Shri M.M.Kalbargi, eminent scholar, author and rationalist and former Vice-Chancellor of the Kannada University at Hampi has been brutally murdered in his house at Dharwad yesterday. It is assumed that the right wing Hindu extremists are behind the crime.

This is taking a pattern. Whoever criticise and expose the Hindu extremism are being annihilated. S/Shri Narendra Dabolkar and Govind Palsare who opposed obscurantist beliefs and fought against them have been murdered earlier. So far nobody has been booked for this heinous crime by the Maharashtra government, may be purposely.

The entire country should stand up and expose and defeat these anti-people element and the forces of darkness as well.. Severe punishments should be given to the culprits.

There is a propaganda going on that the Govt. has come down and offered many favourable proposals on the demands of the Central Trade Unions raised in connection with the 2nd September  2015 strike. But the reality is different. The government proposals and our demands are given below to understand the actual position. As such, the strike will take place and maximum efforts should be continued to make it a big success.

EXPOSE THE GOVERNMENT’S DECEPTIVE PROPOSALS

New Delhi, Aug 28 The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to update its national policy that envisages state support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and other needs of older persons across the country.

The social justice bench comrpising justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit said “national policy on old age homes is 15 year old. You need to update it. So much has happened since 1999.”

The court said that revisiting the 1999 NPOP has become necessary in the wake of the enactment of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) envisages state support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and other needs of older persons, equitable share in development, protection against abuse and exploitation and availability of services to improve the quality of their lives.

It also provides state support on issues like social security, inter-generational bonding, family as the primary caretaker, role of NGOs, training of manpower and research.

The court expressed dissatisfaction over the reply filed by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and said that it had not disclosed the steps taken so far for setting up old age homes.

Earlier, the apex court had issued notice to the Centre on the PIL seeking setting up of old age homes with basic healthcare facilities in every district of the country. (P

Another election, 5th in six years, has been announced by the Greek Government.The situation arose after some of the members of the ruling party Syriza left and the government became a minority. Prime Minister Tsipras had resigned a few days back, which resulted in the fresh election which will be held on September 20th.

The two days discussion by the  Minister’s committee headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely failed to deliver goods and the Central Trade Unions will go on strike on 2nd September 2015.  Since the BMS feels that there is some forward decisions on the part of the government, it feels that the strike be deferred and wait for six months. Any how, after all other unions have moved for the strike, BMS is meeting today to discuss the issue again and take decision.

We hope that the BMS will review the entire situation and decide to continue with the strike, thus cementing the unity of the working class.

The Hunger strike and dharna at Jantar Mantar by the retired defence pensioners are strengthening every day. The leaders who were on hunger strike and have been hospitalised have refused food and are continuing the hunger strike. Now many widows of the war veterans have joined the dharna at Jantar Mantar.

The government is dilly dallying and delaying the decision on One Rank One pension, which was an election promise. Prime Minister Modi was expected to announce the same on 15th August Independence Day speech. But nothing happened, as on other promises.

The people who defends our land and sacrifice their lives for the country can not be defenceless in their time of need. Extend all support to the fully justified demand of the Defence Pensioners.

In a significant judgment, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday 18.8.2015 directed the Uttar Pradesh government to make it mandatory for the government employees and those serving in the local bodies to send their kids to government-run primary schools. In its order, the HC asked the state government to take appropriate steps to ensure that these guidelines are implemented from the next academic session.

While hearing a group of petitions by Shiv Kumar Pathak and several others, the HC bench of JusticeIn case the government employees fail to send their kids to the government primary schools, an amount, which they are paying as fee for their wards in private schools, will be deducted from their salaries every month. The court also directed the chief secretary to submit a compliance report in next six months. Agarwal also suggested strict penalties for those officials/employees failing to follow the new rules.

But in practical it is very difficult to implement the judgment. At the same time it is a welcome judgment in support of the public education system.