Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Theekathir Daily commences

The 50th Anniversary Celebrations of Theekathir Tamil Daily commenced on June 20 in Thiruvarur District. Theekathir, the official organ of Communist Party of India Marxist, commenced publishing on the same date in 1963 with one edition. Now the paper is having 4 editions, viz, Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi. More editions are in the offing during this golden jubilee year.  CPIM Polit Bureu member Com. K Varadarjan inaugurated the event. Several programmes will be held across the state as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. CPIM State Secretary Com N Ramakrishnan praised the contributions made by late Com. P Ramamoorthi, A Nallasivam, N Varadarajan, K Ramani for the growth of the newspaper. He praised the stand taken by the Newpaper, perhaps the only newspaper, regarding untouchability that is prevailing in the state. Several Newpaper agents of Theekathir daily and the earlier year workers of the paper where honoured during the function. On the ocassion, a fund of Rs. 3 lak which was collected by CPIM thirivarur district committee was handed over to PB member Com. K Varadarajan.

Left Front to organise protest against Mamta Raj in West Bengal

The CPI(M)-led Left Front today demanded that the Mamata Banerjee government call an all-party meeting to chalk out a mechanism to arrest the price rise in West Bengal."The state government should convene an all-party meeting within seven days to find a mechanism to check price rise of essential commodities. There should not be any delay," Left Front chairman Biman Bose said.

The state government should also explore application of the Essential Commodities Act, Bose said referring to the price of potato shooting up. On Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's suggestion for sending an all-party delegation to the entre to press for a three-year moratorium on interest payments by the state, theFront chairman said that its draft should be made clear so that Front could be part of the delegation.

He said that a Front delegation submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, when he last visited Kolkata, seeking central assistance to tide over the financial crisis in the state.

Claiming that the food security bill would not be of help to the common man, he said that since foodgrain stocks in the country were seven crore tonne against the required 2.12 crore tonne, it should be distributed through the public distribution system. Bose said that this would cost the exchequer Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 crore.

On Singur, Bose said the state government should not differentiate between willing and unwilling farmers for givingrice at Rs two per kg and Rs 2,000 as a monthly allowance. "The government should give the assistance to all till disposal of the case in court," he said.

The Front, he said, would launch a massive campaign from July four to July 17 statewide against the price rise. Bose said that sit-in demonstrations would be held from July 11-15 at block and municipal areas and also at Kolkata and Siliguri on July 17 together with a law-violation programme. He said that from July 25 to August 31, the Front would launch a campaign against price rise in West Bengal and in Delhi.