Urban local body polls: People's manifesto demands right to work for slumdwellers

By A Representative
As political parties are trying to woo voters ahead of urban local body elections in Bhubaneswar, the people’s collective Bhubaneswar Vikas Sangathan has released a people’s manifesto to make election contestants accountable to keep their poll promises.
The manifesto has been prepared in a consultative process after discussing with slum residents, local leaders, urban rights experts and social activists and comprises main issues they are facing such as Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, electricity and other civic issues.
The manifesto demands the right to work for slum dwellers as there is an uncertainty of employment among unskilled labourers living in various slums. It also demands a grievance redressal centre to bring connections between elected representatives and community members, a labour facilitation centre for helping them get benefit from government schemes and a study centre for children which according to the communities, need to be done in priority.
Members of the Bhubaneswar Vikas Sangathan are also running a drive to take a pledge from the contestants to ensure implementation of these issues if they win elections.
Jyotsnarani Nayak, a corporator contestant from Ward No 17 of Patharabandha Sahi said “this is a welcoming step by these groups. Elected representatives are always blamed for deviating from backtracking from their announcements. So, this will make us conscious about what we need to deliver if we win. I have signed the pledge and announced that I will continue highlighting these issues even if I can’t win.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Search This Blog