Latest news with #BunchofThoughts
New Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Maharashtra Congress releases special issue of its monthly magazine defending Emergency
Interestingly, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has also contributed to this special issue of the magazine with his article, 'Emergency in 1975 and Emergency in 2014 to 2025.' The Shidori issue includes several articles by top Congress leaders about what they called the 'prevailing undeclared Emergency' since 2014. The magazine's working editor, Duttatray Khandge, wrote the editorial defending the Emergency, saying that during this period, 20 great programmes were implemented, such as the nationalisation of banks. Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal claimed that it was due to the then-prevailing circumstances in the country that Indira Gandhi had to decide to impose the Emergency. 'However, later, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi admitted that certain administrative errors occurred during that time. But the BJP continues to raise a hue and cry about it. RSS Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras supported the Emergency and even publicly distanced the RSS from Jayaprakash Narayan's movement. BJP should clarify whether they accept the stand taken by RSS leader Balasaheb,' he asked. He further explained, 'The decision to impose Emergency in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was constitutional. Certain forces were attempting to create chaos in the country. Later, the Emergency was lifted, elections were held, and democratic processes were restored. During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi didn't sell the country's assets or hand over public sector enterprises to industrialists." "But for the past 11 years, there has been an undeclared Emergency in the country. Airports, ports, mines, banks, and government lands are being sold off to favoured industrialists. Even Dharavi's land has been sold,' the Congress leader alleged. He alleged that the BJP is trying to replace the national emblem with Sengol, pointing out government-issued advertisements. 'In the government ads, the national emblem is missing, replaced by the Sengol. There's no need to elaborate what Sengol symbolizes. The BJP wants to dismantle democracy and the Constitution and implement Golwalkar's 'Bunch of Thoughts',' alleged Sapkal.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Cong: Decision to impose Emergency in 1975 constitutional, undeclared Emergency now
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal on Wednesday termed the decision to impose the Emergency in 1975 'constitutional' and targeted the ruling BJP, claiming that there is an 'undeclared Emergency' in the country for the past 11 years. Sapkal's remarks came on a day which marked 50 years of the Emergency Proclamation, as part of which the BJP held programmes and press conferences across the country targeting the Congress. The state Congress president questioned whether the stand of former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras, who supported the Emergency, is now unacceptable to BJP. 'The decision to impose Emergency in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was constitutional. Certain forces were attempting to create chaos in the country. Later, the Emergency was lifted, elections were held, and democratic processes were restored,' Sapkal said. 'During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi didn't sell the country's assets or hand over public sector enterprises to industrialists. But for the past 11 years, there has been an undeclared Emergency in the country. Airports, ports, mines, banks, and government lands are being sold off to favoured industrialists. Even Dharavi's land has been sold. Today, dictatorship prevails, and the BJP's insatiable hunger for power is threatening democracy,' the Congress leader alleged. Sapkal questioned how Sengol can replace the national emblem in government advertisements. 'The BJP government has splurged crores on advertisements around the Emergency. In these government ads, the national emblem is missing, replaced by the Sengol. The BJP wants to dismantle democracy and the Constitution and implement Golwalkar's 'Bunch of Thoughts',' alleged Sapkal. Maharashtra Congress's official publication Janmanasachi Shidori released a special Emergency edition — featuring articles by Indira Gandhi, Pupul Jayakar, senior journalist and former RS MP Kumar Ketkar, Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut, among others — to counter the 'BJP's false narrative' about the Emergency, Sapkal said.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will resist if Kerala Governor tries to implement RSS agenda, says SFI
Students Federation of India (SFI) national president V.P. Sanu and general secretary Mayukh Biswas have said that the organisation will hit the streets if Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is planning to uphold Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh former chief M.S. Golwalkar's book Bunch of Thoughts in the place of Indian Constitution. They told the media here on Wednesday that Governors should keep in mind the limitations of their powers. Mr. Sanu said that the Governors were not democratically elected to their office, but were nominated by incumbent Union governments. That way, they were subservient to the Centre. 'If the Kerala Governor is trying to implement the RSS agenda, we will resist the move. We are not willing to toe his line,' he said. Against NEP Mr. Sanu and Mr. Biswas said that the four-day 18 national conference of the SFI that would begin at Aspinwall Courtyard near the Kozhikode beach on June 27 would discuss issues such as the intervention of Governors in the higher education sector, the BJP's alleged attempts to divide the country on communal lines, and the Union government's alleged move to disrupt the federal set-up in the country. Replying to a question, Mr. Sanu said that the SFI was opposed to implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) across the country. Journalist Shashi Kumar and theatre activist M.K. Raina would open the delegate session of the conference.
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manoj Jha questions Centre's intentions for caste census
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha on Monday (June 9, 2025) raised serious concerns over the Centre's intentions for the caste census. Mr. Jha said the policies of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were not only anti-reservation, but also conspiring to mislead the Backward Classes (BC) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC). He alleged that the government was pretending in the name of a caste census, and there was a lack of transparency in the entire process. 'After the painful incident of Pahalgam, suddenly the Prime Minister realised that it is necessary to conduct a caste census as per the demand of most of the people, so he announced it in a hurry. But the move, character and face of the BJP, which has always been anti-Bahujan and against reservation, is now visible,' Mr. Jha said while addressing the press at the party office in Patna. 'Our national president Lalu Prasad ji has been warning that those who follow Bunch of Thoughts politics on the ideas of Guru Golwalkar can never be serious about reservation, which is now clearly visible,' he added. Mr. Jha asserted that the Centre wanted to create confusion in the name of the caste census and questioned the reason behind the government announcing that population figures for OBCs would not be released. He added that such figures were necessary as per Article 340 of the Constitution, he added. 'When the castes are counted and the figures are not revealed, then which policy will be implemented towards reservation and increasing the reservation in the private sector? NITI Aayog and other agencies can work on planning, social, economic upliftment and increasing reservation on the basis of data only when the data comes from the government level,' Mr. Jha said. Accompanied by the party's chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav and national vice-president of the party Uday Narayan Choudhary at the press briefing, Mr. Jha pointed said that besides party leader Tejashwi Yadav, leaders from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were also in favour of the figures being published. Mr. Choudhary, on the other hand, said that the caste census was a hoax and nothing had been disclosed in this regard. He explained that the caste survey was conducted in Bihar under pressure from Mr. Yadav. Still, the 65% reservation benefit was not being given because the intention of the BJP and the Nitish Kumar government was not right, he charged. Tejashwi's demands Earlier in the day, in a post on X, Mr. Yadav addressed Chief Miniser Kumar about responding to his letter dated June 5 on increasing the reservation to 85% for all deprived classes in Bihar. 'Nitish ji you did not respond to my letter, is it because you have no answer or your officials do not show you the letters? The parties that beat the drum of social justice, on whose strength the Modi government is running, why are they failing to include the 65% reservation limit increased by our government in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution?' Mr. Yadav asked. 'The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha should speak out on the issue of reservation against this injustice faced by Dalit, Adivasi, backward, and extremely backward classes. Politics is not just about clinging to power,' he added. Mr. Yadav further said, 'If all these people cannot even get this small demand fulfilled by the Prime Minister, then their politics and staying in such an alliance is shameful. If Nitish Ji is unable to speak on this issue in front of the Prime Minister and Home Minister, then he should call a special one-day session of the Assembly, and then see how we get it implemented.'
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Full-fledged fascist regime ruling country: CPI Kerala chief
Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam has said that the country has been under the rule of a full-fledged fascist regime. Speaking at the inauguration of the CPI's birth centenary celebrations and a communist family gathering held at the Thrissur Town Hall on Tuesday, Mr. Viswam accused the ruling Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of embracing foreign fascist ideologies while attempting to label communists with the same brush. 'The RSS and the BJP are rooted in foreign ideologies. Now they are trying to place that label on the head of the communist party,' he said. 'The first RSS Sarsanghchalak, Hedgewar, was a former Congressman who sent his follower Dr. Moonje to Italy to meet Mussolini. Inspired by that meeting, he imported fascist ideas to India. Later, the second Sarsanghchalak, M.S. Golwalkar, drew from Nazi ideology, and came up with a book propagating those views under the name Bunch of Thoughts. So, if any organisation's head fits the fascist hat, that's the RSS's.' Mr. Viswam added that what the country saw today was not just a drift toward fascism, but full-fledged fascism. 'The regime is marked by shameful racial supremacy and unashamed corporate servitude.' Full freedom He reminded the audience that the communist party was the first to unequivocally demand 'Poorna Swaraj' for India, even before the Congress. He referred to the 1921 Ahmedabad Congress session where Maulana Hasrat Mohani presented the Poorna Swaraj resolution, and credited the communist party for being ahead in its call for full freedom. 'The CPI is not a party that can, or should, change to fit the times. We exist only as long as we stay true to our foundational values,' Mr. Viswam said. 'Historical events like the 1964 split were unfortunate, but the split will not change the history. We are not interested in creating any controversy.' He recalled the contribution of CPI leader and former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon, who tried to create a modern Kerala. Mr. Viswam warned against allowing narrow political interests to erase that transformative period. On current political realities, Mr. Viswam stressed that Left unity was essential and warned against alliances that weakened progressive politics. 'Victory is possible only if we stand together. We must resist and defeat the unholy alliances that undermine leftist strength.' CPI district secretary K.K. Valsaraj presided. Revenue Minister K. Rajan, CPI leaders K.P. Rajendran, C.N. Jayadevan, A.K. Chandran, P. Balachandran, MLA, and V.S. Sunil Kumar addressed the gathering. Fascism thrived where human struggle faded, and it should be countered not just politically, but culturally as well, said poet Alankode Leelakrishnan. He was speaking at a seminar titled 'Progressive Art and Literary Movement: A Legacy of Resistance,' organised in Thrissur as part of the CPI birth centenary celebrations. Cultural vigilance 'Wherever people stop resisting, fascism begins to settle in. In today's India, where fascist shadows are spreading, we cannot afford to overlook this reality,' Mr. Leelakrishnan warned. 'Cultural vigilance is essential to confront and dismantle the filth of fascism.' Reflecting on Kerala's legacy of social reformations, he said that it was the power of progressive cultural interventions—plays, literature, and social narratives—that fuelled the State's renaissance. 'It was the fire lit by art and literature that powered social reformations. The responsibility to keep that fire alive rests with the communists,' he said. Karivellur Murali, secretary of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, said those trying to rewrite India's history today were devoid of any historical grounding. 'They are rewriting a past they were never part of,' he said in his address. The seminar also featured writer Valsalan Vathussery and screenplay writer K.R. Sunil, who spoke on the need to defend and deepen Kerala's progressive cultural legacy.
