ideas. Ambedkar is already an icon in contemporary times of our society. He became an all-India leader and today he has no caste (…)

David Arnold, the eminent historian of Subaltern Studies, wrote a seminal book titled Toxic Histories: Poison and Pollution in Modern India (Cambridge University Press, South Asian Edition, 2017). He quoted Rachel Carson’s classic statement in the book- We live in ‘a new age of toxicity’. In this context, Arnold noted the emergence of a ‘toxic discourse’ and the ‘fear of a poisoned world’. In his book, Arnold, along with other issues, dealt with ‘poison panics’ and their association with (…)

by Murzban Jal
While there was already a "New Normal" that arose with totalitarian states formed globally in the last decade for whom the "love for lies", as opposed to philosophy’s "love of truth", became the dominant social, political, ideological and cultural order; Covid 19—the terroristic Invisible Enemy said to be quite akin to Communism and Islam—shifted not only how one imagines global societies, but shifted the complete order of international capitalism. On one hand, following (…)

by Arun Srivastava
A bleak future stares at India’s economic revival. The country which has been deep in the slowdown before the outbreak of the coronavirus, will find it tough to come out of the economic crisis once the corona curve flattens and situation turns normal. Already the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has come out with a report that COVID-19 crisis has the potential to push around 40 crore informal sector workers in India deeper into poverty, with the lockdown and (…)

by Sankar Ray
Two recent decisions on the allocation of funds, earmarked under the ‘corporate social responsibility [CSR] by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), on 10 April 2020 are tantamount to an illegal drive through a mere notification which has been drawn outside the ambit of law and also on such a point. The MCA is strangely (if not deliberately forgotten that it trespassed into a State subject as per the Constitution of India. “Public health and sanitation; hospitals and (…)

LETTER TO THE READERS - COVID 19 Lockdown Edition No.3 Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) demands the immediate release of all political prisoners! Declare special budget for COVID-19 - AIFB Writes To Prime Minister Need Of The Hour In Covid Times: Leadership from the front | S G Vombatkere Lockdown and the Unmaking of Workers | Arup Kumar Sen Lockdown in the Age of the Invisible Enemy | Murzban Jal Coronavirus, the Latest Excuse for PSYOPS in India | Suhas Borker Covid-19 and The (…)

The pandemic Corona Virus has already caused real havoc in many parts of the world including the major developed countries like the US. European states like Italy, Spain and France have also suffered having become victims of the scale of spread of the virus, leading to the number of casualties among their citizens.
Lately, India too has borne the brunt of the Covid-19 attacks with the number of casualties on the rise in a brief span of time. This in itself is a matter of (…)

Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) demands the immediate release of all political prisoners!
April 8th 2020
On March 16th 2020, the Supreme Court of India rejected the anticipatory bail plea of civil rights activists, Prof. Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha, asking them to surrender by April 6th 2020. The review petition heard on April 8th 2020 cited the COVID-19 pandemic as reason to extend the period of reprieve from arrest by another seven weeks. Today, the petition has been (…)

PRESS RELEASE
7th April 2020, New Delhi
Debabrata Biswas Ex.MP and the General Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc today wrote a letter to the Prime Minister suggesting to declare a special budget to combat the spread of COVID-19. Along with this the letter explains 17 suggestions which demands immediate attention of the PMO. The full text of the letter is as follows:
To Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, South Block, New Delhi.
Dated 7th April 2020
Dear Shri (…)

PM Modi has recognized the Corona pandemic as a “ladai” and given a clarion call to the people to be prepared for a long battle, and to contribute liberally for the fight. For Central and State governments, it is an unprecedented challenge to handle cases of Covid-19 and prevent/check spread of the virus, as well as to reach help and relief to the many millions of Indians without work-food-shelter, especially in the wake of the drastic Covid-19 social-distancing lockdown.
Leadership at the (…)