Lok Raj Sangathan - empowering the people

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ATTACKS ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS AN ATTACK ON ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD

The escalation of military action by Israel in the occupied occupied territoriesunder the pretext of securing the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier hasexceeded all bounds. No decent human being can avoid being shocked atthe bestiality of these actions, including indiscriminate bombing, destructionof homes and buildings, bridges and roads, and of civilian infrastructure. Hamas Government, Palestinian, Israel ..more

2.	“Free and fair elections” sans voters?
	For elections to be considered "fair", it must be a process that encourages and enables all voters to express their will, not a process that reduces them to vote banks. ..more

3.	On Globalization
	Globalisation has increased the divide between the rich and the poor countries, and widened the gap between the rich and the poor in the Third World Countries. ..more

4.	On LRS Participation in the National Convention on Judicial Reforms and Accountability
	What was the notion of rights and duties inherent in Indian society, and the concomitant notion of justice? ..more

5.	The execution of Saddam Hussein and the dangers facing the world
	The execution of the President of Iraq, Mr. Saddam Hussein on December 30, 2006 represents a watershed in the developments on the world scale. ..more

6.	THE PEOPLE VS. 'DEVELOPMENT' IN SINGUR
	The Singur developments raise the question of political power and how it is wielded in the country. ..more

7.	A case for scrapping the SEZ ACT
	The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being promoted by the UPA Government, which claims that this will build infra-structure and also `enhance employment generation'. ..more

8.	Mumbai, Malegaon, Disinformation and the Crisis of Legitimacy
	Irrespective of who is behind the Mumbai blasts, it can be easily concluded that the effect of these blasts is to bolster the Indian state and its various agencies and to enable them to regain the position of guarantor of security ..more

9.	The crisis of ruling circles and the war on terror
	The media has been full of reports on the alleged plot to blow up jet liners due to a handful of men, mainly of Pakistani descent. This plot was supposedly exposed by British intelligence which received tips from Pakistan. ..more

10.	Attacks on the Palestinian people is an attack on all the peoples of the world
	The escalation of military action by Israel in the occupied territories under the pretext of securing the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier has exceeded all bounds. ..more

11.	COPING WITH OIL PRICES
	The increase in the price of petroleum products has caused a crisis for the public sector oil undertakings. But, there are ways to overcome this crisis ..more

12.

Lessons of history cannot be forgotten

The progressive forces in India must closely watch the events in Nepal and learn from their experience, indeed as the people of Nepal learn from the experience of the Indian people who allowed the fruits of their mass Nationalist struggle to pass into the hands of the rich, the privileged and the few, whose practice of statecraft denied the mass of the Indian people their rights to a dignified and human existence. ..more

13.	Long Live the Unity of the Residents of Transit Camp
	Led by Lok Raj sangathan and Transit Camp Bachao Sangharsh Morcha, the residents of Transit Camp, Kalkaji have been fighting valiantly against attempts to demolish their houses and evict them from the area. ..more

14.	Communalism --- Combating it, by Ananthanarayan
	The principle of command responsibility, which is that those who were in power at that time were to be held accountable for the events, demands that an enquiry into those in power at the highest echelons of power be held and guiltybe punished for their crimes. ..more

15.	Government's callousness to farmers and rural distress, by Devinder Sharma
	If there was real concern for the well-being of people, the President should have called for a special session of Parliament many months ago to initiate an informed discussion and formulation of a plan. ..more

16.	Iran has a right to pursue its peaceful nuclear programme
	All thinking Indian's must support the just right of Iran to pursue its peaceful nuclear programme ..more

17.	Electoral Reforms - Towards People's Power, By Prakash Rao
	The general experience of the vast majority of the Indian people is that elections are dominated by a handful of so-called 'recognised political parties' and the candidates nominated by them. ..more

18.	“Free and fair elections” sans voters?
	For elections to be considered "fair", it must be a process that encourages and enables all voters to express their will, not a process that reduces them to vote banks. ..more

19.

Bihar elections- "Free and fair elections" sans voters?, By S. Raghavan

2005 Bihar elections, political process, electoral reforms, election analysis, right to recall, Election Commission, right to recall, dalits, political representation, voter turnout.For elections to be considered "fair", it must be a process that encourages and enables all voters to express their will–not a process that reduces them to vote banks. For elections to be "free", voters must be able to walk out of their homes without having to face armed police and paramilitary on every street. The November 2005 Bihar elections do not qualify on either count. ..more

20.	Machiavellian tactics, by A. Narayan
	Whether or not the perpetrators of the atrocity are hand maidens of the Government, or whether they are external agents interested in 'destablizing' the country, or whether they are this or that set of disgruntled elements, etc., is something that will never be known. ..more

21.	State should fund the electoral process and not the political parties, By S. Raghavan
	The present electoral laws favour the party-dominated electoral process. These laws should be amended … State funding of the electoral process rather than the political parties is an essential step in this direction. ..more

22.	An Alternative Women's Reservation Bill, By Madhu Kishwar
	In the event of any recognised party failing to nominate one-third women candidates, for the shortfall of every single women candidate, two male candidates of the party shall lose all the recognition related advantages. ..more

23.	Law making for the Unorganised workers, By T.S.Sankaran
	The National Campaign Committee wants the unorganised sector workers to be partners and participants in the whole process of formulating the law, the schemes and their implementation. ..more

24.	In support of Forest Rights of tribals and forest dwellers
	These communities are among the poorest and most marginalized sectors of Indian society. They face discrimination, starvation, bondage and violence as daily realities. Fifty years after Independence, their social condition has barely improved. ..more

25.	Geelani acquittal: Ordeal by fire by Madhavi Thampi
	For a person proclaimed innocent by two courts, Geelani underwent a prolonged ordeal to which no human being should be subjected. No state agency is answerable for what he and his family were put through. ..more

26.	Profound Revolution in the Conception of Production, by Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz
	It is common knowledge that Bush's cronies set up a big committee to plan all the details of what they call "transition" in Cuba. This committee drafted a gruesome plan which included vaccination programs and literacy campaigns … ..more

27.	Criticizing Patriot Act Lands lawyer M Chee in Jail
	Chee had been a nationally recognized lawyer for her work with immigrants, some of it pro bono, and much of it for Muslims, but things soured for her soon after she appeared on a panel discussing the PATRIOT Act in March 2003. ..more

28.	War in Iraq Violates International Law
	Whether Americans realize it or not, the integrity of the United States has been dealt a serious blow. This country can no longer be regarded as a nation that stands upon the legal and moral high ground. ..more

29.	I'm sorry, but the world's still round !
	Mr Friedman expounds his Theory of Conflict Prevention: "No two countries that are both part of a major global supply chain, like Dell's, will ever fight a war against each other so long as they are both part of the same global supply chain”. ..more

30.	Agrarian Sector Taking Center Stage in Indian Economy
	Closer scrutiny of farm income and farm productivity around the country shows that ownership of the land by the tillers is far from a closed chapter in India. ..more

31.	High-Tech Delhi Suburb Stuck in 'Village Time Warp', By Rama Lakshmi
	Despite the array of glitzy air-conditioned super-malls, two-car homes and sleek glass high-rise offices, Gurgaon residents groan about corruption, bad governance, poor roads and inadequate power and water: the same ills that plague rural India. ..more

32.	People too want a part in selecting candidates
	It is important that people should have some say on the candidates the parties will finally select. This model will encourage good, clean candidates to file for candidature but also promote candidates among their constituency,'' ..more

33.	Project Mumbai Makeover Casualties of Development, by Shivali Tukdeo
	Announcing the "development and beautification plan" for Mumbai, Chief Minister Deshmukh launched a massive demolition drive that rendered 250,000 people homeless by December 2004. ..more

34.	Employment Guarantee Act: Twelve Essential Safeguards
	There have been wide-ranging discussions in recent months about the key features of an acceptable Employment Guarantee Act for rural areas. A list of 12 essential demands that have emerged from these discussions are presented. ..more

35.	44 Nobel Prizewinners sign appeal to against nuclear weapons
	We call on governments to implement steps to lower the operational status of nuclear weapon systems in order to reduce the risk of nuclear catastrophe, affirmed by the International Court of Justice, to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons under strict and effective international control ..more

36.	Pro-rich policies of a ‘pro-poor’ government
	The entire economic system functions to enable the rich to get richer at the expense of the large majority of poor. Bulk of tax collections of central government come from indirect taxes like sales tax and service tax, and are paid by all people. ..more

37.	Elections to the British Parliament – How free and how fair?
	It is widely accepted and recognised within Britain that Tony Blair and his party do not represent the popular will. As a result of a political process that is fast losing credibility among the voting public… ..more

38.	Communal Disturbance Bill: Will it prevent another Gujarat?
	Some of the provisions of this bill are as draconian as other black laws such as the UAPA and its predecessors, POTA and TADA, and the hated AFSPA… ..more

39.	The dough is in the land, not the bread, Siddharth Varadarajan
	Five years after privatisation, Modern Food assets are being stripped. Writing for the Hindu, Siddharta Varadarajan highlights the broken promises by the Central Government and the HLL management.. ..more

40.	Accusing the Accusers
	Mr. Galloway's spirited defence in front of the US Senate Committee in which Mr. Galloway turned the tables of his accusers, is a inspiration to progressive people the world over who have been opposing the illegal US occupation of Iraq. ..more

41.	Prevention & Punishment of Genocide/Crimes against Humanity
	Citizens Consultation For A Law Against Mass Crimes, New Delhi, August 21-23, 2004 to propose The Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity Act 2004. ..more

42.	NAPM Salutes Kishen Pattanayak
	The organizations and movements connected with the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) condole the sad demise of our ideologue-activist comrade Kishen Pattanayak, on September 27. ..more

43.	Petition for the Repeal of the AFSPA from MIT, USA
	A country that calls itself a democracy cannot sanction a part of its people living under legalized martial law for five decades. Join the people of Manipur in opposing this Act. We demand that it be withdrawn from the entire country and be repealed. ..more

44.	Petition for the Repeal of the AFSPA from MIT, USA
	A country that calls itself a democracy cannot sanction a part of its people living under legalized martial law for five decades. Join the people of Manipur in opposing this Act. We demand that it be withdrawn from the entire country and be repealed. ..more

45.	An APPEAL to the PRISONERS Who are on an Indefinite Hunger Strike in Chennai and Vellore Jails?
	The authorities in Tamil Nadu have not taken any notice of the 11 political prisoners who are on indefinite hunger strike since August 26, 2004. We are informed that the condition of the prisoners, including three women, has deteriorated … ..more

46.	Education: Trade, Profession, Occupation or Busniness?, By Justice H. Suresh (Retd.)
	Justice H. Suresh (Retd.) argues his case to establish education is an obligation of the State – and the State and its agencies cannot be allowed to trade on education. ..more

47.	One more encounter for Modi's sake?
	A report of the all India fact finding team on the 'encounter' of four alleged terrorists by Gujarat police on June 15, 2004 at Ahmedabad ..more

48.	Rejoinder to The antics of rights activists, By Mukundan C Menon
	Justice Hosbet Suresh (President, Lok Raj Sangathan, Mumbai) said : “The question is not about the terrorist links of Ishrat, Javed and others are alleged to have had, but is how, why and under what authority the police killed them” ..more

49.	Encounter Truth : Police as investigator, prosecutor & judge, By Mukundan C Menon
	Weeks after orchestrated loud claims, charges and accusations against the four alleged Lashkar terrorists killed in the June 15 encounter at Ahmedabad outskirts, the Detection of Crime Bureau (DCB) of Gujarat is faced with two embarrassing questions… ..more

50.	To Officer from Israeli soldier, refusing to serve in army
	Chaim Feldman is a combat reservist. He was jailed for 21 days last year for refusing to serve the occupation. On Monday it is very like that he will be jailed again. This letter to his unit liaison officer explains why: ..more

51.	Letter from Cuban President Castro to US President Bush
	It is cynical to include Cuba in a list of countries involved in the illegal trafficking of persons. Even more outrageous and abhorrent in this arrogant report that the US feels obliged to issue every year is the claim that Cuba promotes sex tourism. ..more

52.	No justification for murderous action by Ahmedabad police!, by Justice Hosbet Suresh (Retd.)
	Lok Raj Sangathan President, Justice Hosbet Suresh (Retd.) elaborates on important legal issues regarding killing of Ishrat, Javed and others by Ahmedabad police in fake encounter on Jun 15, 2004. ..more

53.	The World After Iraq – Questions confronting the people
	Over 15 million persons across 2000 cities have marched denouncing the war, the participation of their respective governments in war effort and calling for the defence of the sovereignty of the Iraqi people and an end to the unjust and illegal war. ..more

54.	PEACE IS NOT AN OPTION .. It is a necessity
	In his opening remarks to the recently concluded UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary General Kofi Annan identified four geographic areas-Kashmir, Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq-as flashpoints for the outbreak of war. ..more

55.	Gujarat today - A letter from an activist
	More than four months after the dreadful killings and arson broke out in Gujarat, the people in the State continue to live in uncertainty and an atmosphere of violence and fear. Why does peace not return to the state? ..more

56.	Indo-Pak war is against the peoples of India and Pakistan
	The AIPSG is firmly of the opinion that the current military confrontation between India and Pakistan is against the short term and long term interests of the peoples of both countries and calls upon everyone to stay the hands of the two governments ..more