Category: Maharashtra

  • May Day 2012 – Pune

    New Socialist Alternative – Pune branch (CWI-India) has been working with Lokkalyan Mazdoor Union (affiliated to Hind Mazdoor Sabha – HMS) for quite some time now. It was felt that while we engage with workers taking up their workplace demands, it is equally important to raise the consciousness among them on various political, social-economic and…

  • Pune: Student Protest against Scholarship Cuts

    Last year Social Justice department of central government issued a circular making changes to the scheme of post-matriculation scholarship for students belonging to OBCs (Other Backward Classes). It has changed the scheme from ‘committed liability’ to ‘funds limited’ implying all OBC students would not get scholarship. Also as many as 1175 courses like BCA (Bachelor…

  • Pune Municipal Corporation Election-2012

    Recently concluded municipal elections in Pune saw no party gaining clear mandate though NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) topped the seat tally and has formed post-election alliance with Congress to gain majority. Citizens were quite fed up with NCP-Congress alliance that ruled last 5 years when overall living conditions and quality of civic amenities moved from…

  • Film Review: Jai Bhim, Comrade

    “Every day two Dalits are raped and three killed, in the world’s largest democracy” Flim maker and radical activist Anand Patwardhan’s latest documentary – Jai Bhim, Comrade is a heart rending experience of caste atrocities against Daliths in Ramabai Colony, Mumbai (Maharashtra). It provides a glimpse into their conditions and the manner in which even…

  • Brave fight by a tiny workforce in Pune

    With the onslaught of neo-liberal policies labour laws are being weakened or dismantled all together. While capitalist class is crying hoarse for making labour laws further ‘flexible’, these policies are brutally attacking the rights of working class. Among the worst impacted are those working in smaller industrial units that are generally unorganized and hence more…

  • STOP JAITAPUR NUCLEAR PROJECT!

    The scandalous land acquisition process robbing people of their livelihoods, destroying the environment and benefiting corporations for setting up Special Economic Zones – SEZ’s (or Special Exploitation Zones?), is today being met by resistance everywhere throughout India. In the case of Jaitapur too, a mass movement of the people has emerged against a project that…

  • Maharashtra: Commercialization of Higher Education

    On 10th Aug., in less than half a minute, Maharashtra State Assembly passed ‘Maharashtra Self-Financed Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act’ and this has now formally opened the doors for Education barons and businessmen. Now in the free market, where educations is traded as commodity, they can run their ‘Education Malls’ and reap huge profits out…

  • Mumbai: City of Dreams or Hopelessness?

    The city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is a city of huge contrasts. A population of over 21 million, with some of the richest men in India like Mukesh Ambani living in 27 storey apartment for just a family of  five and more than 11 million people living in slums such as Dharavi (Asia’s largest slum)…

  • Editorial: India and Pakistan conflict

    Politicians use terrorism for their own ends Once again, terrorist carnage – this time in Mumbai in India – has shocked working people around the world. In a thoroughly planned and financed operation, a group of right-wing Islamic terrorists turned buildings and streets in Mumbai into a killing field, slaughtering and injuring innocent people, with…

  • MUMBAI MAYHEM

    Defeat the terror of communalism and capitalism The horrific terror attack in Mumbai on 27 November must be condemned on all counts. It took place at the usually crowded CST railway station and six other prime locations killing at least 140 people (the figures are likely to reach 200 or more) and injuring hundreds. The…