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The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Farmers to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on August 20
Members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers' Association will lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha on August 20, seeking the implementation of their long-pending demands. At a press conference here on Saturday, H. Bhagyaraj, president of the sugarcane growers' association, said that farmers will also hold a 'satyagraha' at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. Though the country celebrated Independence Day on August 15,there was little for farmers to celebrate as the government had failed to ensure scientific pricing for agricultural produce, he said. Mr. Bhagyaraj said that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for 2025-26 should be fixed at ₹4,500 per ton, and harvesting and transportation costs must be borne by the sugar factories. The farmers also expressed concern that the weighing scales are not scientifically calibrated, as a result of which they suffer losses. This should be avoided by installing the weighing scales in front of the factories so that the farmers can monitor the process as well, they said. Mr. Bhagyaraj pointed out that the factories owed dues to the tune of ₹950 crores to sugarcane farmers, and added that this should be cleared immediately. Drawing attention to the shortage of fertilizers, the association said that the issue has been politicised by both the State and the Centre, and that it was the responsibility of the governments to ensure the availability of fertilizers and its smooth distribution. The authorities were urged to crack down on traders creating artificial scarcity by hoarding fertilizer stocks or selling them at a price higher than the rates fixed by the government. Mr. Bhagyaraj urged the government to implement the Mekedatu project without further delay, and blamed the Centre and the State for failing to expedite the works. The farmers stated that banks tend to insist on CIBIL scores before releasing agricultural loans, and hence urged the government to change the policy and delink CIBIL scores from farm loans. Any delay in repayment of loan due to crop failure or vagaries of nature has a negative bearing on the CIBIL score and affects the farmers, the association said. Drawing attention to the low penetration of crop insurance among farmers, the association said that the policy and insurance schemes should be tweaked to make a particular land of the farmer concerned as the unit area of insurance. When the unit area for crop insurance is too large, individual farmers suffer because damage to their crops may be overlooked and their claims rejected, if conditions in other parts of the area are considered normal, it added. Other demands included immediate release of ₹1,000 crore by way of incentives which is pending for dairy farmers, establishment of crop and milk procurement centres at the gram panchayat level, rescinding the Land Reforms Act and APMC (Amendment) Act, implementation of the recommendations of M.S. Swaminathan Committee, a law ensuring statutory guarantee of Minimum Support Price for farmers' produce, etc.
News18
19 hours ago
- Business
- News18
Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's ‘Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule
Last Updated: For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and ambitions, but has faced growing neglect and exploitation from Pakistan A fresh wave of resistance against the Pakistani state's illegal occupation of the region is being witnessed in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The local traders and business community of GB have launched a movement to oppose trade and travel between Pakistan and China via the Khunjerab Pass. This latest protest is the outcome of the relentlessly exploitative economic and political conditions imposed on GB by the Pakistani state. The protest by the traders has come close on the heels of a mass movement by the local residents of GB against the controversial Land Reforms Act, 2025, passed on May 21. For the last four weeks, traders have been continuing with a sit-in at the Karakoram Highway, bringing the region to a standstill. They are demanding recognition of local interests by Islamabad as well as its accountability. To understand GB's tumultuous relationship with Islamabad, it is important to look at the history of this asymmetric and oppressive power dynamic, which continues to disenfranchise, marginalise, and politically erase the identity, aspirations, and future of the people of this region. According to the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Pakistan has treated GB more as a colony rather than as part of the federation. 'The region has long been regarded by Pakistan not as a cherished part of the federation, but as a distant and burdensome periphery. Successive governments have turned a blind eye to the fundamental needs of the humble inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan, relegating the region to an ad hoc governance framework administered from afar—governed not by participatory laws, but by decrees handed down from Islamabad," says a recent MEMRI report. The origins of this injustice lie in the 1949 Karachi Agreement. Under this 'agreement", the control of GB (then called Northern Areas) was transferred from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) to Islamabad without any representative from the region. Since then, Islamabad has directly ruled GB through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, using the draconian colonial-era Frontier Crimes Regulation. Its constitutional status remains in limbo as Pakistan has tried to use it to build another false narrative by linking it to the resolution of the Kashmir issue with India. But to deal with growing frustration among the local residents, it introduced limited self-governance reforms to the region, renaming it 'Gilgit and Baltistan' in 2009. However, this move was exposed as hollow; right from the beginning, the GB assembly was systematically populated by 'compliant figureheads or puppets, rather than leaders who dared to interpret their roles with independence and purpose," as emphasised in the MEMRI analysis. For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and aspirations, but instead has faced growing neglect and exploitative policies from Pakistan. The Pakistani magazine Herald once described Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistan's 'last colony", a phrase that aptly reflects Islamabad's governing attitude toward the region. Very recently, GB was engulfed in massive demonstrations against the forcibly passed Land Reforms Act, 2025. This legislation was opposed by the people, as it would enable land grabs by Punjabi landlords and the Pakistani military, displace the local population, and exploit natural resources. This law would also intensify military control. As GB is the only region under Pakistan's occupation that has a Shia and Ismaili majority, Islamabad has also undertaken a systematic campaign of altering the demography by opening up the region to outsiders. Now, fed up with increasing federal taxes and deliberate obstacles to local trade, GB traders—backed by a host of local political parties and religious groups—have sustained a resilient sit-in at Sost. This powerful show of solidarity and demand for justice compelled Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan and Governor Mehdi Shah to seek federal intervention, leading to the formation of a federal committee to make recommendations for the issue's resolution. The protestors' demands are simple: exemption from income, sales, and other federal taxes on commodities imported from China through the Khunjerab Pass—deemed illegal by traders considering GB's lack of constitutional status—and urgent customs clearance for 280 consignments stuck at Sost Dry Port under a one-time amnesty scheme. Ironically, while Gilgit-Baltistan is considered to be geographically very significant for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Islamabad's treatment of local traders sends a clear message that it is least bothered about the interests of the local population and is only interested in exploiting the strategic position and resources of the region. All routes connecting Pakistan to China, including the critical Karakoram Highway, pass through GB, which should ideally have brought more economic opportunities for the local population. However, in contrast, it has resulted in increased Chinese military presence. This reinforces the fact that Pakistan follows the template of exploiting the region while keeping the people underdeveloped. If the locals dare to express their aspirations, they are handled brutally by the Pakistani military and its death squads. Therefore, the traders' blockade in GB represents more than an economic conflict—it is the roar of a voice silenced for decades from a region long suffering under the thumb of Islamabad's colonial and oppressive policies. The writer is an author and columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. tags : China Kashmir pakistan view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 16, 2025, 22:02 IST News opinion Global Watch | Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's 'Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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New Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
RIP VS Achuthanandan: Everyone's favourite Comrade
Iconic Communist and former Chief Minister of Kerala VS Achuthanandan has passed away. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital, following a cardiac attack on June 23rd morning. He was earlier incapacitated following a stroke in 2019. A founding leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), VS Achuthanandan had turned 101 last October. VS was the last of the 32 leaders who walked out of the historical CPI national council meet in 1964 to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). VS began his political career as a trade unionist at the forefront of land struggles. He was also part of the now iconic Punnapra-Wayalar struggle. A former Chief Minister, VS was undoubtedly the CPM's most popular leader in the state, evoking genuine affection among the masses right down to the grassroot levels. Began by assisting brother at tailoring shop Born on October 20, 1923 as the son of Sankaran and Akkamma, VS had a difficult childhood after losing his mother at the age of four. Initially, he assisted his brother at a tailoring shop, and subsequently a coir factory worker. Initiated into the state's political movement by P Krishna Pillai, he started his early political life as a trade union activist in 1938, by organising agricultural workers at Kuttanadu. He went on to become a member of the Travancore State Congress. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1940 and was later part of the undivided CPI state Secretariat in 1957. VS was also part of the country's freedom struggle and underwent imprisonment many a time. During one such incarceration, the police had brutally pierced his soles with a bayonet at the Poonjar station lock-up. He spent around five-and-a-half years in prison and four years underground. Legendary for his firm stance VS was at the forefront of 'land' struggles, starting with the Alappuzha declaration in 1970 demanding implementation of the Land Reforms Act passed by the EMS Government in 1967. In 1957, he became the CPI state secretariat member. On numerous occasions, he faced opposition and criticism from various corners for raising his voice against corrupt practices indulged in by fellow leaders. In 1962, during the Sino-Indian war, he was demoted within the party for supporting blood donation camps for Indian soldiers. A long-term CPM state secretary (from 1980 to 1992), VS was legendary for his firm stance in dealing with issues — both inner-party and socio-political.
New Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
RIP VS Achutanandan: Everyone's favourite Comrade
Iconic Communist and former Chief Minister of Kerala VS Achuthanandan has passed away. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital, following a cardiac arrest on June 23rd morning. He was earlier incapacitated following a stroke in 2019. A founding leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), VS Achuthanandan had turned 101 last October. VS was the last of the 32 leaders who walked out of the historical CPI national council meet in 1964 to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). VS began his political career as a trade unionist at the forefront of land struggles. He was also part of the now iconic Punnapra-Wayalar struggle. A former Chief Minister, VS was undoubtedly the CPM's most popular leader in the state, evoking genuine affection among the masses right down to the grassroot levels. Began by assisting brother at tailoring shop Born on October 20, 1923 as the son of Sankaran and Akkamma, VS had a difficult childhood after losing his mother at the age of four. Initially, he assisted his brother at a tailoring shop, and subsequently a coir factory worker. Initiated into the state's political movement by P Krishna Pillai, he started his early political life as a trade union activist in 1938, by organising agricultural workers at Kuttanadu. He went on to become a member of the Travancore State Congress. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1940 and was later part of the undivided CPI state Secretariat in 1957. VS was also part of the country's freedom struggle and underwent imprisonment many a time. During one such incarceration, the police had brutally pierced his soles with a bayonet at the Poonjar station lock-up. He spent around five-and-a-half years in prison and four years underground. Legendary for his firm stance VS was at the forefront of 'land' struggles, starting with the Alappuzha declaration in 1970 demanding implementation of the Land Reforms Act passed by the EMS Government in 1967. In 1957, he became the CPI state secretariat member. On numerous occasions, he faced opposition and criticism from various corners for raising his voice against corrupt practices indulged in by fellow leaders. In 1962, during the Sino-Indian war, he was demoted within the party for supporting blood donation camps for Indian soldiers. A long-term CPM state secretary (from 1980 to 1992), VS was legendary for his firm stance in dealing with issues — both inner-party and socio-political. A Politburo member for almost three decades since 1985, he was dropped from the Politburo in 2009 while serving as the Chief Minister. He was also thrice Opposition leader and served as Chief Minister from 2006-11. He was elected to the state Assembly in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. VS was hands-down the party's most popular leader among the masses and was the main campaigner in the 2016 State Assembly polls that saw Pinarayi assuming the CM office for the first time. He is survived by his wife K Vasumathy and two children VA Arunkumar and VV Asha. The 'comrade with an anti-party mindset' Maintaining his own stance even at the cost of opposing the party, VS always had the image of a leader of the masses. The Alappuzha strongman always had to bear the brunt of scores of disciplinary actions by the very party he helped form. Public censuring and demotion from the Politburo were just a few of the punitive actions that the centenarian had to face in the course of his long political career as an uncompromising Communist. It was during the Indo-China war in 1964 that VS was first subjected to party disciplinary action. He was demoted from the Central Committee. He was warned in 1998 and suspended from the Politburo for factionalism in 2007. Though he was taken back keeping in mind his mass appeal, VS had to leave the Politburo again in 2009. This was followed by censuring by the Central Committee for his visit to Koodamkulam. But what could be termed as the most drastic of the series of disciplinary actions initiated against him was the party resolution terming him a 'comrade with an anti-party mindset' on the eve of the 2015 Alappuzha conference. That such an open declaration was made in front of the media by none other than his bête noire Pinarayi Vijayan only served to further underline the extent to which the veteran was being isolated within the party itself. Till a decade ago, the CPM witnessed bitter factional feuds between the factions led by VS and current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In fact, it was the bitter fight between the two over the SNC Lavalin controversy involving Pinarayi that led to his demotion from the Politburo in 2009. The 2011 Assembly elections stands testimony to VS' mass appeal which forced the party to field him, following widespread protests from various corners for initially denying him a seat to contest. The chances of the Communist Party seeing another popular giant like him are very slim.
New Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Core changes not necessary in Land Reforms Act, says Minister Rajan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala does not face a situation that warrants core changes in the Land Reforms Act, including a ceiling on possession by an individual, Revenue Minister K Rajan has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the delegates' session at the Bhoomi national conclave organised by the revenue and survey departments here on Thursday. Land Reforms Act paved way for social change in the state. Timely amendments and changes have already been made to the act. Though several states enacted similar acts after Kerala, they lack the strength and scope of the Kerala legislation. The Land Reforms Act helped in effective land distribution that brought in social change. The act has provision to empower government to implement industrial, commercial and development activities. The minister said the ongoing Digital Resurvey in Kerala is a revolutionary step. It ensures accurate and transparent land documents which prevent border disputes. Unique Thandaper initiative was launched in villages where digital survey is complete. The Ente Bhoomi portal that provides services of revenue, Registration and Survey Departments is a commendable model in e-governance. Central Land Resources Secretary Manoj Joshi presided over. In his address Joshi said Kerala's digital land resurvey project was a model for the country. Kerala has a high population density and digital resurvey is progressing efficiently. The state is using a fool-proof software system for the survey. Though several states have launched digital resurvey, Kerala is noted for the accuracy of the process. Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi addressed the function. He said Himachal Pradesh has launched digital resurvey on the model of Kerala. The state has started panchayat-level committees on the model of Kerala for the effective implementation of the project, he said.
