The Association for Democratic Rights Punjab launched a protest in Sangrur on August 8th, comprising around 50 persons, condemning the state sponsored blacklaws.A march was led upto the office of the Deputy Commissioner.
Swaranjeet Singh spoke about how the rulers were intruding in all independent areas to seize power and trod on the people’s rights.The manner the organs of democracy were utilised for the monopoly of the BJP was touched upon..He elaborated how many activists were dubbed as naxalites and imprisoned, breaking all the norms of the Constitution. The ascendancy of unconstitutional suppression of dissent was projected.Examples were given how thee ED, Income tax office,C.B.I.Type institutions, were used by the rulers to consolidate their monopoly and how opposition parties were unconstitutionally toppled, with no judicial process.
by Harsh Thakore
09/08/2022
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Why Protests Don't Matter In New India | Sonam Wangchuk Ends His Fast | Akash Banerjee & Adwaith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp7m9kgnafg The Deshbhak Mar 27, 2024 Sonam Wangchuk is a great teacher & activist - but his political knowledge seems to be limited. Wangchuk thought that a legitimate demand - backed by a just and popular protest would build public support and put the Govt under pressure .... clearly he did not know that is this not the case. This is new India - where the public cares less about protests & the Govt even lesser.
Lt Gen Anil Puri, additional secretary in the department of military affairs, said at a tri-services media briefing that all those aiming to join the three services under the scheme will have to pledge that they were not part of protests or incidents of arson.
His comments came amid violent protests against the new model of recruitment that largely provides for a four-year contractual tenure in the three services.
19/06/2022
A massive agitation has been planned from July 21st to 25th by the farmers organization in Punjab to thwart the bid of the corporates to grab the land and pollute the waters of the rivers. Despite being the dominant state of agriculture, Punjab is a facing severe shortage of water for agriculture. Issue illustrates the patronising of corporate plunder by the rulers in the state and Centre. In a meeting staged in Abohar block in Nehru park thousands of farmers gathered .A dharna will be launched for a prolonged period outside Axion office . The participating organisations are the Bharatiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan) and the Kisan Sangharsh Commitee.
Union leader Gurbhej Singh Roheaana narrated how endorsed by the World Bank the corporates planted factories by grabbing the farmers land near river banks, with the waste discarded into the rivers. They summed up the nexus between the infecting of river waters with the wastage and the anti-people economic policies of the rulers which patronized corporate plunder. Under the false pretext of claiming to distribute water to the people it sapped up the river water for its own usage. The problem was linked to the corporate loot on the whole, backed by the ruling parties as well as robbing the farmers of the right to water, on pretext of centralisation.
The organizations chalked out a plan to confront the corporate monopoly in its very belly, hitting them at their strongest point. They summarized how the corporates purchased water at the cheapest rates and sold diesel at virtually unaffordable rates. Activists are determined to send shivers down the spines of the corporates.A mobilization of over 25000 persons is expected.
Kirti Kisan Union protest in Chandigarh
Earlier on June 30th the Kirti Kisan Union staged a protest of around 10000 persons in Chandigarh-Mohali demanding solution to the aggravating water crisis in Punjab. It shook the rulers in their very backyard.,projecting issues in all spheres.Mohali Police tried to obstruct protesting farmers at YPS Chowk with Barricading but the barricades could not withstand the wrath of the farmers. After that police offered to negotiate. Despite the busyness of paddy sowing and rains, a large number of farmers from different districts of the state converged join the protest. Earlier, the farmers rallied in front of Gurdwara Amb Sahib after which they marched towards Chandigarh to hand over their memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister.
Addressing a gathering of farmers, the state president of the organization Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, general secretary Satbir Singh Sultani and vice president Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said that Punjab despite being the dominant state of agriculture was facing severe shortage of water for agriculture. The crisis is accentuating day by day due to incompetent policies and mis-management of three sources of water, ground water, river-canal water and rain water. The right to water of the state has been robbed by the Union Government through the Dam Security Act under the agenda of centralization. They appealed to the farmers to mobilize a massive public struggle against the Union government on this issue in future and demanded the repeal of this act. They also demanded that the Punjab government should stand for the defence of federal structure of the constitution and pass a resolution in the Assembly to repeal the Act.
Addressing the gathering, Finance Secretary Harmesh Singh Dhesi and Press Secretary Jatinder Singh Chhina said that there was a need to develop the canal system encompassing the entire state to manage the unused flow of water in the rivers and also to give priority to the policy of irrigation through canal water. Stressing on the need to make arrangements for making canal water accessible all the year round, they demanded to start a pilot project by formulating a concrete policy for recharge of ground water. In addition to formulating a policy for urban and rural areas to send rainwater to the underground water table, the demand for recharge points on canals was also raised by the farmer’s leaders.
by Harsh Thakor
15/07/2022
https://countercurrents.org/2022/06/agnipath-path-of-militarisation-of-society/
Agnipath scheme, in spite of its popular Bollywood title and its hyped launch, has set the Indian youth on fire against the government within a day of its launch. In the present environment of economic uncertainty, the young Indians are instigated with the scheme announced by our prime minister, as it shrinks their job opportunity in the defense forces further. The ‘hire and fire’ logic of cost cutting will not only hurt the careers in the army, but it will also reduce the professional competency of the defense forces in the long run. While all this is discussed by defense experts, one must explore another side of this scheme, that it makes thousands of trained ‘Agniveers’ -75% recruits who lose their jobs after four years contract is over – simply unemployed. Government is saying that they can be absorbed in the state police force or other professional security requirements, but that can turn out to be a half truth. Most of them are more likely to be absorbed as private security guards by agencies out to exploit them. One dangerous prospect is – they will become easy recruits for political ideologies that believe in violence, to be used in the capacity of foot soldiers.
by Harshavardhan Purandare and Sandeep Pandey
19/06/2022
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