Salute Association for Democratic Rights (APDR) on turning 50

Today we commemorate the 50^th birth anniversary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) of West Bengal which is one of the oldest human rights organisations in India. A truly landmark day in the history of the civil liberties movement in India. Positive that today inspite of all ups and down it is shimmering it’s torch .

https://countercurrents.org/2022/06/salute-association-for-democratic-rights-apdr-on-turning-50/

by  Harsh Thakore

26/06/2022

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Sado-Monetarism

Sado-Monetarism  The Role of the Federal Reserve System in Keeping Wages Low https://monthlyreview.org/2012/04/01/sado-monetarism/
by Michael Perelman Neoclassical economists are concerned about the workers’ transactions with capital, but they care little about the workers themselves or their working conditions. Workers merely accept a wage bargain, go to work, and finally collect a wage.

The Federal Reserve serves the needs of the powerful. Its role is to protect capital against the interests of labor. In order to maintain labor discipline, the Federal Reserve Board is entrusted with the task of maintaining a level of unemployment high enough to keep workers fearful of losing their jobs. Workers’ acceptance of mediocre jobs at modest wages paid handsome dividends for business, creating more demand (through debt), while making workers even more fearful of losing their jobs. In addition, workers’ insecurity also meant that they were less likely to quit in search of better employment, allowing employers to avoid the costs of recruiting and retraining replacement workers. Perhaps best of all, employers could enjoy this bounty without having to call upon the Federal Reserve to slow down the economy.

https://www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_511.pdf The Fed’s Real Reaction Function Monetary Policy, Inflation, Unemployment, Inequality—and Presidential Politics* by James K. Galbraith Olivier Giovannoni Ann J. Russo  August 2007  Does monetary policy influence inequality? More specifically, does information contained in the term structure of interest rates extend beyond inflation and unemployment to a measure of inequality in earnings? The answer is that it does.  

Agnipath Is A Marketing Trick In Which Job Destruction Is Being Sold As Job Creation https://thewire.in/government/agnipath-scheme-job-destruction-creation-modi-government   Even though the larger economic motives and social imperatives behind the Agnipath project have not been understood in its entirety by the larger public, the impact of the scheme which bars candidates above 21 years and renders 75% of recruits jobless after four years without pension benefits has triggered the anger of those who were desperately waiting for the call for recruitment. 

The Agnipath shock comes months after the Railway Recruitment Board changed its eligibility qualification, leaving lakhs of aspirants high and dry. With the agricultural and unorganised sectors, which provide employment to the stay-behinds, heavily hit by demonetisation, goods and services tax and later COVID-19 and Modi’s lockdowns, north Indian youth pinned all their hopes on army recruitment. But Agnipath has come as a bolt from the blue.

India is facing a great unemployment crisis and Modi has aggravated the problem with his disastrous economic policies and now his neoliberal recruitment policies.

Agnipath: One more disaster in the making

Agnipath: One more disaster in the making  https://www.cenfa.org/agnipath-one-more-disaster-in-the-making/ By Prasanna Mohanty | June 20, 2022

The Modi government is known for top-down, arbitrary policymaking sans consultation, evidence and democratic checks and balances. The “Agnipath” scheme is the latest on the list.

There was no discussion on it inside or outside the Parliament – more worrying when it has serious “transformative” consequences. Defence forces apparently accepted a political decision imposed on them without due process and not knowing what the consequences would be for the professionalism of armed forces, national security or other implications.

India went through such panic during the demonetisation of 2016, as well as the pandemic lockdown – both announced without consultations and due processes. Both caused immense avoidable pain to the people and economy.

The propensity to create man-made disasters should have been abjured after these two experiences, but the government seems immune to lessons.

Centre's Agnipath Scheme: A Test by Fire – Need for Reforms and Resolutions https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/agnipath-scheme-opinion-concerns-soldiers-recruitment-scheme

Maj Navdeep Singh  19 Jun 2022, I have never been against Short Service Engagement in the military, including at the jawan level, provided it is well-rounded and balances out individual aspirations and organisational requirements while synchronously maintaining regular permanent recruitment, even if on a gradually declining scale. ..I am conscious that a ballooning recurring pension bill somehow needs to be tamed for future benefit.. For the country's good, unpopular decisions need to be taken, but they should preferably be implemented delicately.

Alternatives to Save the Burden of Pensions on the Exchequer
Needless to state, it is not that there were no ingenious methods available to tame the pension bill. Easily, as a pilot project, or as a small percentage of recruitments, a Short Service Engagement of 5 years extendable (at the volition of the soldier) to 10 years could have been introduced on the NPS format.

It would have resulted in better financial protection under the NPS, payment of gratuity, grant of ex-serviceman status (and hence availability of existing ex-serviceman reservation), admissibility of proper disability pension in case of disability (which has already been extended by the government to civilian employees on NPS), family pension in case of death and a much more softer churn towards a new recruitment policy.

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Agnipath: Path of Militarisation of Society?

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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‘Paid news’ and ‘paid social media’ in India: looking for legal attention

https://countercurrents.org/2021/06/paid-news-and-paid-social-media-in-india-looking-for-legal-attention/

Unfortunately, numerous types of paid news have evolved over the period, posing a threat to the nation, but still exist in our political system due to a nexus between capitalism and political parties. Creation of public opinion in favour of a political parity pre and post election phases by the media in lieu of monetary agreement, promotion of particular ideology, future business prospects etc have become a common trend in our system. Undoubtedly, paid news is being used as a weapon to cover up the truth so as to divert the people’s attention from the core basic necessities and services if policies are not delivered effectively.

Nowadays, the systems of ‘paid news’ are becoming more ruthless and shaping as a form of corruption, unethical and professional misconduct in which media outlets and the political parties coordinate and complement each other in lieu of monetary agreement and political image building. The evolutions of such trend of paid news happen to be more threatening to our democracy as people’s voting behaviour are rigged in favour of the existing government, despite of the policy lacuna, policy-paralysis and mal-administration. Most of the India’s leading media are now being guided in accordance with commercial interest of the companies instead of seeking truth. Many incidences have been associated with ‘paid news’ for the last a couple of decades, for instances, publishing pre-poll survey showing victorious to a political party on account of financial agreement, providing ample coverage to a political party campaigning, framing and highlighting any weakness of a political party etc. For the last decade, the electronic media will become themselves as an eye witness of ‘paid news’ if the title of the news-show, its contents, lists of guest speakers, allotted time for specific program etc. are seriously examined. Though, it would be very difficult to prove whether the particular news shown on a channel or the news published in the newspaper is paid or not. Till now, no success has been achieved in tightening the noose on paid news.

By Dr. Ahmed Raza

27/06/2021

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The threat of large-scale famine

Disasters threaten human civilization https://countercurrents.org/2022/06/the-threat-of-large-scale-famine/

Among the greatest dangers to human civilization are nuclear war and catastrophic climate change, dangers which also threaten the biosphere. In addition to these two existential threats, humans also face the threat of an extremely large-scale famine, involving billions of people, rather than millions. The beginning of this famine, which could involve much of the world’s population by 2050, can already be seen.

Food prices have exploded because of the Ukraine war.

Because, in normal circumstances, both Ukraine and Russia are very large exporters of grain, the war in Ukraine has caused food prices to increase drastically in every part of the world. The United Nations is greatly concerned with the effect that this will have on poor countries.

Fossil fuel inputs to agriculture

Modern high-yield agriculture requires very large inputs of fossil fuels. In their book, “Food, Land, Population and the US Economy”. Researchers David Pimental and Mario Giampietro point out that in the United States, the growing and marketing of food requires roughly ten fossil fuels calories for every food calorie. By 2050, supplies of petroleum and natural gas will be exhausted, and in any case, the use of fossil fuels must stop very quickly if we are to have a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. Thus, high-yield modern agriculture will become impossible by the middle of the present century. This is particularly true of the Green Revolution grain varieties on which India is currently dependent.

Predictions of drought

Many weatwen and mid-western parts of the United States are already severely affected by drought, this situation is predicted to become worse because of increasing temperatures due to climate change. The same is true in many parts of the world, for example in eastern Africa, the Middle East, and some parts of southern Europe. The loss of agricultural output in these regions due to drought is a threat to food security.

Falling water tables

Falling water tables in China were the reason why China instituted its one-child policy. China has experienced many disastrous famines in the past. In the late 20th century, the Chinese government saw that water tables were falling at an alarming rate, and fearing another famine, they tried to halt their population growth by instituting a one-child policy.

In other parts of the world, water tables are also falling rapidly. For example, in the United States, the great Ogallala Aquifer is being overdrawn by a factor of eight. This enormous, shallow aquifer underlies portions of eight states.

Predictions of drought

Many weatwen and mid-western parts of the United States are already severely affected by drought, this situation is predicted to become worse because of increasing temperatures due to climate change. The same is true in many parts of the world, for example in eastern Africa, the Middle East, and some parts of southern Europe. The loss of agricultural output in these regions due to drought is a threat to food security.

Melting glaciers

Glaciers will soon cease to exist in many parts of the world, for example in the Himalayas and the Andes. Both India and China rely on Himalayan glaciers for their summer water supplies, and the loss of these glaciers will severely impact food security in both China and India. Similarly, a number of countries in South America rely on glaciers in the Andes.

Rising sea levels

The melting of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is producing sea level rise at an accelerating rate. In the Antarctic, spreading cracks in the vast Thwates glacier make scientists worried that the glacier will shatter like a windscreen, and trigger the collapse of nearby glaciers. If this happens, sea levels could increase by a very large amount, threatening all coastal cities. Even if this disaster is avoided, sea level rise will drown many fertil rice-producing regions in countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam,

Population stabilization

If the global population is plotted as a function of time over a very long period, from neolithic times until the present, and if the use of fossil fuels is plotted on the same graph, the two curves are seen to rise suddenly and dramatically together. This raises several questions: Has the human population explosion been partially driven by the use of fossil fuels? Will the population of humans crash disastrously when fossil fuels are exhausted or prohibited?

In any case, as Malthus pointed out, no population can exceed its food supply.

John Scales Avery is a theoretical chemist at the University of Copenhagen. He is noted for his books and research publications in quantum chemistry, thermodynamics, evolution, and history of science. His 2003 book Information Theory and Evolution set forth the view that the phenomenon of life, including its origin, evolution, as well as human cultural evolution, has its background situated in the fields of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory. Since 1990 he has been the Chairman of the Danish National Group of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Between 2004 and 2015 he also served as Chairman of the Danish Peace Academy. He founded the Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes, and was for many years its Managing Editor. He also served as Technical Advisor to the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (19881997).
http://www.fredsakademiet.dk/ordbog/aord/a220.htm. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To know more about his works visit this link.  https://www.johnavery.info/

Post COVID 2nd Wave impact on Vulnerable Communities: Household Survey Anna Adhikar Abiyan

Is Poverty Coming Down?
Ulka Mahajan https://youtu.be/_4nXmmcQjZQ   set the Keynote to the press Conference to  present the preliminary result of the Hunger Watch II Survey along with the recommendations to ensure universal access to food and expanded entitlements.
Ulka asked people to examine how the notions of "ease of doing business" and "New India" has impacted the toiling people of this country

The Universe is Vulnerable People
Household Survey - Post 2nd COVID Wave of Vulnerable People https://youtu.be/Qw5AwICKk8Y   Mukta tell us about the selection of already vulnerable people slected for  the second wave of COVID as well as lockdown spelt disaster.  The sample over 17 districts will be sufficient to tell us whether the stories of destitution we hear, are isolated case and whether the phenomemna calls for policy and administrative sensitivity, which go beyond macro-economic analysis that are being brandies about these days to justify and gloss over the essense of the social contract between State and Ctizens.. with special attention/disdain for the most vulnerable. 

Social Findings
Post 2nd Wave Findings of Household Survey of Vulnerable people: Mukta Srivastava https://youtu.be/Tr_m83VH4Uk
the big concerns as per Hunger Watch II?
● Income shock:
● Outstanding Debt:
● Unpaid Rent:
● Poor food intake:
● Poor diet quality:
● Access to Government Programmes:

Government Schemes
Ulka Mahajan on Access to Government Schemes, and their Effectiveness post 2nd COVID Wave https://youtu.be/Qw5AwICKk8Y (4 mins)
Ulka Mahajan presented the Surveys assessment of the Access to Government Programmes. She said Some government schemes seem to have performed well. Safety nets like PDS have been a great relief for poor communities. 86% of the households received ration from PDS. Overall in the state 14% of the eligible households could not receive ration due to technical issues, cancellation of ration cards etc. Although about 90 % of eligible HH reported that they received ration under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) yet only 61% HH reported that they received ration under PMGKAY every month. In urban areas only 50% HH received ration under this scheme every month as compared to 70% in rural areas.

Summary & Demands
Nitin Kubal of Anna Adhikar Abhiyan , Maharashtra  https://youtu.be/k9QLPTmvJ8M  Summarised the Findings, and spelt out the minimum demands. 
Important in time of emergency and distress that the State is does not make make matters worse for affected peopleby being legalistic about rules and procedures, as they have shown by cancelling a few ration cards,   and not making arrangements for extra cash flow for basic development and food security programmes.

From the Ground

Utsa Khan https://youtu.be/RzO79PMSIO8  tells a story of a COVID widowed woman in a Chembur slum, who went into mental depression as she could only see destitution with her three kids. She didnt even get the ration nor water.  We have to go house to house to understand and be able to do something about such situations.  State should see what can be done for children orphaned due to COVID.. Since they cannot work and earn a living.. as minors,

Yasmin from Awaz e Miswan https://youtu.be/Vn_AqbdZt1k   their organisation took up the areas of Kurgain and Mumbra for survey under the Anna Adhikari Abhiyan Survey. In the muslim areas, we have seen that  people doing small business like rickshaw driver or people who would put up small boxes to sell on the roads, had been totally without work during the lockdown. And since most people ie 80% live in rented accommodation, did not have any income in order to pay their rents.  Even the so called landlords who rented out part of their premises, became vulnerable.

Mukta Srivastava: https://youtu.be/tpHE6JU5wRE   What statistics wont reveal.. Mukta deviates from the power point to tell us what we didnt realise.. that when push comes to shove, many middle class strugglers also join the struggle.. ! Result  Bhimnagar Rag Pickers could not get good waste to pick..

Anna Adhikar Abhiyan Maharashtra , its associates and friends and Right to Food campaign launched a ‘Hunger Watch II’ in December –Jan 2022 to track the situation of hunger amongst vulnerable and marginalized communities in different parts of Maharashtra in the context of the COVID pandemic. The study was conducted in 17 districts of Maharashtra,

see NDTV Report on the Survey:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo9BIAjs42o  

एक तरफ प्रधानमंत्री देश में गरीबी कम होने के दावे कर रहे हैं वहीं महाराष्ट्र में हुए एक सर्वे में सामने आया है कि लॉकडाउन के दौरान बेरोजगारी बढ़ी और लोगों का वेतन कम हो गया.

जिससे गरीबी और अधिक बढ़ गयी.

View in marathi - https://epaper.loksatta.com/m5/3501304/loksatta-pune/09-06-2022#page/7/1 This article was published in Marathi newspaper 'Loksatta' on 09/06/2022 

                        " "या भुकेचे करायचे काय?" - उल्का महाजन

Human Future in the Digital Era – Whence society? Whence humanity ?

Introduction https://countercurrents.org/2022/05/human-future-in-the-digital-era-whence-society-whence-humanity/

The current stage of human societies on Planet Earth has three defining characteristics. One: The extremely rapid penetration of science and technology into human societies, with concomittant changes in their social, economic and political structures. Two: An explosion in the totality of energy-use by industrialized and industrializing human societies, resulting in planet-level (climate) changes posing an existential threat to human and also other species. Three: The development of machines which are becoming more and more “human-like”.

The idea of “natural stupidity” is based upon the belief that machines doing something more quickly than humans is necessarily good. This has captured the minds of most leaders of societies worldwide, with the notable exception of Gandhiji. Such leaders are sold on science and technology (S&T), perhaps out of a respect based upon their inability to understand “scientific” knowledge because it is esoteric. This is partly due to our faulty education system and partly due to the jargon, hype and promises of science and technology, or due to sensing material or political benefit from the use of those technologies. This is reflected in the fact of the widely held belief that S&T can solve all sorts of problems including social problems, and justifying poorly planned introduction of S&T into all aspects of governance.

Power centralization by digitization

Data has been referred to as “the new oil” of the digital economy. Data is a prized commodity and strategic asset. The real-time value of data is when it is acquired, organized as a database, and interpreted as an asset, to enhance national strategic/political aims and objectives or business/commercial interests. Management of the asset can provide valuable, actionable information. Creation and management of a large database can only be done with huge financial, technical and infrastructural resources. Such resources are available only with large business corporations or governments, resulting in centralization of political power, and making data the “oxygen of the digital economy”.

Centralization of political and economic power through deep penetration of digitization would be self-reinforcing and self-perpetuating, determine the nature of transactions and relations within and between digitized societies, and widen existing class and economic gaps. Dissent and protest by under-privileged sections of society arising from asymmetry of power-and-authority within society, will be easily suppressed using digital techniques of surveillance-and-tracking (use of drones), crowd control (using drone-mounted “plasma guns”) and biometric (face-in-the-crowd) identification of leaders of agitations.

by S G Vombatkere 

29/05/2022

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Need a whistle blower protection law

Civil contractor who wrote to PM Modi on 40 per cent cut in projects booked for criminal breach of trust  https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2022/may/15/civil-contractor-who-wrote-to-pm-modi-on-40-cut-in-projects-booked-for-criminal-breach-of-trust-2453904.html The technical assistant of village Vishnu Kumar Naik was supposed to supervise the quality of work, Mohan said in his complaint.  

Yerriswami's Vijayalakshmi Enterprises was assigned to supply material for the solid waste disposal unit in Mustur village under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The technical assistant of village Vishnu Kumar Naik was supposed to supervise the quality of work, Mohan said in his complaint. However, sometime in between, Yerriswami allegedly made some payment to Naik through phonePe which, according to Mohan, was a criminal breach of trust. 

(there is no whistle blower protection in India. The UPA was planning one in 2013, thanks to effort by the Advisory Council..)

Yerriswami had gone to the media on May 3 against the officials demanding money and told them that he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining against the officials for asking him to pay 40 per cent commission on the public works he had carried out.

According to him, he had supplied materials worth Rs 15 lakh and he had received Rs 4.8 lakh till date while the rest had not been paid.

On April 12, a civil contractor from Belagavi district - Santosh K Patil - allegedly died by suicide in a hotel in Udupi, accusing Eshwarappa of demanding 40 per cent commission on a civil work in his village last year.