Monthly Archives: November 2016
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21NovOccupy Durgapur
Durgapur was once known as the Ruhr of Bengal – the heart of its industrial landscape, a centerpiece of the Durgapur-Burnpur-Chittranjan belt of capitalist industry. Proximity to the coal files of Raniganj drove its industrial development, with the construction of the Steel Authority of India’s plant there in 1959 as its centerpiece. Industry anchored West Bengal’s third largest city. If Durgapur was the Ruhr of Bengal from the standpoint of the capitalist class, it remains the Petrogra[...] -
14NovWe Are Najeeb: Identity Politics and the Left
Najeeb Ahmed, a student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), was brutally attacked by a group of student activists from the Akhil-Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the forces of Hindu Rashtra. This attack took place at Najeeb’s hostel – Mahi-Mandavi. Najeeb, then, vanished. He has not been see since. Protests by students and others – including Najeeb’s family – have been violently set upon by the Delhi police. The police force seems keener to shut down pr[...] -
Letter from the Editors, November 2016
3 November 2016 Dear LeftWord Community, As you read this letter, you should know that across India kisans are on the march. Organised by the All-India Kisan Sabha, they are part of an immense Jatha that will descend on Delhi on 24 November for a large rally. At our LeftWord Blog, there is a short note on the Kisan Sangharsh Jatha. We hope you will go and read it. The blog post on the rally is only our most recent offering. At our LeftWord Books Blog, you will find posts on the work of our a[...] -
Farmers on the March
From all parts of the country, Indian kisans will descend upon Delhi on November 24. They are marching as part of a Kisan Sangharsh Jatha, organised by the All-India Kisan Sabha. The farmers began their Jatha – their march – at the corners of the country, holding meetings as they go along to spread the word about the harsh attack on rural India. This attack has been on-going for the past twenty-five years – with cuts at rural credit, push to consolidation of farms and the emergence of a [...]