PRAGOTI

 Much of the commentary following the unprecedented grid failures in North, East and North-East India recently have been about the reasons such as the overdraw of power by a few states such as Uttar Pradesh and the general problems with power transmission and generation. This however avoids the assessment of the long term consequences of various policies followed by Indian governments over the years in line with neoliberal reforms that have severely affected power transmission and the grid. This blogpost carries links to three features - 2 articles by power expert Prabir Purkayastha and his video interview which explains those reasons more substantively. 

Events in the Delhi unit of the CPI(M) have taken an unfortunate and a regressive turn with the expulsion of Albeena Shakil, women activist and former student leader from JNU, from the party for alleged "anti-party activities". A short blogpost carrying information on the events. 

At the culmination of the five-day dharna on food security organised by the Left parties in New Delhi from July 30 to August 3, 2012, the leaders of the Left parties – Prakash Karat (General Secretary, CPI[M]), S. Sudhakar Reddy (General Secretary, CPI), Debabrata Biswas (General Secretary, AIFB) and Abani Roy (Secretary, RSP) – met the Prime Minister on August 4 and submitted a memorandum to him on the need for an amended food security legislation to be brought in the Parliament.