PRAGOTI

For some time now, some activists in a small collective, mostly from backgrounds in social movements and mass organisations, have been discussing how the work of people's struggle and revolutionary transformation can be taken forward in the Indian context. Out of those they have reached the decision to found a new organisation, tentatively called "New Path", whose goal is to further the revolutionary process in India at its current stage. Below is the draft manifesto, which is being circulated for comments, criticism, suggestions and observations from comrades and friends.

An analysis of Jangipur by-election results and emerging political trends in West Bengal.

The General Secretary of the NCP, D P Tripathi recently defended the CPI (M) politburo decision to support Mr. Pranab Mukherjee for the Presidential elections. This blog by a former Executive Committee member of SFI-JNU unit is a rejoinder to Tripathi's essay.
 

In the last few days, Pragoti has highlighted the ongoing debates within the Left student movement in JNU, particularly noting the political-organisational perspectives from a vibrant left student community in JNU that raises important questions and issues concerning the Left-democratic movement in general. In this context, the latest resolution passed by SFI-JNU is an addition to the ongoing debate. 
  

A blog on the forthcoming Presidential election in India and the support of CPI(M) to the UPA candidate.
 

“Hegel remarks somewhere that all great events and characters of world history occur, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.”—Marx

 The following statement comes from SAHMAT, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, Delhi

A blog on the anti-corruption movement led by the members of India's 'civil society' by pragoti editorial member, Maidul Islam. 

Marxist intellectual, Prabhat Patnaik argues that those 'crusaders', who are concerned over corruption miss out the fundamental point about the root of such a menace in a neo-liberal policy regime that signifies 'a change in the property regime'. Thus, Lok Pal Bill and its vocal votaries do not fundamentally question the neo-liberal policies of privatization and liberalization, which instead of fulfilling the promise of guaranteeing 'transparency' has in fact produced rampant corruption by the rich and the powerful. Following Marx's concept of 'primitive accumulation of capital' in the context of neo-liberalism in India, Patnaik formulated the theoretical concept of 'accumulation by encroachment' in a published article, some years back. In a lucid language as always, the implications of such 'accumulation by encroachment' is audible all through this brilliant analysis of Patnaik on corruption in contemporary India.

 A political review of award winning Bengali film, Koni (1986) and how the Indian Left can learn important lessons from such a film is analysed by pragoti editorial member, Maidul Islam.