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Three reactions from the Left on the decision to allow FDI in multibrand retail

Wed, 2012-09-19 14:12 | Utsa Patnaik, Prabhat Patnaik, and CP Chandrashekar

 Pragoti is carrying three short pieces, which were reactions to the decision by the Union governemnt to allow FDI in multibrand retail. These pieces were originally published in Ganasakthi and also available at www.cpimwb.org.in, the website of the CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee

Prasenjit Bose appeals to the CPI(M) to retract support to Pranab Mukherjee

Tue, 2012-07-17 18:05 — srinir

Former convenor of the CPI(M) research cell, Prasenjit Bose had resigned from his party on the issue of support to the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee for the post of president. He has issued an appeal to the CPI(M) politbureau reacting to the Trinamul Congress' extension of support to Mukherjee's candidature that was announced recently. The statement is carried below. 

All the President's Men

Tue, 2012-06-26 14:09 — srinir

Vis-a-vis the Presidential elections, is it the case that the CPI(M) is using the divisions within the bourgeoisie for short term benefits to its politics or is it the other way around - Is the representative of the bourgeois-landlord class using the bellwether of the Left for its own purposes and interests?

Food Security Bill: Another UPA-style disaster?

Mon, 2012-06-04 12:30 | Rakesh Iyer

Rakesh Iyer provides a critical take on the UPA government's food policy. He takes issue with the government's decision to restrict food security to BPL families alone in the National Food Security Bill (NFSB). 

For an Effective Lokpal: Government must Respond

Tue, 2011-08-23 18:52 | Prakash Karat
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The hunger strike launched by Anna Hazare in Delhi has led to an outpouring of support from all over the country. The agitation for a Jan Lokpal Bill has found support predominantly from the urban middle classes and a substantial section of youth belonging to this strata. There is no doubt that since the first hunger strike launched by Anna Hazare in April, the anti-corruption movement has gained momentum.

Fumbling, bumbling UPA

Fri, 2011-08-19 03:27 — deepak
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When the Anna Hazare story started – back in April, when Anna and his four emerged out of the woodworks with the tall promise of ridding India of corruption – many of us were skeptical of his “movement”. Despite our reservations, legitimate and relevant as they are, the fact is that his campaign managed to tap into a perceptible mass anger against the corrupt practices and malfeasance of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. [Image courtesy, The Hindu]

Cash-For-Vote Scam back in the reckoning

Mon, 2011-07-25 15:47 — srinir
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The Supreme Court's intervention asking re-investigation of the Cash for Vote scam is  a welcome move.

Special Interest driven UPA resembles a sinking ship

Thu, 2011-07-14 19:42 — srinir
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A rudder-less United Progressive Alliance has convinced no one that it is acquiring some kind of anchor by shuffling its crew on a burning deck. Unless it sheds off the special interests - unlikely-  that seem to drive its policy plaforms and implementation, it is doomed to be regarded as a poorly governing grouping by a completely disenchanted population.

Fighting Corruption or Politics of Narcissism?

Tue, 2011-06-14 20:23 | Prabir Purkayastha
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One of the effects of electronic media is the overwhelming need people have for visual gratification. Be it the political class or the civil society, the need to be in the public eye or more accurately in the camera lens seems to dominate over sensible politics.
The game of one up-man ship, serial hunger fasts rapidly turning to hungerfests, the demand for prime time television – all negotiations must be televise -- seems to be overshadowing corruption itself. Corruption certainly needs to be fought and fought now. The question here is whether continuous 24x7 TV coverage is helping a movement against corruption or becoming a substitute?

A Duplicitous Godman and a double dealing Government

Tue, 2011-06-07 21:42 — srinir
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As a double dealing government tries to outdo a duplicitous “godman”, the real issues underlying corruption has been given the go-by. Cartoon courtesy The Hindu newspaper.