Nestle Pakistan
Pakistan

Solidarity Appeal: Nestle Workers’ Protest In Pakistan

Dear Friends

Socialist Movement Pakistan (CWI-Pakistan) is engaged in an important struggle to defend the workers in a Nestle factory at Kabirwala (Punjab). The Nestle management has forcibly locked out the 800 low paid contract workers from the factory since September 2015. Management instructed the gate security to stop the workers from entering the factory – none of the workers are notified of termination of their contract prior to this. These are highly low paid, poor workers and their families are facing hunger and starvation because of forced sackings. read more

Shahid Bhagat Singh
Maharashtra

Commemorating Bhagat Singh’s Birth Anniversary

On 28th September, the New Socialist Alternative, Pune Branch organised a program on the birth anniversary of the well known socialist freedom fighter – Shahid Bhagat Singh (1907-1931). About 60 people attended the event.

Bhagat Singh Birth Anniversary

Leading to the event, our members had distributed pamphlets and stuck posters in many colleges in Pune. The program was held at Samaj Vidnyan Academy, Pune. The program started with revolutionary songs that were sung by our members Rushikesh, Dhanashree, Sagar, Anita and Ketki. Comrade Omkar introduced everyone to the Nav Samaj Yuva Manch – NSYM (youth wing of the New Socialist Alternative – Pune) which was the driving force behind the programme. Omkar also introduced the speaker Comrade Datta Desai (a left activist and writer) and spoke about his contributions. read more

Pakistan

Pakistan: False police case against Comrade Hameed Chanah

hameedSocialist and union organizer targetted by feudal lords and corrupt state officials

Comrade Hameed Chanah, provincial organiser of the Progressive Workers Federation of Pakistan, in the Sindh province, is under attack and facing severe hardship. His only crime is that he dared to organise resistance and challenged the domination and hegemony of the local feudal lords and corrupt state officials. He has been targeted by criminals, judges and the police because he is playing a leading role organizing workers, peasants and females in his area – Mir Pur Khas – in Sindh province. read more

Pakistan

Pakistan: General elections held amid political turmoil

Imran KhanBig landlords, capitalists and influential families are calling the shots

In the electoral politics of Pakistan, the political parties, ideology and programme matters little in the final outcome of the elections. In the big cities, the political parties enjoy some clout and their vote plays a decisive role but in the small cities, towns and rural areas the feudal lords, rich individuals and influential families call the shots. The constituency based politics centers around 300 big influential families plus another 1000 families allied to them. There are around 5 to 10 influential families which decide the fate of the constituency. They have no permanent ideology or political affiliations. They change their loyalty according to the situation. They have a history to change loyalties overnight. They have only one aim and that is to protect their own interests and maintain control in their respective areas. In many areas, the different members of the same family contest elections against each other under the banner of different political parties. read more

Bangladesh

Revolutionary Fire at Shahbagh

Shahbagh-strike_The following article is written by Protap Debnath, a student activist and member of the New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India) on the recent mass mobilization of youth in Bangladesh at Shahbagh.

These protests could very well mark the beginning of a revolutionary wave in the region and has left the Bangladesh ruling class terrified at facing such a prospect. Though the initial trigger for the movement was the verdict of the war crimes tribunal against the perpetrators of the genocide in the national liberation struggle in 1971, the movement is definitely linked to the frustrations of the youth and the working people of Bangladesh in present day Bangladesh. read more